Jessica
Vegan, gluten free TVP bacon bits that are crunchy, smokey with a slight sweetness and are perfect on a baked potato, in salads or anywhere you please!
We discovered a few years ago that if we put vegan bacon bits onto a salad my daughter will devour it. I always used to buy the simulated bacon bits from the grocery store but of course, they contain gluten so I had to come up with my own recipe. TVP (textured vegetable protein) is the perfect base to make these bacon bits because they absorb whatever flavor that you add to them and they can get nice and crunchy.
The bacon bits are very quick to make and keep in the cupboard for a few weeks. The recipe can be easily doubled if desired.
To start the bacon bits preheat your oven and line a small pan with parchment paper. If you decide to double the recipe you may require a larger pan so that the bacon bits can be spread out and crisp up.
In a small bowl add all of the ingredients except for the TVP and microwave it just until the liquid is warm. This helps the TVP absorb all of the flavors of the liquid. Add the TVP, stir and let it sit to marinate. This should not take any longer than 3 to 5 minutes.
Spread the TVP mixture out onto the prepared pan in a thin layer. Don’t flatten the TVP out as we want to keep as much texture to it as possible. Bake the TVP in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes tossing it half way through. If your oven tends to run hot than make sure to keep an eye on it closer to the 10 minute mark as some of the TVP on the edges may start to burn.
We love adding these TVP bacon bits to salads but they are also great on a baked potato (along with my cashew sour cream), with perogies, in pasta or even topped on pizza.
A note on some of the ingredients
TVP: Textured vegetable protein is a defatted soy flour product. TVP is very neutral and absorbs whatever flavor is added to it. It can be found in the natural aisle of the grocery store or in some bulk stores. If needed, ensure that it is gluten free.
Light Tamari Sauce: I prefer to use light tamari sauce as it has a lighter flavor and less sodium than regular tamari sauce. A gluten free soy sauce would also work in this recipe however if it or the regular tamari are used I would omit any additional salt.
Pure maple syrup: I use maple syrup as a sweetener in this recipe because we always have some on hand. I like the flavor of maple syrup however this could be substituted with agave or even granulated sugar. Because sugar burns so easily there is just enough maple syrup in the recipe to take the bite off the other flavors, adding any additional could cause the TVP bacon bits to burn quickly when they are baking in the oven.
Enjoy!
TVP Bacon Bits
Smokey, crunchy bacon bits that are a perfect addition to salads, potatoes, pizza or wherever you would like!
8
servings3
minutes10
minutes14
kcal13
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
4 tbsp Textured vegetable protein
1 tbsp light tamari sauce
1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
pinch salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a small baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl add the light tamari sauce, 1 tbsp water, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Microwave everything for 30 seconds.
- Add the TVP and stir until it has absorbed all of the liquid.
- Spread the TVP mixture onto the lined baking pan spreading it out but making sure not to flatten it. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, tossing it half way through.
- Once the TVP has started to crisp in the oven, remove it and let it cool on the pan. It will crisp up more as it cools. Store in a covered container for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are gluten free if required.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 14kcal
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 198.9mg
- Potassium: 6.7mg
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Sugar: 0.5g
