Tofu Pudding
Chinese doufu hua (tofu hua or taufu fa) or tofu pudding is a sweet dessert.
The soft, silken pudding is served with sweet syrup, making it one of the best Chinese desserts ever.
In this recipe, you will learn the step-by-step on how to make tofu pudding at home.
Tofu Pudding Recipe
After I published the “How to Make Soy Milk” post, many readers asked me to share or doufu hua (豆腐花) or tofu pudding recipe.
I have never made doufu hua before, as I always thought the recipe is hard and fail-prone.
Now that I have made this homemade tofu pudding, I can assure you that this recipe is so easy to make at home.
I grew up eating a lot of doufu hua, which is a very common and popular sweet dessert in Penang, Malaysia.
Walk down any streets or markets, one can always find soy milk hawkers (street vendors) selling both soy milk and doufu hua, freshly made each day.
There are also hawkers who cycle their mobile stall or cart around the neighborhood, hawking “doufu hua” loudly as they peddle down the street.
Both soy milk and doufu hua are excellent for the scorching hot and humid weather back home.
They are my absolute favorites.
Cook’s Tips
I consulted Andrea Nguyen, author of Asian Tofu for precious cooking tips and tricks to make the best tofu pudding at home.
To make the best homemade tofu pudding, you need a good master soy milk, which is a richer soy milk.
Store-bought soy milk is usually thinner compared to soy milk you make from scratch at home.
As a result, store-bought soy milk is not a good choice for homemade tofu pudding. If you want to make the best doufu hua, you have to make your own soy milk.
Here is my step-by-step soy milk recipe.
Next, you will need a coagulant. I use gypsum (石膏), which is used by the Chinese to make tofu.
You can buy gypsum online here.
To make sweet tofu pudding (Doufu Hua/豆腐花), you also need syrup to serve with it.
I like ginger and rock sugar syrup but I personally prefer gula melaka (Malaysian palm sugar), which is similar to dark brown sugar but with deeper flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Coagulant Should I Use?
Please read this guide “Tofu Coagulant Guide: What to Buy and Where to Find It”.
Can I Freeze Tofu Pudding?
Chinese sweet tofu pudding is best served the same day it’s made.
I don’t recommend freezing but you can certainly keep it cold in the refrigerator for a day.
Please take note that water will seep out from the tofu pudding if you keep it overnight in the refrigerator.
To serve, discard the water and add syrup.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is yields 8 servings and each serving is only 181 calories per serving.
What to Serve with this Recipe?
Serve this dessert with other Chinese dishes. For a healthy Chinese meal, I recommend the following recipes.
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Learn the step-by-step on how to make tofu pudding or doufu hua 豆腐花 at home. This sweet tofu pudding recipe is easy and fail-proof.Tofu Pudding
Ingredients
Ginger Syrup:
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
8
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 77mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 1gSugar 32gProtein 4g
Thuha
Oh my goodness, we followed your recipe exactly and it was soooooo perfect!!! We serve it with ginger sugar water and it brought back all the lovely childhood memories! Thank you so much! All the best.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Thanh
Hi, Can I use agar agar powder instead of gypsum?
Rasa Malaysia
You can try. I am not sure because I didn’t use it.
Dan
I made this for my wife and the texture was perfect but she says it has a sour taste. I have no idea why it would taste sour. Is it supposed to taste sour without the syrup?
Rasa Malaysia
It always has a slightly sour taste, probably from the gypsum, even if you get from restaurants. You have to discard the yellowish water sipping out of the tofu before adding the syrup.
Louise
Just tried out your recipe!! Incredibly smooth and tasty lots of compliments from my family. THANK YOU!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Louise, I am so happy that you and your family liked my sweet tofu pudding recipe. :)
Jennifer
Can I make this using nigari instead and if so, do I have to do anything different to the recipe? Thank you!
ryan
do you have any idea where can i buy food grade gypsum here in UAE?
i tried to order online seems like they are not doing a delivery here in UAE
Rebecca
Hi, do I need to make it with soy milk that’s already sweetened or should I just use plain soy milk without the sugar?
Rasa Malaysia
Without sugar.
johan
we call it Kembang Tahu in Indonesia…
Jennifer
Hi, can I make this with store bought soy milk?
Rasa Malaysia
You can try.
veris
what exactly are rock sugar and gula melaka? what do they look like/where can i buy them?
Jessica
I tried making this several times, but I can’t get it to set. It looks almost solid but is way too soft and crumbles into a milky emulsion (no solids left, have to slurp it from a spoon) as soon as I try to spoon it out. Your recipe makes it look so simple! Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Rasa Malaysia
I am sorry but it’s not possible for me to know, your measurement is probably off.