Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho)

If you’re a fan of warm desserts with silken texture, you will love this easy recipe for Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho). This sweet treat has such comforting flavors and textures–warm, smooth and delicate pudding with a gooey sweet syrup on top. The fresh ginger adds amazing flavor and zing to this uncomplicated dessert. Make this delicious Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup to enjoy on a chilly day. It will nourish, satiate and warm your belly!

Notes on the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho) Recipe, Tips and Tricks

Use fresh soy milk to make the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup. Fresh soy milk yields a soft-set pudding with a really silky texture. I shared the recipe for soy milk earlier, so please be sure to check it out. You can also purchase fresh soy milk from many Asian grocery stores. This is a refrigerated product and usually has a shelf-life of about one week. I tried both the refrigerated Silk and non-refrigerated WestSoy soy milks in this recipe. Unfortunately, with both products, the pudding did not set-up. The American grocery store soy milks are filtered, leaving little soy pulp which helps to set the pudding. Also, these varieties use a higher water to soy bean ratio than their Asian soy milk counterparts which may be another reason why the pudding doesn’t set-up, but rather, is sludgy and drippy. (In the future, I’ll share another Tofu Pudding recipe using agar-agar or gelatin which can be made with any brand of soy milk.)

Glucono delta lactone (GDL) is a common food additive. It’s an acidifier, used to give foods tartness and also a coagulant, used to firm soy milk into tofu. Use GDL sparingly. A little goes a long way. Only 1/2 tsp is needed in this recipe. Because it’s an acid, do not mix the GDL in advance as it will turn a liquid sour. Mix the GDL with the corn starch mixture in the final step, just before adding the hot soy milk. GDL is đường nho. It is not gypsum which is bột thạch cao.

If you’re not familiar with brown slab sugar, it’s an ingredient which yields a rich but not over-powering sweetness and beautiful amber-colored syrup. Brown slab sugar can be found at most Asian grocery stores and is often packaged in 16 oz / 1 lb blocks. Substitute with granulated brown sugar or palm sugar if brown slab sugar is not available.

The secret to serving the tofu pudding in beautiful thin layers is to use a serving spoon with a thin or sharp edge. I have various stainless steel serving and soup spoons. They all work great for serving the delicate pudding.

In Vietnam, the tofu pudding vendors often use a thin piece of aluminum shaped like a shallow dish. I created my own using an empty soda can. Using kitchen shears, cut away about half of the can making a “spoon”. The aluminum is razor-sharp (be careful!) and does an amazing job of cutting the tofu pudding into thin slices. Give it a try!

Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup dessert is commonly enjoyed warm but you can chill it for a refreshing sweet treat. Serve it warm during the colder months and chilled during the summertime. It’s a perfect year-round treat!

Use your Instant Pot to make the Tofu Pudding in Ginger Syrup. Prepare the pudding in the pot and cover with a kitchen towel and the Instant Pot glass lid. Once the pudding is set, use the “Keep Warm” function to keep the dessert warm throughout the day. You’ll have perfectly warmed dessert, ready to enjoy!

Enjoy the Tofu Pudding in Ginger Syrup the day it’s made for best flavors. Refrigerate any remaining tofu pudding and enjoy within 2-3 days. Store the ginger syrup in an air-tight jar or container. To enjoy again, warm the tofu pudding in the microwave.

Watch the video for instructions.

If you enjoy this Tofu Pudding in Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho) recipe, you may also like:

Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup / Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho

Ingredients

Tofu Pudding
6 cups fresh soy milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp glucono delta lactone (GDL)

Ginger Syrup
3 inch knob fresh ginger
1 Tbsp white sugar
9 oz brown slab sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions

Making the Tofu Pudding

In a medium saucepan, bring the soy milk to a gentle boil over Medium Low heat. Stir the milk occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Use a fine sieve to skim off any bubbles or foam from the top and discard.

Prepare the thickener by combining the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.

In another small bowl, measure out the GDL and set aside for now.

Once the soy milk comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat.

Stir the corn starch and water mixture again. Add the GDL to the corn starch mixture and combine together. Pour the contents into a 2-quart bowl.

Working quickly, pour the hot soy milk into the 2-quart bowl. Stir the mixture just once. (The pudding starts to set quickly so do not over-stir.)

Skim off any bubbles on top of the soy milk and discard.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and a lid.

Let the tofu pudding rest undisturbed for 30 minutes.

Making the Ginger Syrup

Peel the ginger skin and discard. Cut the ginger into thin pieces.

Transfer the ginger into a small bowl. Add the white sugar and combine. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Using a wooden pestle, break the brown slab sugar into small pieces.

Transfer the ginger into a medium saucepan. Using Medium heat, cook the ginger stirring continuously for 5-6 minutes. When the sugar recrystallizes, add the water and brown slab sugar. Cook over Medium heat melting the sugar. Stir occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, reduce the heat to Medium Low. Continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes allowing the liquid to thicken into a syrup.

Transfer the ginger syrup into a medium bowl and let cool.

Serving and Storing the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup

Using a spoon with a thin or sharp edge, skim off thin layers of the tofu pudding and transfer into a bowl. Top with a generous amount of the ginger syrup.

Enjoy the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup warm.

Refrigerate any remaining amounts and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Yields: 8 servings

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Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup / Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Vietnamese

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 214 kcal

Author: Trang

If you're a fan of warm desserts with silken texture, you will love this easy recipe for Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho). This sweet treat has such comforting flavors and textures--warm, smooth and delicate pudding with a gooey sweet syrup on top. The fresh ginger adds amazing flavor and zing to this uncomplicated dessert. Make this delicious Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup to enjoy on a chilly day. It will nourish, satiate and warm your belly!

Ingredients

Tofu Pudding

• 6 cups fresh soy milk
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp glucono delta lactone (GDL)

Ginger Syrup

• 3 inch knob fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• 9 oz brown slab sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Standard - Metric

Instructions

Making the Tofu Pudding

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the soy milk to a gentle boil over Medium Low heat. Stir the milk occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Use a fine sieve to skim off any bubbles or foam from the top and discard.
2. Prepare the thickener by combining the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
3. In another small bowl, measure out the GDL and set aside for now.
4. Once the soy milk comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat.
5. Stir the corn starch and water mixture again. Add the GDL to the corn starch mixture and combine together. Pour the contents into a 2-quart bowl.
6. Working quickly, pour the hot soy milk into the 2-quart bowl. Stir the mixture just once. (The pudding starts to set quickly so do not over-stir.)
7. Skim off any bubbles on top of the soy milk and discard.
8. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and a lid.
9. Let the tofu pudding rest undisturbed for 30 minutes.

Making the Ginger Syrup

1. Peel the ginger skin and discard. Cut the ginger into thin pieces.
2. Transfer the ginger into a small bowl. Add the white sugar and combine. Let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Using a wooden pestle, break the brown slab sugar into small pieces.
4. Transfer the ginger into a medium saucepan. Using Medium heat, cook the ginger stirring continuously for 5-6 minutes. When the sugar recrystallizes, add the water and brown slab sugar. Cook over Medium heat melting the sugar. Stir occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, reduce the heat to Medium Low. Continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes allowing the liquid to thicken into a syrup.
5. Transfer the ginger syrup into a medium bowl and let cool.

Serving and Storing the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup

1. Using a spoon with a thin or sharp edge, skim off thin layers of the tofu pudding and transfer into a bowl. Top with a generous amount of the ginger syrup.
2. Enjoy the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup warm.
3. Refrigerate any remaining amounts and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Recipe Video

Notes, Tips & Tricks

• For best results, use fresh soy milk to make the Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup. Fresh soy milk yields a soft-set pudding with a really silky texture.
• Use GDL sparingly. A little goes a long way. Only 1/2 tsp is needed in this recipe. Because it's an acid, do not mix the GDL in advance as it will turn a liquid sour. Mix the GDL with the corn starch mixture in the final step, just before adding the hot soy milk.
• The secret to serving the tofu pudding in beautiful thin layers is to use a serving spoon with a thin or sharp edge.
• Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup dessert is commonly enjoyed warm but you can chill it for a refreshing sweet treat.
• Use your Instant Pot to make the Tofu Pudding in Ginger Syrup. Prepare the pudding in the pot and cover with a kitchen towel and the Instant Pot glass lid. Once the pudding is set, use the "Keep Warm" function to keep the dessert warm throughout the day.
• Enjoy the Tofu Pudding in Ginger Syrup the day it's made for best flavors. Refrigerate any remaining tofu pudding and enjoy within 2-3 days. Store the ginger syrup in an air-tight jar or container. To enjoy again, warm the tofu pudding in the microwave.

Nutrition Facts

Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup / Dau Hu Nuoc Duong / Tao Pho

Amount Per Serving

Calories 214 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Sodium 101mg4%

Potassium 310mg9%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Sugar 37g41%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 715IU14%

Vitamin C 13.3mg16%

Calcium 282mg28%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.