How to Make Vegan Coconut Bacon

You are going to absolutely love this 5 ingredient vegan coconut bacon recipe that takes just 15 minutes to make. We keep our pantry stocked so that we always have some coconut bacon hand to add to vegan eggs, breakfast tacos, pizza, salads and more!

This post was originally published May 2017; updated March 2023.

When people decide to make the switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet, it seems like bacon is often a difficult food to give up! Luckily, there are tons of great vegan bacon options available in the store as well as this super simple vegan coconut bacon. With just 5 ingredients, you can recreate the flavor of the real thing.

Once you make your coconut bacon, make sure to try it out on one of these recipes: strawberry spinach salad, vegan tofu scramble, or vegan broccoli cheddar soup.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• This simple coconut bacon has all the delicious sweet and salty flavors of real bacon but with no animal products. (Don’t worry, there’s no coconut flavor when you’re finished!)
• Keep this super versatile ingredient on hand and use anytime you would traditional bacon bits like salads, eggs, sandwiches, and soup.
• This recipe is vegan, egg free, dairy free. Make it gluten free by using tamari instead of soy sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Coconut Flakes: use unsweetened coconut flakes for this recipe. You can usually find them in the baking aisle or you can purchase them from Amazon. Just make sure to buy coconut flakes (which kind of look like coconut chips) and not shredded coconut as the pieces are too small for this recipe.
• Liquid Smoke: adds all the delicious smokiness of bacon. You can usually find this in the grocery store with the other condiments, but you can also buy it online.
• Soy Sauce: soy sauce adds some umami as well as a bit of salty flavor. Use tamari if you want to make this recipe gluten free. You can also use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce if you want to lower the sodium content.
• Maple Syrup: adds a hint of sweetness that balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce and the smokiness of the liquid smoke.
• Paprika and Black Pepper: use smoked paprika if you have it – otherwise regular paprika works too. It adds just a bit of flavor as well as color so the coconut flakes are closer in color to regular bacon bits.

Step by Step

Step One: Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir well with a spoon so that all the coconut flakes are evenly coated with the seasoning.

Step Two: Spread the coconut bacon into a single layer onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 7 minutes, stir, and then bake another 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving and storing in an airtight container.  

Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious vegan bacon recipe with a variety of different dishes. Here are just a handful of my favorite ways to use it: 

Recipe FAQs

Vegan Coconut Bacon Bits

Created by: Deborah Murphy

Course Condiment, Topping

You are going to absolutely love this 5 ingredient vegan coconut bacon that takes just 15 minutes to make. We keep our pantry stocked so that we always have some coconut bacon hand to add to vegan eggs, breakfast tacos, pizza, salads and more!

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to coat coconut flakes in the seasoning. Bake for 7 minutes, stir, and then bake another 5-7 minutes until browned.

• Allow to cool completely before serving and storing.

Notes

• Nutrition Facts: 1 serving is about 2 tablespoons of coconut bacon.
• Can I make this without liquid smoke? Yes, you can still make this coconut bacon without liquid smoke. Just omit the liquid smoke and use 3 tablespoons of soy sauce. To add some smoky flavor without the liquid smoke, use smoked paprika.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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