Learn how to make vegan tofu bacon easily with just a few simple ingredients. You’ll want this for every sandwich you have going forward!
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Want the ultimate hack to better vegan sandwiches? It’s this vegan bacon – hands down.
It’s no secret, good vegan bacon is not only hard to find, but it’s also expensive. We’ve been testing this tofu vegan bacon and it’s become a staple in our kitchen – especially in our leveled up vegan BLT sandwiches.
You’ll immediately want to double the batch, because you’ll be eating it off the tray before you even get it on your sandwich.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Tofu Bacon:
- Flavor – It has all the smokey, umami flavors of traditional bacon, without the harm!
- Texture – You can make it thick or thinner and it gets even better with time. The texture is soft, yet crispy.
- Versatile Marinade -The marinade can be used for eggplant, thin slices of carrots, coconut meat, or mushrooms to bacon bacon varieties
Ingredients for vegan bacon:
Gather your ingredients!
Tofu
For the tofu bacon, we have found that super firm is our favorite option, follower by extra firm. Super firm doesn’t require you to press it, whereas you should with the extra-firm tofu.
Substitute: You can try using chickpea tofu or pumpkin tofu instead. Alternatively, you could make the marinade and use coconut meat, thinly sliced carrots, mushrooms, or thinly sliced eggplant.
Soy Sauce
We are using this to get that umami vibe that we want out of our bacon.
Substitute: Depending on your allergies, you could do coconut or liquid aminos, tamari, or a no soy soy sauce instead.
Liquid Smoke and Smoked Paprika
This is helping with that smoked flavor that traditional bacon goes through prior to hitting the shelves. We can get that toast ourselves with these ingredients, ensuring we don’t harm animals.
Maple Syrup
This is just giving us a little sweetness you are used to with bacon.
Substitute: You can omit or use date syrup as well.
Other Ingredients
You’ll also need nutritional yeast, olive oil, vegan Worcestershire sauce (or a vegan-friendly steak sauce), and both garlic and onion powders.
Dishes to use this Vegan Bacon:
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Tofu Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 16 ounces super firm tofu patted dry and sliced in ¼ inch slices (6mm)
Instructions
For the marinated tofu bacon
- Into a sealable container, add ⅓ cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoon each olive oil and maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon each liquid smoke, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk together well. Then, coat both sides of each slice of your tofu and place tofu in the container with the lid. Place in the fridge and let marinate for at least 30 minutes (Up to 3 days). Proceed with recipe while waiting.
- 15 minutes before done marinating, preheat oven to 400˚F (220˚C). Reserve the marinade, and place tofu slices on a baking sheet (without parchment paper) and once heated, bake for 20-25 minutes. When it comes out brush remaining marinade on it.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
For the soy – Choose a chickpea tofu or pumpkin tofu for the recipe. Swap the soy sauce for tamari, coconut aminos or no soy soy sauce depending on your allergens. You will also want to choice a safe vegan worcestershire sauce.
This vegan bacon recipe is good for 5 days in the fridge in a sealable, air tighter container.
We have not tried freezing the tofu bacon after making, but we don’t see why you couldn’t.
Yummy!
Thank you!
This is my new favorite vegan bacon recipe!!! The spices were perfect, and it made the right amount of marinade. I left the slices in the fridge in the marinade and took them out during the week to bake them as I needed them. It makes for a delicious sandwich. Thank you for sharing!
OMG thank you! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’ve made many recipes from this website before, as I have been vegetarian for more than 50 years. This bacon recipe is the only one I’ve made twice in one week. The recipe is easy and the result is delicious. Store-bought vegan bacon is yucky. This bacon is yummy.
OMG Thank you so much! We thrilled you enjoyed the recipe enough to make it twice in one week. Thanks again for giving the recipe a try!
Vegan recipes no dairy
Hi Nancy, all our recipes are vegan so they don’t contain dairy. If you need any help, feel free to reachout
I’m obsessed with all of your recipes! This was absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome!
This is so delicious! My partner and I are a bit obsessed at the moment and double the batch when making. So good on BLT’s!!
Thank you!!!! We are so happy that you have enjoyed the recipe, we love adding this to our sandwiches as well!
This recipe is SO good. Make sure to cut the tofu like indicated in the recipe. It’s still ok if you don’t. I took some of the bacon, especially the thicker pieces, and added it to my reheated baked ziti for some extra yum
Love that idea!
Delicious!!!!
Thanks!