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Think that vegan scrambled eggs just means crumbling a block of tofu into a pan with a crumbly texture and calling it breakfast? Guess again, m'love. This easy recipe gives you real scrambled eggs energy, soft texture, creamy flavor, and buttery, savory goodness-using just plants. You'll get golden, custardy results in under 20 minutes without processed junk like Just Egg, coconut oil, or weird egg replacements.
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And yes, m'dear, it's modular. Add baby bella mushrooms, toss in red bell pepper, throw it onto a grilled bagel, layer it into a vegan breakfast bowl, or nestle it next to a tall stack of vegan pancakes or vegan waffles. You're one large skillet away from a breakfast banger.
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🥰Why you'll adore this vegan tofu scramble recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan breakfast recipes, this tofu scramble doesn't harm a single lovable chicken. It's one of the most absurdly-yummy vegan gluten-free recipes that you NEED in your brunch arsenal.
☝️ Supremely Customizable: Fold in sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or greens. Or don't. It's your scramble. Lucky for you, my wife, a very lovable long-time vegan who hates veggies, is not in charge of your scramble.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one's been tested, tweaked, and re-tested again by a massive team of hundreds of recipe testers around the world. They loved how downright buttery, eggy, and craveable it turned out for them!
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍳Tofu Scramble Ingredients
Two Kinds of Tofu
This scramble uses two types of tofu for max texture and flavor. Extra-firm tofu gets shaved thin and browned in vegan butter until just lightly golden and chewy, which gives the scramble that signature egg-like folds. Silken tofu (medium, firm, or extra-firm all work) gets blended into a creamy, pourable sauce that cooks down into a soft-set, custardy finish.
If you want to dive deep into tofu wizardry, my free tofu cooking class breaks down the science of what tofu to use when, and how to get wild textures you didn't think were possible from a block of soy.
Vegan Butter
Vegan butter browns the tofu and boosts that "breakfast" flavor. My go-to is Earth Balance buttery sticks, they come in marked wrappers, which makes measuring super easy. Trader Joe's vegan butter is a solid budget-friendly option that tastes pretty good, too. Or if you wanna go fully homemade, I'll walk you through how to make killer vegan butter from scratch in my vegan dairy crash course.
Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk
Unsweetened plant-based milk thins the sauce just enough to coat the tofu. Soy and oat milk work best-they blend smoothly and hold up to heat without splitting. Almond milk is fine too, as long as it's unsweetened and unflavored. (Vanilla scrambled eggs? 🤢 Big nope.)
Sweet Rice Flour
Sweet rice flour thickens the sauce into soft, scrambled-like curds with that signature custardy finish. It's the same flour I use in vegan pad see ew and karioka (Filipino mochi donuts) for its unbeatable texture.
Regular white rice flour can sub in as long as it's finely milled. Skip brown rice flour, which is too gritty, or all-purpose here, which will make your eggs weirdly gloopy, and that's not what we came here for.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast adds that subtle, funky depth that gives the scramble its egg-adjacent soul. It's nutty, savory, and rounds out the flavor in a way that plain salt can't touch.
Got some nooch left after this? Use it to whip up a batch of vegan parmesan, vegan cotija, or vegan nacho cheese, especially good slathered on a tofu scramble breakfast sandwich.
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili powder is the same stuff I use in my vegan shakshuka, and it really rounds things out without making the dish spicy. If you don't have any on hand, paprika works just fine as a backup.
Asafetida (optional)
Asafetida packs some oniony, eggy pungency. Use the powdered stuff, not the stiff, dark resin kind, as it's easier to measure and dissolves more evenly into the sauce.
It's famously used in vegan Indian recipes like vegan tikka masala and aloo gobi. If you don't have any, just replace it with some onion powder.
Black Salt (Kala Namak)
Kala namak is your egg-flavor-duplicator (sorry, I am a dad). Sulfur-rich and deeply savory, this gives the scramble that unmistakable eggy aroma, which is essential if you want the real deal taste. It's also what I rely on to bring eggy depth to vegan matzo brei. If you've never seen it before, don't expect it to look like printer toner or something. It's not actually black, but more of a pinkish gray.
Miso Paste
Miso paste gives body and fermented umami to the eggs. I like to use white miso, but you can absolutely use doenjang, taucu, or fermented bean paste if that's what you've got. Just be sure to taste and adjust the final scramble before serving, as each of these pastes brings its own saltiness and funk level.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Harissa Scrambled Tofu
Mix a spoonful of harissa paste into the blended silken tofu sauce before adding it to the pan for a spicy scramble. Serve it over freshly grilled kuboos or a crisped-up piece of Afghan bolani, and plate it up with some makdous or a dollop of toum sauce on the side.
Chili Garlic Vegan Scrambled Eggs
Add a generous drizzle of chili garlic sauce just before serving to bring a 'lil bit of heat to your morning plate. The top with thinly sliced avocado, scallions, and a sprinkle of furikake or shichimi togarashi for that extra layer of flavor and texture.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make vegan scrambled eggs
You're hungry. You don't wanna scroll. But you also don't want sad scrambled tofu. So here's your guide. Don't worry, there's a printable recipe card at the bottom if you're in turbo mode.
Step One
Meet The Press:
Drain the extra-firm tofu and press it for 15 minutes using a tofu press or a weighted towel setup to remove excess water.
Step Two
Shaving Private Ryan:
Use a mandoline or the slicer side of a box grater to shave the tofu into thin, irregular strips. Some breakage is fine, that is going to happen a bit anyway when you cook it.
Step Three
Tofu Legit to Quit:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the vegan butter and half the shaved tofu. Cook until very lightly browned but not stiff, hard, or dark. on most sides. Remove, then repeat with the rest of the butter and tofu. Combine all the tofu back into the pan.
Step Four
The Blend Justifies the Means:
In a blender, combine the silken tofu, garlic, onion, plant milk, rice flour, nutritional yeast, Dijon, chili powder or paprika, asafetida (if using), turmeric, black salt, and miso. Blend for 30 seconds on high until smooth.
Step Five
Pour Whom the Bell Tolls:
Pour the blended sauce into the pan with the tofu. Stir to coat everything evenly.
Step Six
In Total Scrambles:
Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir gently and cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens and resembles soft scrambled eggs.
✅ Let the tofu cook on one side for a couple of minutes, then flip it about and let it cook for a minute or two on the other side to encourage slight browning in some spots.
Step Seven
Veg for Mercy:
If using optional vegetables, sauté them in a separate pan until tender. Fold them into the scramble during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Step Eight
Herb Your Enthusiasm:
Taste and adjust seasoning with more black salt. Serve hot, garnished with herbs like chives, parsley, or dill.
50+ of my own family's fave recipes. Carefully concocted to win over even your most anti-vegan friends.
💡Serving Ideas
Vegan eggs with veggie bacon are obv. besties. So whip up some gorgeous marbled seitan bacon, carrot bacon, tempeh bacon or even some rice paper bacon to partner up with yer' eggs!
What's that now? You've never had the chipotle seitan vegan breakfast burrito from my food truck? Well that's exactly what this scram is made for!
Go all-in with pancakes-vegan banana pancakes, ube pancakes, blue corn pancakes, or even a stack of gluten-free vegan pancakes. You can also flank it with applewood-smoked vegan breakfast sausage or layer it into a vegan breakfast sandwich with vegan chorizo crumbles for peak savory flavor.
👉Top tips
- Shave, don't crumble: Thin slices of tofu mimic the texture of cooked egg whites and crisp up better than chunks. Use a mandoline, a vegetable peeler, or the slicing side of a box grater.
- Brown in batches: Crowding the pan will steam your tofu instead of browning it. Even in a large skillet, you'll want to brown the tofu in two batches to get the texture and flavor just right.
- Don't over-stir: Resist the urge to constantly move things around. Gently folding the scramble during the last few minutes helps build soft curds and keeps the silken tofu from breaking down too much. Let it sit for a moment between stirs so that it can form little golden bits that mimic real egg curds.
- Control your sauce thickness: If your blended sauce is too thin, cook the scramble a little longer. If it's too thick, loosen it by adding a splash of plant milk before serving.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes, but you'll lose the richness from the vegan butter. If you're choosing oil-free for health reasons, use a non-stick pan and cook over low heat. You'll still get a tasty scramble with good stuff-just a bit leaner.
Use extra-firm tofu for the shreds and silken tofu for the base. The combo is the best kind of tofu that gives you curds and cream, like traditional scrambled eggs, but plant-based.
Regular sea salt works, but you'll miss the sulfurous edge that gives you an eggy flavor. Still tasty, just not the real thing.
Technically, yes, but it ruins the soft texture and creamy texture you want from a proper vegan egg recipe. The egg mixture breaks down and gets weird. For best results, store in an airtight container in the fridge instead.
With kala namak, nutritional yeast, and miso, this hits way closer than you'd expect, especially for an easy recipe made with a block of tofu. Even non-vegans have done the taste test and said it's shockingly close to classic scrambled eggs with soft texture, creamy texture, and simple ingredients.
From breakfast tacos to vegan waffles and favorite vegan breakfast recipes, it's a good way to round out your breakfast routine without any animal products. Stuff it into breakfast burritos, scoop onto toast, pair with vegan bacon, or just drizzle with hot sauce.
🧊 Refrigeration:
Pop leftovers in a sealed airtight container and chill for up to 4 days.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Add to a hot pan over medium-low heat and stir gently until warm. Add a splash of non-dairy milk if it looks dry.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
Scoop into a bowl, cover, and microwave in short bursts. Stir between each to avoid overcooking. Use dairy-free milk to loosen.
✌️You'll love these vegan breakfast recipes too:
Get a massive discount on all of my popular vegan brunch classes and become a plant-based breakfast champion!
Vegan Scrambled Eggs
Equipment
- tofu press optional
Ingredients
- 14 oz. Extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 10.8 oz. silken tofu medium or firm are both fine
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup onion diced
- ⅓ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 4 teaspoons glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour)
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon asafetida (optional)
- ½ teaspoon black salt (aka kala namak), or to taste
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup onions diced
- ½ cup peppers sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
Optional Garnishes:
- 2 tablespoons chives minced
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Drain the extra-firm tofu. Press it either with a tofu press, or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place under a heavy pan or weight for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
- Using a mandoline slicer, or the slicer side of a box grater, shave the tofu into very thin irregular strips. It's 100% alright if some break apart - that's going to happen a little bit anyway when cooking the tofu.
- Warm a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the vegan butter. After 90 seconds when the butter is hot, add half of the tofu strips, cooking for a few minutes on both sides to brown them. Remove the first batch of tofu, add the remaining butter and when it has melted, cook the second half of the tofu the same way, until it's lightly golden all around. Add the first batch of tofu back into the pan.
- Meanwhile, place the silken tofu, garlic, onion, plant milk, glutinous rice flour, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, chili powder (or paprika), turmeric, asafetida (if using), black salt, and miso paste in a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds on high speed until smooth.
- Pour the blended silken tofu mixture into the skillet.
- Stir thoroughly to coat the browned tofu sliced completely. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring and flipping the tofu about occasionally, until it thickens and resembles soft scrambled eggs.
- If using optional vegetables, sauté them separately in a second skillet over medium heat just until tender. Fold them into the scramble during the final 2 minutes of cooking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional black salt according to your taste. Serve hot, garnished with chives, parsley, or dill if desired.
Notes
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Jennifer Russell says
I don't have the glutinous rice flour...its hard to find in SLC. I do have Bob's 1-2-1 gluten free baking flour that has both the sweet rice and brown rice flour in it, along with tapioca starch and a couple of other ingredients... GF is a textural thing for me-if I run the 1-2-1 flour through my food processor and then sift it through a metal sifter a couple of times each, it works pretty well...It's better than straight up chickpea flour (I like chickpeas, just not as flour...there is a weird aftertaste) Anyway, afterwards, the 1-2-1 flour is more the consistency of pastry flour and has worked in a lot of other things that I've made over the years (I'm not GF but I have friends & family who are, and though a lot of GF foods taste fine, the texture of many GF foods makes it less desirable for consumption). I also have tapioca starch, so maybe I'll just use that... I will have to sub onion powder for Asafeita and paprika for the chili powder. I will have to post my findings 🙂
Adam Sobel says
Can't wait to hear how it goes for ya!
Shireen says
Genius! It took me longer to make it than you have in the recipe due to a smaller pan and I cooked it with no added oils. It still worked but as you mention it's not as rich. Texture and flavor were what I was after. I miss eggs and this to me was perfection. I had all the ingredients in the pantry and fridge. And a sprinkle of kala namak just before serving adds more eggy flavor. I have leftover for another 2 meals!
Thank you Adam for your creativity.
Cindy says
Questions rather than a comment.
I noticed the extra-firm tofu was to be drained and the silken tofu was not. I have seen other recipes in which draining the tofu was not addressed.
Should I assume tofu should always be drained or only drained if instructed in the recipe? Is silken tofu ever to be drained?
Adam Sobel says
I always assume when reading a recipe that the water the tofu is packed with is not to be included. But otherwise, only press or pat dry if it is mentioned. This is, at least, how I intend the recipes to be followed.
bobby says
The soft tofu mix for the soft scrambled egg texture makes this the type of recipe I love! Sensational.
Tamera Hottenstein says
#cookingchallenge
I finally made the recipe after seeing it my inbox and going back to it over and over because I kept saying to myself...damn these look eggalicious! And they were, with two textures to delight the palate and the ability to soak my toast with the creaminess of the silken tofu, my tasting pleasure was hard to eggsplain. (I know...I can't help myself). I didn't have the afsafetida so subbed onion powder as directed and I subbed tapioca flour for the rice flour I didn't have. Also added black pepper because I rarely cook without it. Also added some sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and parsley. Thank You for the recipe!!!
Jennifer Messinger says
#cookingchallenge
Dawne says
I just made this and really loved it! I might edit in the future for less of the soft tofu. Also I didn't have rice flour so I used chickpea flour and thought the flavor was great, though without a basis of comparison. Definitely will make again!
Elke says
I served this to some vegetarians who still eat eggs. They were amazed that the texture is so similar to scrambled chicken eggs- but this is so much better! Really fast to make and easy to prep.
Meg says
Omg this is soooo much better than what I’ve been doing. Taste is exceptional. Well worth trying this! You’ll never look back!
Meg says
Oh…and I have made this way too often in the past month it’s so delicious and easy…and when I don’t have the second tofu—I just add more plant milk. Problem solved. This is so so good. Thank you Chef Adam.
Tee Hansen says
Yeah, the ingredient list looks like you're opening a specialty spice shop, but don't let that scare you off. It's actually super straightforward to make - just toss everything in a blender and go to town.
The two-tofu trick is genius - you get actual eggy texture instead of sad tofu crumbles. The black salt and miso are doing ALL the work here for that authentic egg flavor.
Bottom line: tastes legit eggy, cooks up in 20 minutes, and way easier than it looks. This one's a keeper for sure!
Would I make it again? Absolutely!