5 Vegan Bacon Recipes You Can Try At Home

Bacon is one of the most sought after food in the world. Although not to be the healthiest food we could be eating, it certainly is the most delicious that you might never give up when you go on a vegan diet.

Well, there are some amazing alternative vegan recipes beyond bacon that you can eat with pretty much everything. Unlike animal bacon, this vegan bacon is low in fat and is cholesterol-free. Thus, these vegan recipes are the healthier version of the original bacon with the same crispy, smoky, chewy, and salty taste.

Below are some of the most delicious vegan bacon recipes that you can make when you go on a vegan diet.

1. Tempeh Bacon –

Tempeh Bacon is a delicious vegan substitute for animal Bacon. Tempeh is tofu’s cousin; it’s made of fermented soybean products, which is a wonderful source of protein. You can choose to fry thicker strips for a chewy texture or very small pieces for a more crispy texture. To make your Tempeh Bacon, slice your tempeh block into thin strips then fry them with your desired spices or bake them for about 20 minutes. You can use this alternative in everyday sandwich recipes, or for an additional protein hit in your salads.

2. Coconut Bacon –

For those who want to make up your own crunchy vegan bacon, coconut will be a fantastic alternative. Coconut bacon is so crispy and smoky, just a little sweet and so appetizing. Coconut Bacon is loaded with smoky flavours and is naturally sweetened with a maple syrup that makes it savoury and crispy.

This vegan recipe is so easy and takes just 15 minutes to make. Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk together tamari, olive oil, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Toss coconut in a marinade, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet, bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

You can eat these alone like potato chips or use it for garnishing salad and hot dishes like cheese macaroni.

3. Rice Paper Bacon –

If you are looking for a healthier, cruelty-free alternative to traditional bacon, try Rice Paper Bacon, this vegan bacon is a plant based food, which is crispy, smoky and savoury and is easy to make.

To make this delicious super easy homemade bacon you need just 5 ingredients - tamari, maple syrup, molasses, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika. For the preparation soak rice paper in the water and allow excess water to drip off, using kitchen scissors, cut into long strips of about 1-inch wide, and dip in the marinade. Use two rice paper sheets stacked on top on one another to enable texture to build. Bake the rice paper for around 9 minutes to ensure a dehydrated and crisp texture.

4. Aubergine Bacon –

Aubergine is a pretty diverse vegetable, with a spongy texture, that’s capable of soaking up flavours. Aubergine is not real bacon, but it’s so good and healthier vegan alternative which is beyond bacon. Aubergine Bacon can be eaten as a savoury snack, crumbled into a salad or included in sandwiches.

To make Aubergine Bacon, take tamari, olive oil, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper, mix them in a medium bowl. Toss eggplant strips in a marinade, then bake them for about 40 minutes.

5. Shiitake Mushroom Bacon –

Since, shiitake mushrooms have a rough, rubbery texture that similar to the bacon, this makes the best alternative for bacon vegan recipes. In this vegan recipe, slice the mushrooms, toss them with olive oil and salt, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, paprika and bake until crispy, about 20 minutes. When making this bacon recipe “use the mushroom caps only”. This shiitake mushroom bacon tastes nothing like mushrooms and everything like maple awesome guilt-free bacon.

Not just these there are a plethora of incredible vegan substitutes that are beyond the original bacon like tofu, Seitan, Jackfruit, beet, carrot and lot more. With the right seasoning and preparation, you can easily make the vegan bacon with a similar savoury flavour and crispy texture.