Recipes

Coconut Bacon

You know that saying, “everything tastes better with bacon,” right?

Well, that may be true, but there’s a whole lot of people out there who either can’t eat bacon — because of high cholesterol or heart disease — or, they don’t want to, because they’re vegetarian or vegan.

Well, I’m excited to share this recipe with you because, like pork bacon, this plant-based bacon delivers a savory and satisfying crunch.

Healthier than “real” bacon, this coconut bacon is super simple to make, and comes together in about 15 minutes.

Enjoy this savory-sweet topping for salads, bowls, and soups. Or, you can use in sandwiches and wraps — anywhere you would normally use regular bacon bits.

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Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unsweetened and dried coconut flakes — ideally large flakes
  • 3 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons of liquid smoke (usually found with the barbecue sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
  • plenty of cracked pepper (if you like pepper bacon)
  • OPTIONAL — a pinch of cayenne

Directions

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Step 2

    Add the coconut flakes to a mixing bowl.

  • Step 3

    Add the soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, powdered garlic, and cracked pepper (to your preference).

  • Step 4

    Mix with a rubber spatula until coconut flakes are covered evenly with liquids.

  • Step 5

    Transfer coconut to 1 or 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. Spread into a single layer so the coconut flakes will bake evenly.

  • Step 6

    Bake for about 10-12 minutes, stirring and checking occasionally to make sure the edges aren't burning. Start checking after about 5 minutes — this can burn easily!

  • Step 7

    Remove the coconut bacon once it has turned golden and reached your desired level of crispness. Let cool to room temperature. You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator — although I'll doubt you'll have extra sitting around for long!

Notes

 

Looking for more recipes? Download my FREE Quinoa Power Pack — this downloadable PDF includes:

  • How to make basic quinoa
  • Winter Greens Salad with Citrus, Avocado, and Quinoa
  • Southwestern Quinoa and Black Bean Soup