Delicious Vegan Bacon Bits | Vegan Pancetta Recipe
These vegan bacon bits are super easy to make at home, packed with flavor and protein, they are perfect just to snack on or as a tasty addition to a main meal, sandwich or creamy pasta carbonarra. This is such a great vegan substitute for pancetta additionally.
We've toyed around with making various types of bacon in the past, such as rice paper bacon for the vegan club sandwich, or aubergine bacon for this vegan BLT. We've also made delicious bacon flavored chickpeas before.
The uniting ingredient is usually liquid smoke. A little goes a long way with this, giving a sweet, smokey flavor to dishes and really enhancing it like no other seasoning can.
I do realise that pancetta and bacon bits are two different things - however this recipe is a nod to these similar cuts. If you prefer a more pancetta style flavor, simply omit the liquid smoke.
Vegan Bacon Bits Ingredients
- Super-firm tofu
- Maple syrup
- Neutral oil
- Soya sauce (or Tamari)
- Liquid smoke
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
How To Make Vegan Bacon Bits
- Preheat your oven to 365f/180c, then line your tray with a baking sheet/parchment paper
- Drain your tofu and pat any extra liquid dry, then dice the tofu up into small little cubes.
- Mix together the remaining ingredients to form a marinade.
- Put the little tofu pieces and the marinade in a bowl and mix well, until all is covered
- Then place the mixture onto the baking tray, spreading out the tofu pieces, giving them space to crisp up in the oven
- Bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes - do make sure to stir them half way through so they are cooked evenly
- Once crisped up, remove from the oven and eat to your hearts content!
Top tip: You can leave the tofu to marinade in the smoky mixture overnight if you want it to really soak up the flavors!
Equipment Needed
- Large Baking Tray
- Baking Sheet
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Mixing Bowl
Vegan Bacon Bits | Vegan Pancetta Recipe
These vegan bacon bits are delicious and simple to make. Packed with flavor, protein and umami, this is a great vegan alternative to pancetta too. Eat them as a snack, or pop a few on your favorite sandwich. Topping a creamy mac and cheese or vegan carbonara has to be the ultimate winner with these vegan bacon bits!
Ingredients
- 300g Super Firm Tofu
- 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Neutral Oil
- 1 tablespoon Soya Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 365f/180c, then line your tray with a baking sheet/parchment paper
- Drain your tofu and pat any extra liquid dry, then dice the tofu up into small little squares.
- Mix together the remaining ingredients to form a marinade
- Put the little tofu pieces and the marinade in a bowl and mix well, until all is covered
- Then place the mixture onto the baking tray, spreading out the tofu pieces, giving them space to crisp up in the oven
- Bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes - do make sure to stir them half way through so they are cooked evenly
- Once crisped up, remove from the oven and eat to your hearts content!
Notes
Top tip: You can leave the tofu to marinade in the smoky mixture overnight if you want it to really soak up the flavors!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 85Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g
Please note, this nutritional information is calculated automatically so may not be 100% accurate
If you decide to make these vegan bacon bits, please do leave a star rating and comment. We love to hear how you are getting on with your creations.
You can also find us on Instagram @yumveganblog please do tag us and use #yumvegan so we can find and feature you! You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest and Tik Tok.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. By using them it will not cost you any extra. We will get a teeny commission and are so grateful for the support of our readers.
