These easy sweet, savory, and spicy Baked Tofu Temaki Sushi with Cauliflower Rice are a host's best friend. Each guest can customize their own!
๐ SAVE THIS
What is Temaki Sushi?
Temaki, also known as a hand-roll, is a large cone-shaped piece of nori wrapped around sushi rice and other ingredients. It is eaten with hands instead of chopsticks.
These Baked Tofu Temaki Sushi with Cauliflower Rice were inspired by my pantry ingredients - or lack thereof. I wanted a wrap but was out of tortillas.
I have been making wraps and cones out of nori sheets for years but didn't know there was a name for the cones until recently.
Temaki sushi is hand-rolled sushi, so you don't need a bamboo mat (although I never use one anyway). It just takes a little practice to get your sushi rolls tight.
It is best to eat them right away so that the nori doesn't get soggy. They are great for a party because everyone can roll their own, which is great for the guests because they can customize their ingredients.
I marinated and baked the tofu in maple syrup and tamari, making it sweet and savory. Baked tofu adds a great texture to this dish. It is crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The marinade gets baked on, adding a lot of flavor.
For the cauliflower rice, I added similar flavors to sushi rice. You wouldn't even know it is cauliflower instead of rice. That's a win in my book!
Dijon mustard adds a spicy touch and compliments the sweetness of the baked tofu and cauliflower rice. Mustard is similar to wasabi, in fact, they are in the same plant family, so it works well when you don't have any (which I didn't at the time of making this).
Other recipes to try are my Vegan Tofu Fried Rice, Teriyaki Tofu with Cauliflower Rice, Vegan Tofu Meatballs with Asian Glaze, Wasabi Chips, and Stir-Fried Tofu and Peppers.
Jump to:
โค๏ธ Why You'll Love It
- It's a perfect recipe for people who have never rolled sushi before because it is very forgiving.
- You would never know that it is made with cauliflower rice.
- It has the perfect balance of flavors.
๐งพ Ingredients
Baked Tofu
- Tofu: I used extra-firm tofu packaged in water found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. You could also use firm tofu.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. You could also use agave syrup.
- Tamari: I used low-sodium gluten-free tamari because I like to control the amount of sodium.
- Paprika: Adds spice. You could leave it out.
Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower: I used fresh cauliflower that I chopped in a food processor. You could also use frozen cauliflower rice.
- Brown rice vinegar: Adds a tangy flavor. You could also use lime juice.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness so that it tastes similar to the sticky rice in sushi.
- Tamari: I used low-sodium gluten-free tamari because I like to control the amount of sodium.
- Olive oil: For cooking the cauliflower rice.
Temaki Sushi
- Cucumber: I like to use English cucumbers because they are less bitter and have fewer seeds than American cucumbers.
- Nori: I found nori sheets in the Asian section of my local grocery store. You can also buy them online.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a spicy flavor. You could also use wasabi paste or make your own wasabi paste from wasabi powder.
To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
๐ Variations / Additions
- Red pepper
- Avocado
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Cabbage
- Bok choy
- Carrots
- Jackfruit
- Tempeh
- Quinoa, like I did with my Tofu Sushi Rolls recipe
- Brown or white rice
5 Secrets to Vegan Cooking
Free 5 Part Email Series to Elevate Your Vegan Cooking
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.
๐ช Instructions
Baked Tofu
Step 1: Mix maple syrup, tamari, and paprika in a small bowl.
Step 2: Drain and press the tofu.
Step 3: Slice and marinate in the mixture overnight.
Step 4: Bake, flip, and bake until crispy on the outside.
Cauliflower Rice
Put cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until you get a rice consistency.
In a bowl mix brown rice vinegar, sugar, and tamari.
Heat a skillet and add olive oil. Add cauliflower rice. Cook on medium heat until tender.
Temaki Sushi
Slice a nori sheet in half. Place a nori sheet on a cutting board. Spread cauliflower rice on half the sheet.
Drizzle mustard on top of cauliflower rice.
Place sliced cucumber on top.
Place tofu on top of the cucumber.
Roll the nori into a cone shape and secure the edge by wetting it with marinade.
๐ฝ Serving
These all originated from different countries, but the flavors pair nicely together!
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ Recipe FAQs
Temaki, also known as hand-roll sushi, is cone-shaped and eaten with hands. Sushi rolls are rolled into cylinders and sliced, then eaten with chopsticks
Other Asian-Inspired Dishes
If you tried this Baked Tofu Temaki Sushi with Cauliflower Rice Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a โญ๏ธ star rating and let me know how you like it in the ๐ฌ comments below. I love hearing from you!
These healthy vegan sushi rolls make a great light lunch.
๐ Recipe
Baked Tofu Temaki Sushi with Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
Baked Tofu
- 15 ounce extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- ยผ cup maple syrup
- ยผ cup low sodium gluten free tamari
- ยฝ teaspoon paprika
Cauliflower Rice
- 2 cups cauliflower rice (ยผ head of cauliflower)
- 4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoonsย low sodium gluten free tamari
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Temaki Sushi
- 1ย cup sliced cucumber
- 4 nori sheets
- Dijon mustard optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ยฐF.
Baked Tofu
- Mix maple syrup, tamari, and paprika together. Pour in a zip lock bag or large shallow pan.
- Slice drained and pressed tofu into strips. Add to marinade. Let sit for at least an hour to overnight.
- Place tofu (without marinade) into an oiled pan or on parchment paperย with cooking spray. Bake at 400ยฐF for 20 minutes, flip and bake another 10-15 minutes.
Cauliflower Rice
- Process cauliflower in food processor until it looks like the consistency of rice (or useย package of riced cauliflower).
- In a small bowl mixย brown rice vinegar, sugar, and tamari.
- Add olive oil to a hot pan. Add cauliflower rice, brown rice vinegar, sugar, and tamari mixture. Cook on medium heat until cauliflower is slightly tender.
Temaki Sushi
- Slice nori sheets in half, and place in front of you rough side up horizontally.
- Spreadย ยผ cup cauliflower rice on left side of nori sheet, covering half the sheet.
- Squirt a little Dijon mustard on cauliflower rice.
- Place 5-6 cucumber slices diagonally on top of cauliflower rice.
- Place 3 slices of tofu on top.
- Fold the bottom left corner over and roll it into a cone shape.ย Secure the roll by wetting the edge with water or marinade. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
Notes
๐ SAVE THIS
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Ayi says
This looks yum! My husband and I are into healthy eating these days for health reasons. This is something we can add to our recipe list ๐
Willow Moon says
Great, I hope you both enjoy it!
Maryanne | the little epicurean says
It's lunchtime and this sounds so good right now. Love that you used cauliflower rice!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Maryanne!
Cat says
Mmmm, this sushi recipe looks so tasty! Will definitely have to try it!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
I love this recipe and happen to have all the ingredients on hand (I just picked up a prepacked baked tofu from Trader Joe's). This is really creative, and I love how you made something fun and tasty with what you had on hand!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Patricia! I wish I could still eat prepacked baked tofu! Most of them have gluten in them. I think there is one brand that I can still eat though.
Maggie Unzueta says
I'm totally sold on this recipe. Love finding her tofu recipes.
Kate says
Yum! These look so good. I love temakizushi. I don't think I have had it since I lived in Japan!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Kate! I have never seen it before until I stumbled upon it on the internet. I have been making hand-rolls for a long time - I just didn't know there was a name for it!
Jenna Parsons says
I have always been a fan of sushi, but recently discovered sushi with tofu, and I am obsessed! I think this recipe looks absolutely delicious, and I want to try it!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Jenna! Sushi with sweet potato is great too! That's something that I have only been using for the last couple of years.