How to Make Coconut Bacon

This coconut bacon features wide strips of coconut that are infused with a smoky flavor. Sprinkle on your favorite salad or sandwich for the perfect meal!

We’re not about to bash bacon. Bacon has a intoxicating smoky flavor that adds a unique intensity to everything from salads to gourmet doughnuts. And it’s darn good. Since we eat about 90% mostly whole food plant based (WFPB), we do allow ourselves a bit of bacon every once in a while. But most of what we cook at home is vegetarian and vegan. And it’s incredibly hard to imitate that unique flavor that bacon can add to a dish. Enter: coconut bacon!

What’s coconut bacon?

Enter: homemade coconut bacon. It might sound a little odd: coconut that tastes like bacon? But after experimenting with this concept, Alex and I agree it is definitely worth making! Wide strips of coconut are infused with a spicy, smoky flavor that both crisps in the oven and maintains intermittent chewy parts, reminiscent of the crispy and fatty texture of bacon.

While its shape and size are not a substitute for bacon strips on a breakfast plate or in a BLT, it works perfectly sprinkled in a salad or on one of those fancy gourmet doughnuts. Oh, and for snacking. (Pop them in the freezer for a quick fix of smoky, salty goodness; they thaw in a few seconds.)

The ingredients you’ll need

Making vegetarian bacon is a surprisingly straightforward process and requires only a handful of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Unsweetened large coconut flakes. Do not use shredded coconut! It won’t give you the right consistency. Double check that your coconut flakes large are unsweetened.
• Olive oil
• Sriracha hot sauce
• Soy sauce (or liquid aminos for soy free)
• Liquid smoke This one’s required! There’s no good substitute for liquid smoke, but it’s fairly easy to find at the grocery store and online.

How to make coconut bacon

Coconut bacon couldn’t be simpler! You’ll need 20 minutes of total time, plus the time it takes to preheat your oven. Here’s how to make coconut bacon:

1. Stir: Gently stir together the coconut strips with olive oil, Sriracha hot sauce, soy sauce, and liquid smoke.
2. Bake: Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 14 minutes, stirring halfway through. Coconut burns quite easily, so you’ll need to keep an eye on your vegetarian bacon near the end of the cook time.
3. Cool. The coconut bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools, so don’t worry if it’s not perfectly crunchy when you pull it out of the oven.

How to store it (to keep it crispy)!

After your coconut bacon is cooled, you can enjoy it right away! Here’s a trick to keep leftovers crispy. Store leftover vegan bacon the freezer! Yes, place it in a sealed plastic bag or container and pop it in the freezer. This keeps the bacon crisp, and it comes back to room temperature right when you take it out!

Other ways to make vegan bacon

There are a few other ways to make vegan bacon outside of using coconut! Here are our other favorite methods:

• Shiitake bacon. Use shiitake mushrooms to make smoky, salty bacon! It’s perfect as a garnish for soups and salads, much like coconut bacon.
• Tempeh bacon. Use soy-based tempeh as a canvas for your bacon. This one is protein packed and great for BLTs and alongside scrambles.

This coconut bacon recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan / plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

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Looking for more easy vegetarian recipes? 

• Vegetarian Cobb Salad 
• Vegan BLT
• Classic Vegetarian Chili
• Refried Bean Tacos
• Chickpea Veggie Burger
• BBQ Soy Curls
• Crispy Portobello Mushroom Bacon

Last updated: December 2019