Learn how to make coconut bacon with just 5 ingredients in just 20 minutes! It’s smoky, crispy, crunchy and tastes JUST like the real thing!
Coconut bacon. VEGAN bacon. This is quite possibly one of the greatest things ever invented. If you’re a bacon lover you may or may not be sneering at your screen right now, but do NOT knock it until you try it. My husband, lover of bacon, was given this is in a blind test (#foodbloggerhusbandproblems) and remarked immediately “Hey, this tastes like bacon!”
Would I lie to you? If for that reason alone, you need to see how to make this incredible coconut bacon.
I make no claims to inventing coconut bacon, but I sure wish I had tried it the first time I saw it floating around the web. You see I haven’t had bacon in so long that I truly don’t even remember what it tastes like, so I had no real interest in giving it a try. Then came the Fall of 2016.
Okay, so it still isn’t Fall yet but let’s pretend it is. I suddenly wanted to make a harvest cobb salad (coming next month) and all the sads came when I realised that I couldn’t really call it a cobb salad if there was no bacon, right? Wrong. A smart, wise and hungry voice told me to try coconut bacon. After scouring the internet and particularly loving a video I had seen by hot for food I decided to give it a try. After a few tries and recipe testing, I came forward with this beauty.
So you still may be wondering, okay Jessica, but WHAT is coconut bacon? Coconut bacon is vegan bacon that is made out of unsweetened large coconut flakes, flavoured with the amazing umami inducing flavours of tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup, and baked to a golden crisp perfection that actually, actually looks and tastes like bacon. I know, I can’t believe I’m saying these words too.
I don’t mean your fry in a pan bacon, but more like bacon bits. If the Mr. fell in love with it, you’ll definitely love it too. I’ve already used it on stuffed mushrooms (recipe coming next month), that delightful cobb salad, and as a very handy snack. Seriously, this can get really addictive so I recommend hiding it behind a bag of frozen food you’re unlikely to touch.
Oh, that’s one of the coolest parts. Once they’ve cooled and you’ve “taste tested” about 15 times, you store these in a zipped freezer safe bag in the freezer. It helps to keep them fresh, crispy and filled with flavour. They thaw in seconds, truly seconds. Pop them out and onto your food and they’re just as delicious as when you first made them. Promise me you’ll give them a try because you’ll surely be missing out otherwise!
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too:
| WHAT YOU’LL NEED // SHOP MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS |
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How ridiculously INVENTIVE! I could see these tasting amazing on top a bed of sauteed spinach!
Thanks so much GiGi! Great idea!
OMIGOODNESS THIS IS SO COOL! I’m crazy intrigued
Thanks SO much Kayle!!
Jessica!!! I am finally visiting your blog after stalking you on Insta. lol.
Lovely space you have here. So as someone who doesn’t eat redmeat or bacon, this recipe is right up my alley. I will definitely try it. Thanks for sharing!!! WIll be back.
Aww thanks so much Nisha!! That’s so sweet of you!
Hola Jessica, me gustaría saber si este bacon que no es bacon ji, ji, ji sabe mucho a coco. Tendrías alguna receta de bacon para ponerles a los sandwish?, es decir blandito. Gracias de antemano. Cuidate mucho. Besitos
Hola Wendy ,
Definitivamente no tiene un sabor a coco ! Los gustos como el tocino . 🙂 Las recetas que he sugerido más arriba va grande con tocino ! ¡Espero que ayude! Besos < 3
What is the protein vlaue? As a diabetic I have to omit the maple syrup as well.
Hi Cici,
I’m not sure about the protein value. Maybe you could use a liquid diabetic friendly sweetener in place of the maple syrup? It’s definitely necessary for it to taste great. Hope that helps!
Heard about vegan bacon on TV today, searched around and came across your recipe.
Just made it and tossed a handful together with some almonds for a snack just now.
Wow, it really does taste like bacon! I don’t eat pork products and haven’t had bacon
for a long time. I’ve never truly missed it, but this is a wonderful flavor. Going to
put some on my salad tomorrow.
Just a note about the baking – after the 12 minutes, I wanted it crispier, so I tossed
it around with a fork and put it in for another couple of minutes. You are right,
there does come a point when it burns, and some of mine did slightly, but not too bad.
This is a really cool recipe to know, can’t wait to get a response from some vegetarian
friends. Thanks!
Hi Shelley,
Thanks so much!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the coconut bacon!! It’s been way too long since I last made this, definitely need to get on that! Thanks so much for your feedback!!
OK – These bacon bits are gamechnagers. II can see so many applications. I sprinkled them on my salad the other night and I thought I was eating REAL bacon. I almost felt a little guilty…
Omg! This creamy vegan mushroom soup recipe sis everything! Thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind words Sunni!! We’re glad you like it!