If you miss scrambled eggs, this Tofu Scramble Recipe is for you! An easy vegan breakfast staple made with just 7 ingredients in 10 minutes.
If you’re looking for more breakfast tofu recipes, check out my Fried Vegan Eggs, Vegan Breakfast Burritos, and Tofu Cream Cheese while you’re here.
I used to love eating scrambled eggs as a kid. That is, until I actually learned what eggs were and where they came from… My relationship with eggs was officially tainted forever.
The joy I felt eating scrambled eggs is something I still miss, which is where this Easy Tofu Scramble comes in. It’s a vegan egg recipe that really hits the spot. Slightly creamy and jammy with some seriously delicious eggy flavors, it’s as close to real scrambled eggs as it gets!
And as the best tofu scramble recipe ever, it only takes 10 minutes to cook a batch in one pan. The ingredients are simple and likely already in your kitchen, too! I highly recommend doubling the recipe so you have enough for yourself, the kids, and leftovers for a few days after.
Why this is the best breakfast tofu scramble ever
- A vegan breakfast staple – A protein-packed plate of tofu scramble is always the perfect way to start the day, whether it’s a weekday or weekend morning.
- A nostalgic “eggy” flavor – The secret’s out… Black salt (kala namak) is the secret ingredient that gives the crumbled and seasoned tofu its eggy, sulfur-like flavor. If you’re like me, each bite will have you reminiscing about the plates of scrambled eggs you loved eating as a kid.
- Really quick and easy – 7 ingredients, 10 minutes, and 1 pan. That’s all this easy breakfast recipe takes!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Olive oil or other oil/vegan butter
- Tofu – Use firm or extra-firm tofu. The amount of water in a brick of soft or medium tofu will take too long to cook off.
- Nutritional yeast – A cheesy and salty seasoning that gives the tofu scramble a delicious umami flavor. Try not to skip it if you can help it!
- Black salt – AKA kala namak. It’s a sulfur-tasting salt that gives vegan egg recipes a similar flavor to real eggs. You can substitute it with regular table salt or sea salt if you don’t have it on hand.
- Turmeric – For a golden “egg yolk” color. Feel free to omit the turmeric if you don’t have any on hand. The nutritional yeast will still give the scramble a yellow-ish color.
- Garlic powder
- Non-dairy milk – Any unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk will work! Better yet, stir in a little cashew cream.
How to make tofu scramble
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, mash the block of tofu in the pan with a potato masher or fork, or crumble it over the pan with your hands.
Cook the tofu, stirring often, until the excess water has evaporated.
Sprinkle the nutritional yeast, black salt, turmeric, and garlic powder over the tofu. Cook and stir the seasoned tofu for 5 minutes.
Pour the milk into the pan and stir to mix.
Serve the warm tofu scramble on plates with sliced avocado, toast, berries, and your other favorite breakfast items. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
I prefer to use firm tofu but extra-firm tofu will work just as well. No need to press the block ahead of time! The water cooks out really quickly.
You should be able to find black salt at specialty grocery stores or buy it online. It comes in handy when you need to replicate classic eggy flavors in vegan egg recipes, like this tofu scramble recipe, my Vegan Egg Salad, or a JUST Egg Omelette.
You can easily turn this basic tofu scramble into a colorful breakfast by playing around with different vegetables! There are so many you can add, like:
Vegetables you can sauté in the pan a few minutes before adding the tofu are 1/4 cup diced onion, minced garlic cloves, or a diced bell pepper.
Vegetables to add after the milk is added are fresh spinach or kale, small broccoli florets, or diced or sliced tomatoes.
Other than vegetables, you can also add crumbled vegan bacon, a sliced Italian vegan sausage, or half a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or black beans at the end to make the scramble even heartier.
I love to serve this basic tofu scramble with sliced avocado, hot sauce, toast, and fresh fruit. It also goes well with sliced tomatoes, fruit salad, breakfast potatoes, and your other favorite vegan breakfast recipes.
The leftover tofu scramble will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Double the recipe and store the extras in individual containers for easy grab-and-reheat meals to enjoy for meal prep!
The Best Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- (1) 14.5-ounce block firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon kala namak (black salt) or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, unsweetened and unflavored
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat (I prefer a cast iron pan, or non-stick). Mash the block of tofu right in the pan, with a potato masher or a fork. You can also crumble it into the pan with your hands. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until the water from the tofu is mostly gone.
- Now add the nutritional yeast, salt, turmeric and garlic powder. Cook and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Continue to cook for longer, not stirring for a few minutes at a time, until golden spots form on some of the tofu. This is a personal preference but I prefer some golden spots and a longer cook time.
- Pour the non-dairy milk into the pan, and stir to mix. Serve immediately with sliced avocado, hot sauce, parsley, steamed kale, toast or any other breakfast item.
Video
Notes
- Tofu Scramble is also good with all sorts of vegetables mixed in. Vegetables to add before the tofu: 1/4 cup diced onion or a few cloves of minced garlic. Saute in the oil for 2-3 minutes before adding and mashing the tofu. Vegetables to add towards the end: fresh spinach, kale, thin sliced red peppers, small chopped broccoli or fresh sliced/diced tomatoes. Add these after you’ve added the milk to the tofu, and cook for just a few minutes.
- Omit oil if desired to make the tofu scramble oil free.
- You can use any kind of non-dairy milk you like, such as soy, almond, cashew, oat or coconut milk. Just make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored. Cashew cream makes it extra creamy and delicious!
Nutrition
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This hit the spot! Will it keep well and heat up nicely? I’d love to make it to heat up later.
Yes, I love making a lot and reheating it for breakfasts. Thank you!
Have made this 4 times now in the past month with sauteed onions to start — WINNER, even with 2 15 year old boys! Thank you!
Incredible, edible tofu 🙂 I made this recipe today and I LOVE it! Delicious, easy and so versatile. It is now my favorite anytime ‘egg scramble’. Thank you, Nora! I am definitely a fan of your site and will be making more of your recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you like it!
DELICIOUS! I can’t believe I didn’t make this sooner. I haven’t had eggs in 6 months, so great to find something deliciously similar and vegan. I topped it with some pepper and some siracha hot sauce and it is perfect.
That’s so great! Thanks for the comment!
The mouth feel , sight and what with homage salsa it was hard to tell I didn’t use eggs.
I liked it for my first try at Tofu Scramble, but is it really supposed to have 1 tsp of salt? It was so salty we could barely handle it. I think if we used 1/4 tsp or just salted to taste, it would be excellent.
That is correct, but of course feel free to just add salt to taste if you don’t like it salty. Thanks!
Hi I was wondering how many ounces is one serving for you?
By the way this was sooo good!!!
Thank you! I don’t know in ounces, but there are only 2 servings, so just divide it in half. Of course a serving for me is however much I feel like eating. 🙂
What can I use in place if turmeric? I do not have that one ingredient. Thanks in advance 🙂
You can just leave it out, it mostly helps with color. 🙂
THIS was the bomb!
Just sauted a small onion with this. Only mod.
Thanks!!
Super good. I added everything bagel seasoning and a few red pepper flakes to add some flare. Also cooked with peppers and onions adds even more flavor. Very good and easy recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome!!
Love the savoriness of it. You wouldn’t know it was made without eggs! Excellent recipe.
Thanks so much!!
This is by far the best tofu scramble I have ever made! I followed the directions exactly, and it turned out delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome!!!
I have been making Tofu Scramble for many years – and your recipe is for sure the best. Thank you!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the great comment!
Yum! The kids request this about once a week! We add more nutritional yeast and its so good 🙂 Thanks!
This tofu recipe is so delicious. Thank you so much Nora!! I found your website in a search for interesting ways to get in all my bean servings for Dr. Gregor’s daily dozen checklist. I’ve been eating your tofu scramble basically every day since because I love it so much! I have been returning to your site often for more yummy meal ideas. Next to try is hummus…
I usually freeze my tofu then thaw for recipes, as I enjoy the texture that gives, and that works great for this recipe (tried it with thawed extra firm and medium tofu. Both were great, though extra firm was more crumbly, as expected; and made no difference in the flavour or enjoyment). I didn’t have any plant milk left, so left that out, and it still turned out great, so once I get some, I am sure it will just make take it up a notch!
So glad you found my site and are enjoying the recipes!! Thanks for the comment!!
This is my first month eating vegan and my first time trying tofu scrambled and it was amazing! I made this with sliced avocado, non-dairy shredded cheddar and hot sauce in a low carb tortilla. Super tasty and incredibly easy, thank you so much for sharing!
I made this today for my Omni family and it was a hit. I didn’t tell my father in law it was tofu. I just kept calling it a scramble. Everyone else referred to it as eggs! Also this is the third recipe of yours I’ve used this week. Big fan of the site!
Wow, that’s amazing!! Thanks so much for the comment!
So easy and delicious , I added spinach and served it with hot sauce, toast and avocado wedges.
New to plant based eating, in past my only exposure to tofu was in miso soup. ? Loved your Tofu Scramble! Very excited about this recipe and your website.
Thanks so much!! Hope you find more recipes you like!!
Best and easiest tofu scramble! My non-vegan parents even liked it. Thanks for a great everyday recipe.
I’ve been making this tofu scramble almost every week for the last month. I’ve found I like including my veggies with the scramble (spinach, tomato, mushroom, etc.). Thank you to the great, straightforward recipe!
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much, i just made it and it was very very good!
Wow! This was so good on my bagel w/ carrot “bacon” cheese n avocado. Thank u.
You’re welcome!
Best tofu scramble we’ve had. we added mushrooms, yellow peppers, onion, and tomatoes. This is now our go to rescipe!
Thanks Nora.
You’re welcome!
I added plain almond yogurt instead of the milk, a teaspoon of chili powder and sauteed red peppers, as well as some black beans. Tasted amazing!
Sounds good!