Tofu Chips
These tofu chips are the crunchy snack comeback you’ve been waiting for: crispy, salty, protein packed, loaded with everything bagel seasoning, and a whopping zero points on the Weight Watchers plan. Two ingredients, one baking sheet, and your oven does the rest. When the chip craving hits at 9 pm and you don’t want to blow your whole day on a bag from the pantry, this is the answer.
I created these back when I was deep in my own Weight Watchers journey and missing crunch more than anything else. Chips were my weakness, and celery sticks were not cutting it. If you’re as obsessed with everything bagel seasoning as I am, you already know it makes anything taste good, and my 2 ingredient air fryer bagels are proof. These chips are that same magic in snackable form.
About This Recipe
These are oven-baked tofu chips made from one block of extra firm tofu, sliced thin, topped with everything bagel seasoning, and baked at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until browned. A serving of about 7 chips is zero points on Weight Watchers Freestyle, with 39 calories and 5 grams of protein. Extra firm tofu is required. The chips finish soft out of the oven and harden to a crunch as they cool on a rack.
Recipe Snapshot
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Perfect For: Healthy snacks, vegan appetizers, Weight Watchers-friendly snacking, lunchbox crunch, and party nibbling
Main Ingredients: Extra-firm tofu and Everything But The Bagel seasoning
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
The trick to good tofu chips is removing as much guesswork as possible from the texture.
Extra-firm tofu is the best choice because it holds its shape when sliced thin. Softer tofu can break apart too easily and won't give you the same chip like bite. The thin slices are important, too. If they're too thick, the centers can stay soft while the edges brown.
Baking slowly at 350°F gives the tofu time to dry out and firm up without burning right away. Once the chips come out of the oven, the cooling rack does more than cool them down. It helps air circulate around each piece so they continue firming as they sit.
The seasoning works because tofu is mild. Everything Bagel seasoning brings salt, crunch, garlic, onion, and sesame flavor, which makes each bite much more exciting than plain baked tofu.
The Ingredient Breakdown
Top Tip for a “Fabulous” Finish
Slice with a long, sharp knife in one smooth stroke instead of sawing back and forth. Sawing tears the tofu’s structure and gives you ragged edges that burn before the centers dry out. One confident cut per slice gives you clean, even chips that all finish at the same time.
How to Make Tofu Chips
Step 1: Prep the Tofu
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Drain the tofu block and press it gently between layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel until the towels stop soaking through. The block should feel dense and only slightly damp to the touch, not wet. Every drop of water you pull out now is crunch you gain later.
Step 2: Slice Into Chips
Slice the tofu into thin, even pieces, about 1/4 inch thick. Aim for slices that all match, because a mixed batch means some chips burn while others stay spongy. The slices should stand up on their own without flopping over. If they’re bending like deli cheese, they’re too thin and will shatter; if they feel like little bricks, go thinner.
Step 3: Season and Pat
Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet with a little breathing room between each one. Sprinkle the everything seasoning over the tops, then lightly pat it down onto each piece with your fingertips. You don’t have to press hard, just enough gentle pressure so the seeds and garlic bits lock into the surface instead of rolling off in the oven.
Step 4: Bake Low and Slow
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chips turn a nice toasty brown. The exact time swings depending on your oven, your elevation, and whether you’re running gas or electric, so trust your eyes over the clock. You’ll smell the sesame seeds toasting in the last stretch, and the edges will start to curl slightly and deepen in color. That’s your signal to start testing.
Step 5: Cool on a Rack
Move the chips from the baking sheet to a cooling rack and walk away for at least 10 minutes. This is where the transformation happens: they harden as they cool, going from slightly flexible to full snap. The first batch I ever made, I stood at the rack convinced I’d underbaked them because they still had bend, and ten minutes later they were cracking like crackers. Trust the cooling, not the moment they leave the oven.
David's Tip
Here’s the doneness test that never fails me: press one chip right in the center with your fingertip. If it gives back a little sponge, it needs another 5 to 10 minutes. If it feels set and firm, it’s done, even if it doesn’t feel fully crisp yet. Judging by crispness alone in a hot oven will steer you into overbaking, and overbaked tofu chips turn bitter fast.
Fun Variations
Naked dippers: Skip the seasoning entirely and bake them plain, then put them to work scooping Instant Pot hummus (foodnservice.com/instant-pot-hummus/) or salsa. The chip becomes the spoon.
Ranch dust: Swap the everything seasoning for a light dusting of dry ranch seasoning mix. It’s dangerously close to a certain famous chip flavor.
Chili lime kick: Sprinkle with chili lime seasoning before baking and finish with a tiny squeeze of fresh lime after cooling. Bright, spicy, and very hard to stop eating.
Smoky BBQ: Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of onion powder for a barbecue chip vibe with zero mystery ingredients.
Cinnamon crunch: Go sweet with a light shake of cinnamon and pat it on the same way. These are surprisingly good with fresh diced fruit or a dollop of fat free yogurt on top.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Room temperature: These are at their absolute best the day they’re baked. Store cooled leftovers in a zip-top bag or airtight container with a paper towel tucked inside to absorb moisture, and they’ll hold for 1 to 2 days on the counter.
Refrigerator: Skip it. The fridge is a humid place, and it turns crisp tofu chips soft and sad overnight. Counter storage with that paper towel is the way.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing these. Thawed tofu changes texture completely and the chips lose their snap for good.
Re-crisping and make-ahead: If your chips soften, spread them on a baking sheet and give them 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven, then cool on the rack again. They come right back. For parties, bake them the morning of, cool completely, and re-crisp just before guests arrive.
Serving Suggestions
Soup and salad sidekick: Crumble them over a salad like croutons or serve them whole alongside a bowl of soup for dunking with a protein bonus.
Build a dip trio: Set the chips out with Mediterranean hummus, mango salsa, and a bowl of Greek yogurt ranch. The chips are sturdy enough to scoop all three without snapping.
Game day upgrade: Slide a batch next to the buffalo chicken dip and watch people assume you bought fancy protein chips.
Snack board centerpiece: Fan the chips around a board with cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber rounds, and pickles for a grazing spread that looks like effort and took none.
More Weight Watchers Recipes:
- Potato Leek Soup (4 FreeStyle Points!)
- Instant Pot Weight Watchers Recipes
- Instant Pot Weight Watchers Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Asian Chicken (2 FreeStyle Points!)
- Instant Pot Immune System Boost Tea
Crunch Without the Consequences
These tofu chips prove you don’t have to choose between hitting your points and actually enjoying a snack. Two ingredients, one sheet pan, and you’ve got a crispy, salty, protein-packed crunch that works for dips, boards, lunchboxes, and straight-off-the-rack snacking. That’s a win any way you slice it.
If you make a batch, come back and tell me how it went in the comments, and let me know which seasoning you went with. I’m always looking for the next flavor to test. And if these helped your snack game, a star rating on the recipe card helps other home cooks find them too.
Tofu Chips
Ingredients
- 15 oz package of Trader Joe's Organic Extra Firm Tofu
- Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seed seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the tofu into thin slices. Try to make them as thin as you can without them falling apart or becoming too sheer. You want them thin enough to crisp up. (Look at the photo provided so you can see the thickness).
- Then cut the rectangular slices of tofu across width wise.
- On a silpat lined cookie sheet, place your tofu pieces. They can be close to each other, so don't worry about that.
- Spring the Everything seasoning on top of the tofu pieces. As I sprinkled them, I lightly patted them onto the tofu pieces so it can stay locked in place when baking.
- Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a nice brownish color (depending upon your elevation, it might take longer…and if you're using a gas stove or electric range). To test if it's ready, press one of them in the center. If it is a little spongy, then leave in the oven for an addition 5-10 minutes.
- Once done, remove from cookie sheet and place them on a cooling rack. As they cool, they will also harden. You can now enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips
- Dry tofu is crispy tofu: The single biggest factor in this recipe is moisture. Press the block well, and if you have time, let the slices sit on paper towels for 10 extra minutes before seasoning. Water on the surface steams instead of browns.
- Give them space on the pan: Crowded slices steam each other and come out chewy. If your block gives you more chips than one sheet fits comfortably, use two pans and rotate them halfway.
- Watch the last 10 minutes: These go from toasty brown to bitter and scorched faster than you’d expect. Once the color starts turning, stay in the kitchen.
- Pull the fast movers: Chips at the pan edges brown before the ones in the middle. Pluck the finished ones off with tongs and let the rest keep going.
- Season after slicing, never before: Seasoning the whole block and then cutting knocks half the topping onto the cutting board. Slice first, season on the pan.
- Make a double batch on purpose: One block disappears embarrassingly fast in my house. Two sheet pans take the same 45 minutes as one.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
FAQs: Getting to the Crunch of It
Why aren’t my tofu chips crispy?
Moisture is almost always the culprit. If the tofu wasn’t pressed and patted dry, the water inside steams during baking instead of letting the chips brown and dry out. Crowding the pan does the same thing, since the slices steam each other. Press the block well, leave space between chips, and remember they finish crisping as they cool on the rack, not in the oven.
Why did my tofu chips turn out chewy in the middle?
Chewy centers mean they came out too early or the slices were cut too thick. Use the press test: poke the center of a chip, and if it springs back spongy, give the batch another 5 to 10 minutes. Uneven slicing causes this too, since thick chips need more time than thin ones on the same pan.
What kind of tofu is best for tofu chips?
Extra firm, full stop. It slices cleanly without crumbling and bakes up with real crunch. I tested other varieties and they fell apart on the knife and never crisped properly. Silken and soft tofu won’t work at all, and even regular firm gives you a more fragile, chewier result.
Are tofu chips really zero Weight Watchers points?
Yes, with one footnote. Tofu is a zero point food on the Freestyle plan, and a serving of about 7 chips stays at zero. The everything seasoning is where points can sneak in: 1/4 teaspoon is zero SmartPoints, but a full tablespoon is 2, so a light sprinkle keeps you clear. Eat the whole batch with heavy seasoning and you’ll want to track it.
How do I store tofu chips so they stay crunchy?
Keep them at room temperature in a sealed bag or container with a paper towel inside to catch moisture, and eat them within 1 to 2 days. Skip the fridge, which softens them overnight. If they lose their snap, 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven brings them right back.
Can I make tofu chips in the air fryer?
You can, and it’s faster. Run them at 350 degrees for roughly 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once, and work in a single layer so the air can circulate. Air fryers vary a lot, so start checking early with the same press test. The tradeoff is capacity, since you’ll only fit a handful of chips per basket.
Do tofu chips taste like tofu?
Barely. Plain tofu is famously neutral, and the long bake plus the everything seasoning transforms it into something toasty, nutty, and salty. Most people guess they’re some kind of specialty cracker. If tofu texture is what puts you off, the crunch here erases it completely.
Love this idea! Quick question, though–how would you recommend storing these? Wondering if they’d need to be refrigerated. Thanks!
No need to put in the fridge! Yay! You can store in ziplock bags or other types of containers.
This is a fantastic idea! I ended up baking mine much longer, probably closer to an hour and a half. Some of my “crackers” were a little soft in the middle after they baked, so I baked them in my air fryer at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, shaking them a few times…fantastic!!!! I am not a tofu fan and bought two more blocks today!! Will be making lots of these!!!!!!
These were so good! Had them with light sour cream and sweet chilli sauce
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
so the Everything but the bagel seasoning actually has WW points associated with it, I would not have thought so, but it does, so these aren’t actually 0 points, but still a great snack!
Not bad but mine came out hard instead of crispy. My slices were very thin, between 1/8 and 1/16” and the closest I’m getting to actual crispy is the almost burnt edges. Any suggestions?