This quick and easy Chinese tofu pudding dessert is smooth and silky, light and refreshing, and can be eaten either hot or cold, making it perfect to enjoy all year round.

What Is Chinese Tofu Pudding?

Chinese tofu pudding also known as douhua tofu dessert, 豆腐花 (tau fu fa) in Cantonese, Tào Phớ (Northern Vietnam) or Tàu Hũ Nước Đường (Southern Vietnam) is a popular Asian tofu pudding dessert that consists of soft silky tofu that is served either hot or cold and drizzled with a delicious delectable ginger sugar syrup. Typically in the winter or when it’s cold, people prefer to eat the dessert hot, while on hot days, it’s consumed cold.

There’s nothing quite like having some hot homemade tau fu fa on a cold winter day!

How Is Tofu Pudding Made?

Typically soy milk is combined with a coagulant such as glucono delta lactone (GDL) or gypsum powder to solidify the tofu pudding. A sweet ginger sugar syrup is then added on top of the tofu pudding. Due to GDL and gypsum powder being more difficult to find outside of Asia, I have also included another coagulant in this post, gelatin, which is readily available at most supermarkets. With gelatin, the process of making tofu pudding is slightly different. The gelatin powder is combined with the soy milk and then heated over a sauce pan until the gelatin powder is fully melted, and then poured out into a container, before fully being cooled down in the fridge to solidify the tofu pudding.

Is Chinese Tofu Pudding Healthy?

Yes! Chinese silken tofu pudding is entirely plant-based and vegetarian friendly (if using gypsum powder or GDL), using only 2 ingredients: soy milk, which is derived from soy beans, and a coagulant such as GDL or gypsum powder to form the tofu. If you exclude the ginger sugar syrup entirely and just eat the dessert as is, then Chinese silken tofu dessert is a very healthy, low calorie, light dessert.

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese tofu pudding is high in protein, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and an excellent source of iron and calcium. A bowl of tofu pudding without any toppings only contains 160 calories and 0 grams of sugar!

Gelatine vs Gypsum Powder

If you try both methods of making tofu pudding, you’ll notice quite a big difference between the two coagulants. Gypsum powder is traditionally used for making tofu pudding and has a more rough curdling type of appearance. Its taste resembles what we would normally consider tofu pudding with a sort of melt in your mouth type of texture.

Gelatine on the other hand, has a more smooth and creamy look to it. The texture is also quite different to regular tofu pudding and resembles a jelly or pudding-like consistency. I also found when using gelatine to make the tofu pudding, a lot of the soy bean flavor was masked. Nonetheless, if you aren’t able to find gypsum powder then the next best option would be to use gelatine.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing with you both a tau fu fa recipe with gypsum powder and also a tau fu fa recipe with gelatin. If I’m able to locate some gdl, then I may update this post with a tau fu fa recipe with gdl as well in the future.

But in the meantime, here’s what you’ll need for this douhua tofu pudding recipe:

Chinese Tofu Dessert Ingredients

Gelatine version:

550ml of Soy milk (preferably homemade soy milk)
7g of Gelatine powder

Gypsum powder version:

550ml of Soy milk (preferably homemade soy milk)
3g (½ tsp) Gypsum powder
4g Corn starch
2 Tbsp (30ml) of Water

Tofu pudding ingredients using gypsum powder

Ginger sugar syrup:

3 slices of ginger
1 piece of Chinese brown sugar (Approximately 76g)
1 cup of water (250ml)

ToFu Pudding Ingredient Notes

Soy milk: For this Chinese tofu pudding recipe, it is highly recommended that you make your own soy milk so that you can control how rich the soy milk is. You’ll want to use soy milk that isn’t too diluted so that the coagulation process can occur successfully. A lot of store-bought soy milk brands, especially western brands, contain additives and fillers, which will affect how successful the coagulation process will be. If you really don’t have time to make your own, then opt for a Chinese brand of soy milk, which are widely available at all Asian supermarkets. Also, make sure to buy soy milk without sugar since we’re going to be adding in the ginger sugar syrup to the tofu pudding as well. You can check out my recipe for making soy milk if you want to make your own.

Chinese brown sugar sticks: Make sure that you’re using Chinese brown sugar sticks and not regular brown sugar. Chinese brown sugar sticks do not contain molasses but will produce a beautiful dark brownish color after it has been melted down.

Gelatine powder: Gelatine powder should be widely available at most grocery stores. Make sure that you’re getting the unflavored kind. Also don’t substitute the gelatine powder with gelatine sheets, the ratio will be different!

Gypsum powder: Some Asian supermarkets will sell gypsum powder. None of the supermarkets in my area, both Western and Asian, sold gypsum powder, unfortunately, but luckily I was able to find gypsum powder being sold at a wine making shop, so if you have trouble looking for gypsum powder, try going to a wine making store and asking the staff. As a bonus, it was quite cheap too. A whole lb of gypsum powder only cost me $5. As a last resort, you may opt to order gypsum powder online. I found several online stores selling gypsum powder but at a significant markup!

Substitutions

Chinese brown sugar sticks: You can use yellow rock sugar if you don’t have Chinese brown sugar. You can also use white sugar as well however it won’t produce the nice golden yellow or brownish color when making the syrup.

How to Make Chinese Tofu Pudding

Gelatine method:

In a small bowl, add in the gelatine powder along with 3 tablespoons of soy milk.

Mix everything well together until the gelatine powder turns into a thick paste.

Pour the rest of the soy milk into a pot and heat it up over medium heat while constantly stirring it.
Add the gelatine mixture into the pot as well.

adding in gelatine paste to soy milk in pot

Mix everything well together and remember to continue stirring the pot!
Continue cooking everything until the gelatine has fully dissolved in the pot.

Once the gelatine has fully dissolved, pour out the mixture into a large bowl or container using a sieve.
Scoop out any bubbles that you see at the top.

Let the tofu pudding cool down at room temperature.

Shot of tofu pudding finished cooking in container

Once the tofu pudding has cooled down, cover the tofu pudding with a lid and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. If the tofu pudding looks very runny and liquidy after cooling down at room temperature, do not worry, it will solidify while being cooled down in the fridge.

Gypsum powder method:

In a bowl, add in your gypsum powder and cornstarch together.
Now add in 2 Tbsp of water to the gypsum powder and cornstarch mixture and mix everything well together and then set it aside.

Then pour the soy milk into a pot and heat it up over medium heat while constantly stirring it to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning.

Once the soy milk is simmering (bubbles start to form on the edges of the pot) immediately remove it from the stove.

Now mix the gypsum powder and cornstarch mixture again to prevent it from settling at the bottom.
Finally pour the soy milk into the gypsum powder mixture all in one motion from a height of about a foot. I recommend using a sieve when pouring out the soy milk to minimize the bubbles forming on the surface. DO NOT MIX IT after pouring the soy milk!!!

Pouring soy milk on top of gypsum powder mixed with water and cornstarch

If you see any bubbles, you can gently scrape it off (optional).

Scooping out bubbles using a spoon on gypsum powder tofu pudding

Now take a cloth or kitchen towel and cover the bowl. You can also place a lid on top to hold the cloth in place. Don’t use plastic wrap in place of a kitchen towel as condensation will form and the water will drip back down into the tofu pudding.
Cover the tofu pudding with the cloth for about 20 minutes before removing it and either serving it with the ginger sugar syrup or putting it in the fridge for later consumption.

Shot of finished tofu pudding using gypsum powder method

Ginger sugar syrup:

In a small pot, add in your ginger slices, Chinese brown sugar, and water.

Adding in water to sauce pan filled with brown sugar and ginger slices

Heat up the pot over medium heat until the brown sugar has fully melted, while occasionally mixing the pot.
Once the brown sugar has fully melted, remove the pot from the stove or continue cooking it to make the syrup thicker.

Shot of finished ginger sugar syrup in sauce pan

Image of tofu pudding using gelatine powder

Tips

Use homemade soy milk for the best results if possible. Store-bought soy milk can contain fillers that can affect the coagulation process and not set. In addition, store-bought soy milk is often times diluted and nowhere near as thick as homemade soy milk. If you really must use store-bought soy milk, then look for a Chinese brand that only uses soy beans and water in the ingredient list instead of a western brand.
When pouring the hot soy milk on top of the gypsum powder, make sure to do it all at once. Don’t pour some of it and then pause and then continue pouring the soy milk onto the bowl. This will cause the gypsum powder to not mix well with the soy milk, leading to either failed coagulation or a weird texture.
After pouring the soy milk onto the gypsum powder mixture, do not mix it!
Use a sieve when pouring the soy milk on top of the gypsum powder mixture to reduce the amount of bubbles forming at the top of the tofu pudding.
To make your tofu pudding look nice and smooth, skim off any bubbles that you see after pouring the soy milk mixture into the bowl.
Cover the tofu pudding with a cloth, don’t use plastic wrap as condensation will build up and drip back down into the tofu pudding. Place a lid on top to hold the cloth. Cover for about 20 minutes.
Note if you’re using gelatine powder to make tofu pudding, it can only be served either at room temperature or when cold.
Use a shallow ladle or large wooden spoon to scoop out the tofu pudding to make it pretty. Using a deep ladle will not make it look pretty because it’s too deep.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Not pouring the soy milk all in one go onto the gypsum powder mixture, leading to the tofu pudding not coagulating or having a weird texture.
Using store-bought soy milk, which contains additives and has been greatly watered down, leading to the tofu pudding not setting. Use only Chinese brands!

Storage Tips

The tofu dessert can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Do note that water will seep out of the tofu pudding in the fridge while storing it. This is completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

Recipes That Go Well With Tofu Pudding

Here are some other recipes that go well with tofu pudding:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I Freeze the Tofu Pudding in My Freezer?

No! For the best tasting tofu pudding, it is recommended to finish it the day it is made. If you can’t finish it all, then leave it in the fridge and finish it within 5 days.

Can I Use Gelatine Sheets Instead of Gelatine Powder?

Probably, but I only tried this recipe using gelatine powder instead of gelatine sheets. If you do use gelatine sheets, the recipe may not work as it was made using gelatine powder only.

Can I Use Agar-Agar to Make Tofu Pudding?

Yes, it will solidify, however, agar-agar from my own experience has a more firm crunchy-like texture which does not resemble the texture of tofu pudding which is soft and smooth.

How Do You Serve Tofu Pudding?

Tofu pudding is typically served either hot, warm, or cold with the ginger sugar syrup that is drizzled on top. If you’re using gelatine, then it can only be eaten at room temperature after it has set or is cold.

Can I Eat the Tofu Pudding With Other Toppings as Well?

Yes, of course! Some Chinese dessert recipes add in toppings such as sweetened red beans, tapioca balls, and grass jelly.

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