Coconut Bacon
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Published Jul 26, 2013, Updated May 14, 2021
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How to make vegan coconut bacon that’s smoky, sweet and crunchy just like regular bacon. It’s perfect for snacking or using in recipes that call for bacon like BLTs or chopped salads!
Craving Bacon
As most of you know, I’m pescatarian. I don’t really like to label it because I basically just eat the things I like, but saying pescatarian makes it easier when I’m describing what I do and do not eat to people. Well, now that I think about it, it only works half the time because sometimes I get the whole, “pesca-what?”.
Anyhow, I’ve eaten this way for over five years. I don’t crave meat or choose to eat a bunch of meat substitutes. But, when I heard about coconut bacon I couldn’t resist. I honestly still like the smell of bacon cooking. Bacon was always served when we had “big breakfasts” as I was growing up (remember, I’m from the country) and I loved having BLTs with crispy bacon and perfectly ripe tomatoes during the summer.
So when I saw Dreena Burton (the author of some of my favorite vegan cookbooks) mention making Baconut on Facebook earlier this month, I knew I needed some coconut bacon in my life.
Let’s just say I was right!
I googled coconut bacon and soon found that it was indeed a thing. I looked over a few recipes and got to work!
It’s crazy to me to think that coconut mixed with a few ingredients and baked could taste like bacon, but it really does. It’s smoky and sweet, just like crunchy little pieces of bacon.
Ingredients Needed for Coconut Bacon
- unsweetened coconut flakes – be sure to get large flakes
- Braggs liquid aminos – I like the Braggs aminos because it’s soy-free, but you can also use coconut aminos (also soy-free) or tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- maple syrup – this adds a hint of sweetness and gives the coconut bacon a sweet and savory component
- liquid smoke – look for the Colgin brand as it’s plant-based. Some other brands aren’t.
- smoked paprika
How to Make Coconut Bacon
Making coconut bacon is so easy. The best part? It doesn’t leave your stovetop a greasy mess!
To prep the coconut flakes, simply toss them in a bowl with liquid aminos, liquid smoke, maple syrup and paprika. Once coated, spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-17 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy. It’s that easy!
Please do remember that I haven’t had bacon in over five years.
This actually reminds me of the time I posted these green bean fries and said they tasted like french fries. I went into the office the next day and my co-worker greeted me with, “Sooo I tried your recipe for green bean fries, you know, the ones you said taste like french fries? Well, when was the last time you had a french fry…” Ha!
So yeah, it does taste like bacon to me, but I’m sure some avid bacon lovers would disagree. Although, even if you don’t think it tastes like bacon, it’s still tastes amazing.
Ways to Use Coconut Bacon
- As a topping for salad – I love using coconut bacon on my vegan Cobb salad. It would also be a delicious addition to this vegan broccoli salad.
- Sprinkle on avocado toast – Avo toast is always better with something crunchy sprinkled on top!
- In sandwiches – I’m a sucker for adding a crunchy components to sandwiches and BLTS are one of my faves. This coconut bacon will work great on sandwiches. Try this vegan breakfast sandwich with coconut bacon instead of tempeh bacon.
- Use as a topping for oatmeal – I used this coconut bacon to make an Elvis inspired overnight oats recipe, but it would be delicious sprinkled on savory oats as well.
- In ice cream – I haven’t tried this, but I bet the coconut bacon would be a great topping for ice cream.
- In trail mix – Add a savory component to trail mix by adding coconut bacon to your fave trail mix.
More Vegan Recipe You Might Enjoy
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Cashew Sour Cream
- Vegan Crab Cakes
- Vegan Zucchini Bread with Almond Flour
- Vegan Red Beans and Rice
If you make this vegan coconut bacon, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe.Â
Coconut Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 cups large flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos, coconut aminos or tamari would also work
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 Tablespoon liquid smoke – Colgin brand is plant-based, some are not
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the liquid aminos, liquid smoke, maple syrup and paprika. Once combined, pour coconut flakes into bowl and stir gently until all pieces are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Pour coconut onto a greased baking sheet. I used a baking stone (which doesn't need to be oiled) and the coconut bacon didn't stick at all.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, taking the pan out to stir the coconut every 5 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye on it at the end of the cooking process because it can easily burn.
- Once you have the coconut out of the oven, move it to a plate or bowl to cool -- it will continue to crisp up a bit as it cools and should be perfectly crunchy at room temperature. The coconut bacon can be stored in an air-tight container and should last about a week. It didn't last that long around here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
“This Vegan Coconut Bacon is just delicious! My entire family loves it .We just made your Vegan Pizza tonight and this was just perfect on it.
You can also try Pimp my salad’s Coconut Bacon – ready to eat & perfect toppings for your pizza and salad”
Yay! So glad this recipe has been a hit with your fam, Angela!! Thanks for making it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
I finally made this after months of having the recipe sitting by my stove. I love it! It is a touch sweet for me so I’ll scale back the maple syrup next time but otherwise I’m loving the melt in your mouth texture!
This looks great, but I’m wondering if I can use toasted coconut flakes?
You will be toasting the coconut flakes to make this recipe!