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Make this soft, wobbly, and smooth Chinese-style tau foo fah from soybean milk (or any milk) without using gypsum powder or GDL. The dou hua is served with easy delicious ginger syrup.
What is dou hua / tau foo fah ?
Chinese dou hua (豆腐花) is a traditional Chinese dessert made from soybeans. It is often referred to as “tofu pudding” or “soybean pudding.” It is also known as Tau foo fah in Cantonese or dou hua in Mandarin or tau huay in Hokkien or Kembang Tahu Jahe in Indonesian language, is one of my favorite childhood desserts/snacks. Dou hua is a soft and silky dessert with a texture similar to custard or panna cotta. It is known for its delicate, melt-in-the-mouth consistency. There are many regional variations of dou hua in China, and it can be served in various sweet or savory forms. It’s a popular street food and dessert in China and is enjoyed by people of all ages.
WHY YOU WILL LIKE THIS TAU FOO FAH RECIPE
1. NO CHEMICALS
Traditional tau foo fah is made by boiling the soybean milk and then GDL or gypsum powder is added to help the soybean coagulate into a pudding-like texture. This recipe doesn’t use that and only utilizes the good ol’ agar agar powder or gelatin powder
2. EASY AND CONVENIENT RECIPE
You don’t have to make the soybean milk from scratch. You can if you want to. I use organic unsweetened soybean milk and it turned out just as good and so much less work for real
3. YOU CAN USE DIFFERENT TYPE OF MILK
You can use other types of nut milk or dairy with this recipe. I have tried almond milk, cashew milk, and regular cow’s milk and they work just great.
INGREDIENTS
You only need 2 ingredients to make this dou hua : Plain unsweetened soybean milk, agar agar powder or gelatin powder.
For the ginger syrup: fresh ginger, brown/white sugar, water.
Dou Hua /Tau Foo Fah (Soybean Pudding-using agar agar or gelatin)
Ingredients
- 1000 ml unsweetened plain soymilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
If using agar agar:
- 4 g agar agar powder 1 1/3 tsp, see notes 1
If using gelatin powder:
- 13 g gelatin powder 1 Tbsp + 1/3 teaspoons
Ginger syrup:
- 250 g water
- 200 g brown sugar or palm sugar more or less to your preference
- 25 g fresh ginger peeled and thinly sliced
Instructions
- PLEASE NOTE: I recommend using standardized measuring spoons or a digital weighing scale to measure the agar agar or gelatin. If you use measuring spoons, make sure you scoop and level it. I prefer to weigh with scale for accuracy. Agar agar is a powerful thickener/stabilizer and using too much or too little can affect the result
Prepare the ginger syrup:
- Place everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Strain the mixture and let it cool down. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week
If using agar agar:
- Put all ingredients for pudding, except for vanilla extract, in a large pot over medium-high heat. Continue to stir and make sure you don't let the bottom of the pot catch the soymilk and burn. Once it has come to a boil, lower the heat and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Make sure the agar agar powder has dissolved (it should be) and you don't see any more specks. If the agar agar doesn't dissolve, the pudding won't set properly when you chill it. Stir in the vanilla extract
- Remove from the heat and strain into another container. Use a spoon to gently scoop up the froth/bubbles so the surface of the dou hua will be smooth later. Let it cool down at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then proceed to chilling
If using gelatin:
- Sprinkle the gelatin over 3/4 cup of soy milk and let it bloom for 5 minutes. We do this so that the gelatin won't clump when you add it to the hot liquid. While waiting, add the rest of the milk to a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer and then turn off the heat. Let it cool down a little bit. Stir in the bloomed gelatin and whisk until dissolved. You want to make sure the gelatin really dissolves. Add vanilla extract if using and stir to combine
- Strain into another container. Use a spoon to gently scoop up the froth/bubbles so the surface of the dou hua will be smooth later. Let it cool down at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then proceed to chilling
Chilling:
- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours if you are using gelatin and about 2-3 hours if using agar agar powder. Gelatin takes longer to set compared to agar agar. Whether you make it with agar agar or gelatin, I recommend chilling it overnight if you can. Once it sets, it should have nicely coagulated, but wobbly when you gently shake it. That's the right texture
Serving:
- There's a special flat sharp spatula that they use to thinly slice the bean curd pudding into serving bowl. I don't have it. I just use regular spoon and serve with few spoonfuls of ginger syrup on the tau foo fah
Storing:
- Since this is made with agar agar powder or gelatin, try not to keep the tau foo fah longer than 3 days in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more watery it will get. I definitely do not recommend freezing
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
Marv’s Recipe Notes
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
AGAR AGAR POWDER OR GELATIN POWDER VERSION ?
1. Texture
They both produce a soft wobbly texture, BUT, if I’m being picky and must choose, the one made with gelatin powder won me over. Why? The texture of dou hua made with gelatin is very smooth and has that soft bouncy texture that you won’t really find in dou hua made with agar agar powder.
2. Gelatin version lasts longer
The gelatin version doesn’t run watery as fast as the agar agar version
HOW TO MAKE GINGER SYRUP FOR TAU FOO FAH
1. Place everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil 
2. Then lower the heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes. 
3. Turn off the heat. Strain the mixture and let it cool down. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week
HOW TO MAKE TAU FOO FAH WITH AGAR AGAR POWDER
1. Combine soybean milk with agar agar powder. Stir to mix until you no longer see the agar agar powder lumps.
2. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring at the same time. The soybean milk might catch at the bottom and get burnt if you stop stirring.
3. Once it has come to a boil, lower the heat and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Make sure the agar agar powder has dissolved (it should be). Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Remove from the heat and strain into another pot or container. Let it cool down at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes
5. Carefully transfer to the refrigerator, and chill for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight. Once it sets, it should have nicely coagulated, but jiggly when you gently shake it. That’s the right texture.
HOW TO MAKE TAU FOO FAH WITH GELATIN POWDER
1. Sprinkle the gelatin over 3/4 cup of soy milk and let it bloom for 5 minutes. We do this so that the gelatin won’t clump when you add it to the hot liquid. 
2. While waiting, add the rest of the milk to a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer and then turn off the heat. Let it cool down a little bit. Stir in the bloomed gelatin and whisk until dissolved. You want to make sure the gelatin really dissolves
3. Strain into another container. Use a spoon to gently scoop up the froth/bubbles if you see any, so the surface of the dou hua will be smooth later. 
4. Let it cool down at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then proceed to chilling. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours if you are using gelatin, preferably overnight
HOW TO SERVE TAU FOO FAH
Dou Hua can be found throughout Asia, from bustling street food stalls to high-end restaurants. Depending on where you are, you might encounter different variations of this dessert:
1. Toppings: The most common way to serve Dou Hua is to drizzle it with sweet syrup. Variations include sugar syrup, ginger syrup, and, for those with a sweet tooth, red bean paste, which adds a touch of texture and extra sweetness.
2. Savory Dou Hua: In some regions, Dou Hua is served as a savory dish. Instead of sugar and sweet toppings, it is dressed with soy sauce, chili oil, and perhaps even preserved vegetables, creating a unique contrast of flavors.
3. Served cold: Traditional Dou Hua can be enjoyed both hot and cold. But because ours are made with agar agar powder or gelatin powder, heating them up will melt the dou hua. So they need to be served cold or room temperature
What do you think? It’s not that bad right? 🙂 I like how convenient it is to make. If you are all hardcore and want to make your own soybean milk you certainly can.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS EASY TAU FOO FAH RECIPE?
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24 comments
Hi Marv, i made it with agar agar and a skin formed on the top of tofu when it sets. and the whole dou hua is also a little yellow and firm. did i use too much agar or is it because of heat being too high?
tastes good , like soy pudding 😀
Hi Katie, sometimes when you pour the milk mixture into a mold/container, some foams or bubbles may form, making the surface not smooth. You want to make sure you remove them. As for the dou hua is a little yellow, I’m not quite sure why. It could be the vanilla extract, giving it a bit more yellow tinge (just my guess!). If you use homemade soy milk, it could be that too. Are you using the amount of agar agar mentioned in the recipe? If you find it too firm, you can cut back a bit and see if you like the texture better.
I made it yesterday. I used a small pack of gelatin with a package of soy milk (1 Quart). Some of the gelatin didn’t resolved. I removed the unresolved gelatin. It became harder the longer I placed in the fridge. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi, You want to make sure that you stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm milk and whisk until it dissolves. Gelatin will harden when the pudding is chilled.
I made this with 1 tsp agar, and it was delicious. One thing was that the soy milk got frothy with all the stirring when it was cooking, and as a result the tofu was not homogeneous. Any tips?
Hi Misty, you can use a spoon to gently scoop up the froth/bubbles so the surface will be smooth.
Hi, I might not have simmered it long enough. It has not coagulated after 5hrs. What can I do with this batch? Can it be repeated?
Hi, when you cook the agar agar, you want to make sure that it really dissolves (no longer grainy) otherwise, it won’t set. Even after it has come to a boil, lower the heat and cook a bit longer and make sure you don’t see anymore specks of agar agar in the liquid. You can probably try to simmer it again and see if it helps.
Mine turn out upper top I see that it sets but when I slice and the middle seemed to be breaking apart is it because I never let it set long enough? I put in fridge around 2 hours.
You can try to chill a bit longer, but you also want to make sure that the agar agar really fully dissolves when you cook it. Otherwise, the pudding won’t set properly