Whether you’re looking for a healthier alternative to bacon or you’re fully vegan, don’t miss this vegan coconut bacon recipe. Made with toasted coconut flakes and a few other key ingredients, you can mimic those smoky and savory flavors. Use these coconut bacon bits on top of your favorite dishes, from salads to sides, and fall in love with toasted coconut bacon!
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crunchy: The crispy crunch that people love about bacon is all right here with this vegan gluten-free bacon!
- Crave-worthy: Once you try coconut bacon, you will be absolutely hooked.
- Nutrient-packed: Made with good-for-you ingredients, you can feel free to indulge in all the vegan coconut bacon you can eat!
Nutrition For Mental Health
One cup of shredded coconut contains 10 grams of carbohydrates (7 grams of fiber), 3 grams of protein, and 27 grams of fat. It is rich in manganese and copper. Coconut also contains selenium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. An animal study found that virgin coconut oil increases neuroresilience in individuals with depression and similar disorders.
Ingredients + Substitutions
Don’t worry if you’re missing something or need to make a switch. Here’s what you can use to make vegan coconut bacon!
- Coconut aminos: Coconut aminos is similar to soy sauce, except it is a bit sweeter and lower in sodium. That being said, low-sodium soy sauce works great in this recipe as well.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Coconut Bacon
If you have a few minutes, then you have time to make vegan bacon flakes with coconut!
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- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add coconut, aminos, liquid smoke, and maple syrup to a medium bowl and toss or stir until thoroughly coated.
- Spread out evenly on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, flip coconut flakes, and turn pan around. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until coconut flakes are golden brown. (Watch closely for the last few minutes. They can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly!)
Servings Ideas
There are so many ways to enjoy vegan coconut bacon, like on top of my baked home fries, chickpea veggie burger, protein avocado toast, mashed potato waffles, as a garnish on vegan potato leek soup, or for extra flavor in my arugula spinach salad.
Storage Tips
To keep the texture crispy, it’s best to put your fully cooled toasted coconut bacon in an airtight container and keep it in your pantry. It will keep for up to 2 months, and if you find it’s not as crispy as you like, just pop it into the oven and broil for about 30 seconds.
FAQ
Coconut bacon is a form of vegan, gluten-free bacon that’s made from coconut flakes, coconut aminos, liquid smoke, and maple syrup.
While you can buy vegan bacon options at the store, many of those things are overly processed and have ingredients you probably don’t want to eat. You only need four ingredients to make this vegan coconut bacon, all of them wholesome, and it takes just a few minutes to make!
Store-bought vegan bacon may not be the healthiest option, though making coconut bacon yourself is a healthy option you can feel good about enjoying with the ones you love.
More Vegan Side Dishes
If you tried this Coconut Bacon Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Coconut Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut flakes, unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add coconut, aminos, liquid smoke, and maple syrup to a medium bowl and toss or stir until thoroughly coated.
- Spread out evenly on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, flip coconut flakes, and turn pan around. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until coconut flakes are golden brown. (Watch closely for the last few minutes. They can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly!)
Notes
Nutrition
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Reference
Edem, E. E., Ihaza, B. E., Fafure, A. A., Ishola, A. O., Nebo, K. E., Enye, L. A., & Akinluyi, E. T. (2021). Virgin coconut oil abrogates depression-associated cognitive deficits by modulating hippocampal antioxidant balance, GABAergic and glutamatergic receptors in mice. Drug metabolism and personalized therapy, 37(2), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1515/dmpt-2021-0126
The coconut flakes turned out perfectly bacon-flavored and met my bacon needs without actually having to eat the real thing.
Wonderful!