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 |
If you try this Coconut Bacon please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
How to Make Coconut Bacon (Vegan Bacon)
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes - I use this brand
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (for colour)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 ° F/175 ° C . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl place the coconut flakes.
- Mix together the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup and paprika and pour over the coconut flakes. Toss gently to combine until all the coconut flakes are coated. Spread out evenly onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
NOTES
- Inspired and adapted from hot for food
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free. You can use liquid aminos if you don’t have tamari. The liquid smoke is crucial for the smokey flavour and the umami similar flavour of bacon.
- HOW TO STORE
- Use immediately, or store them in a freezer safe zipped bag to store. This keeps them fresh and crisp, and thaws in seconds.
- JESSICA’S KEY TIP These burn very easily, and I actually burnt my first batch! After 12 minutes, either take them out or keep your eye on them very closely. It will also help to turn the baking sheet halfway in the oven to ensure even baking.
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by Jessica
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!
Try Maple Grove sugar free syrup. It’s been my go to since being diagnosed diabetic
I use Rockwells maple flavored coconut syrup….gluten free, organic and would add only 7g of sugar to this entire recipe. Is also a great plain yogurt sweetener!
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!
Not sure how anyone discovered this would freeze. I had trouble getting it from one side of the room to other without eating it all.
Haha we’re so glad you like them Jill!. Thank you so much for reading.
Great recipe! Just made it and it came out fantastically. Very easy to follow. Doubled recipe. Thank you!!
You’re so welcome Susan! Thanks for reading!!
I had forgotten how to make these and so stumbled on your site. It really is remarkable how the coconut takes on not only the taste but the texture of the fat of the bacon.
But for some reason when I made them today, they did not crisp up after I took them out of the oven. They got perfectly browned but when I let them cool and went to put them away they were still flexible like uncooked coconut. They taste good, but part of the greatness of this recipe is the crunch.
Any suggestions? Thanks ahead
Hey Lauren! Did you try turning them during the baking process?