Vegan bacon bits recipe. Crunchy and smokey with a hint of sweetness. Easy to make in 10 minutes. Add extra flavor to your baked potato or salads. Made with textured vegetable protein or TVP
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Why you'll love this recipe
- it's delicious on top of Easy Vegan Deviled Eggs
- super easy, quick and vegan
- great to top on baked potatoes
- crunchy, smokey and slightly sweet
Ingredients
I love how this recipe uses simple ingredients that your taste buds will love.
- Textured vegetable protein - These can be found in a health food stores or ordered online. I'll talk more about what it is later on.
- Liquid smoke - This is often added to vegetarian meat dishes to give that smoky flavor. This can be found in the bbq and sauce section of your grocery store. Or ordered online.
- Smoked paprika - This will add another smokey flavor.
- Garlic powder and onion powder
- Soy sauce - This adds a nice savory umami flavor. You can also use coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari if you want to avoid soy sauce. You can also use reduced sodium soy sauce if you're wanting to cut down on sodium.
- Maple syrup - This is added to balance out all of the savory and salty flavors. Creates nice maple undertones.
- Nutritional yeast - This adds a nice depth of flavor. It can often be found in natural food stores, or in most well stocked large grocery stores.
- Water - We use just a little bit of water to rehydrate the TVP.
Helpful tips
The bacon bits become more crunchy once they cool down to room temperature.
If you want the veggie bacon bits to have a crunchy texture, I would avoid parchment paper. Just lightly spray a baking sheet with some oil.
Spread the bacon bits out in a thin layer on the baking tray and avoid them from overlapping. This will help them to crisp up more as well.
Directions
Step one: Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients and seasonings and stir well.
Step two: Add in the textured vegetable protein and stir well. Make sure every piece is coated.
Step three: Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Let it cool completely and they firm up more. Top on salads and baked potatoes.
Storing
This stores the best in an airtight container like a mason jar. Store in a cool, dry place, like the pantry. This will last for about three weeks.
Storing in the fridge might make them more chewy and soggy with the moisture in there.
How to use bacon bits
These homemade bacon bits take many dishes to the next level. They make the perfect topping for:
- on top of salads for some extra crunch
- baked potatoes
- potato soup
- tofu scramble
- vegan omelets
- vegan corn chowder
- pasta dishes
Recipe FAQs
Yes! An air fryer would work great for this recipe. Just lay down some parchment paper in the air fryer basket so the tvp doesn't slip through. Air fry at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until crunchy.
If the tvp you use is made from soy, then it should be gluten free. You also will want to use a gluten free soy sauce like tamari.
TVP, or textured vegetable protein is a product that is left over making soybean oil. Once the oil is extracted, it creates a defatted soy flour that is then dehydrated. What's left is just the soy protein and fiber.
TVP is often used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian dishes like chili or pasta. The chewy texture resembles ground beef.
To use tvp, you just need to rehydrate it and then squeeze the excess liquid out. It soaks up whatever flavors you cook it in.
More easy vegan recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy vegan bacon bits
Ingredients
- ¾ cup textured vegetable protein
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients and seasonings and stir well.2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon water
- Add in the textured vegetable protein and stir well. Make sure every piece is coated.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Let it cool completely and they firm up more. Top on salads and baked potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Kerrie
Thank you for this recipe! How long can I store the bacon bits in the pantry?
Maria
I had them last in an airtight container in my pantry for about 3 weeks.