A little smoky, and a little spicy, these vegan bacon bits are an easy and healthy fix for your 'bacon' flavor cravings! Super yummy topping for baked potatoes, soups, salads, and more!
We love these bacon bits in our vegan broccoli salad and with our savory oatmeal.
Bacon bits that you find at the grocery store on the shelf are often accidentally vegan, but why buy them when you can make 'em even better? These homemade bits of pleasure are crunchy or soft as you please, and have all the imitation 'bacon' flavor without any additives, artificial color etc! Total win!
Related recipe: Vegan BLT with Tofu Bacon
How to make vegan bacon bits:
Start by mixing together V8 vegetable juice, water, a bit of olive oil and seasonings in a small mixing bowl (Photo # 1). Stir the dried TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) into the seasoning mixture and let it rest for 5 minutes (Photo # 2). At the end of that time check to see if most of the liquid has been absorbed by the TVP (Photo 3). Let it rest a moment or two more if necessary.
For soft-style bacon bits, you're done! No baking needed. Just use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
For chewy or crunchy style bacon bits: Spread vegan bacon bits out on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in the oven for:
- 25 minutes for 'chewy'-style
- 55 minutes (be sure and stir it a time or two!) for 'crunchy' style
Use these bacon bits in: Scrambled Tofu
Storage tips for vegan bacon bits:
If you're going for the crunchy style vegan bacon bits, let them cool completely (3-4 hours) before storing! (They will become more crunchy as they cool and you will avoid trapping any heat in a container that could cause them to spoil!) Store your cooled and dry crunchy vegan bacon bits in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a few weeks.
If you love the softer/chewy style bits, just let them cool a bit and then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze them for up to two months!
What is TVP?
If Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is new to you, I'm excited to introduce it to you! Made from defatted soy flour that is pressure cooked and then dried, it is a healthy (gluten-free!) and versatile chewy protein! I know, it doesn't sound super appetizing, but this stuff is SUPER USEFUL!!
All by itself, it has very little flavor, but it is great at taking on added flavors - in this case, making imitation bacon bits! It's also a very inexpensive source of vegan protein, which is so awesome! Large grocery stores carry it, and you can always find it on Amazon.
Looking for a soy-free vegan bacon? Try this Eggplant Bacon!
Unusual Ingredient:
Probably the most unusual ingredient in the seasoning mix for this recipe is the Vegan Worcestershire Sauce. It's totally optional, but it is so yummy and useful in many recipes such as my popular Epic Vegan Jerky, homemade Vegan Chex Mix, and Ultra Creamy Vegan Stroganoff. Find this yummy seasoning at your local health food store or here on Amazon.
Recipes that I love to use Vegan Bacon bits in:
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
- Vegan Mac and Cheese -Bacon and Green Onion
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- On top of soups, such as this Vegan Parsnip Soup or this Vegan Cauliflower Soup
If you’ve tried this Vegan Bacon Bits recipe or any other recipe on my blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food!!!
Vegan Bacon Bits
Ingredients
Seasoning Mixture
- ⅓ cup V8 vegetable juice
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon bragg's liquid aminos, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Wrights hickory flavor liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Then Add:
- 1 cup TVP, textured vegetable protein
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees if desiring to bake baco bits! (see info below)
- Whisk together V8 juice, water, olive oil, and seasonings in a small mixing bowl.
- Add TVP and stir until well coated. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- For soft-style bacon bits, you're done! No baking needed. Just use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!For chewy or crunchy style bacon bits: Spread vegan bacon bits out on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 250 degrees for 25 minutes (for chewy-style) or up to 55 minutes (be sure and stir it a time or two!) for crunchy style.
Penny
How well do you think this would work with soy curls that have been minced up in a good processor?
Rebecca
I think it would work great! Soy curls have a very similar texture to TVP.
Connie Sawatzky
really good but would leave out the chilli powder as it makes it taste too mexican. I also doubled the liquid smoke, but that's just my personal preference.
Cooked for the full 55 min. but it still wasn't crispy. It was probably because I did a double batch! haha. Which was good because now, I have a ton of bacon bits which are yum!
So good with Cesar salad. and vegan parm. Just love!
Thank you for this easy recipe.
Rebecca
Thx for the comment! Yeah, a double batch probably would take bit longer, but now you're set for awhile! So glad you like the recipe!