High Protein Vegan Bacon Bits

Even though most store-bough “bacon” bits are accidentally vegan, I always make my own, because it’s easier, homemade are healthier, and most importantly, the store-bought ones taste like butane. So this is my recipe for High Protein Vegan “Bacon” Bits!

These Vegan “Bacon” Bits are really easy to make and end up with that sweet, salty, smokey flavor without using tricksy things like liquid smoke (because I don’t know how to use liquid smoke 🙂 ). These bacon bits are made with TVP and can be used on and in all kinds of things like twice baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, salads, sandwiches, loaded fries, and more! Yea, that was a bit of a Bubba moment from Forest Gump – I’m always pimping for TVP bacon bits because I love them and make them almost once a week! They are also perfect for meal prepping because you can make a large batch and then use them in different ways throughout the week!

Ingredients

• TVP – Textured Vegetable Protein – this is possibly my favorite ingredient in my little vegan kitchen because it’s so versatile and the macros are amazing! It’s shelf stable and you can find it in most grocery stores, near the gluten-free flour options. You can also find it online, including on Amazon where you can buy a 25 pound bag for one hell of a deal! Swap TVP with TPP if you’re soy-free; works the same!
• Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika – I think all of these are a must if you want it to taste like bacon bits. If you want it extra smokey, feel free to increase the amount of smoked paprika you use.
• Nutritional Yeast – Nooch is another must have ingredient in a vegan kitchen – you can also find it in most stores or online!
• Maple Syrup – You could probably swap this with a different syrup but I really like the flavor it adds so I would recommend using Maple.
• Soy Sauce – if you’re gluten-free or soy-free, you can swap this for Coconut Liquid Aminos and it will taste just as good!

Instructions

• In a medium heat skillet, add all of your ingredients and mix together very well. I like to mix everything together before the water starts to cook off so that every bite is evenly seasoned.

• Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until you get to the level of moisture you want. I like to use a wooden spoon because the TVP will stick to your pan no matter how often you’re stirring it. The wooden spoon allows you to scrape the TVP off of the bottom without screwing up your pan. You want to stir pretty often because it will burn if you don’t.
• Keep in mind what you will be using these “bacon” bits for when cooking them. If you will be putting them directly on a salad, you’ll want to cook longer and to the desired dryness. If you’re going to use them for something like Twice Baked Potatoes where you will be cooking them again with the food you’re making, keep them a little more moist so they don’t dry out too much.

Here are a couple of recipes that use these High Protein Vegan “Bacon” Bits if you need some inspiration for how to use them!

**Would recommend using these within 3 – 4 days after making them**

Silly Little Haiku

Vegan Bacon Bits

Liquid Smoke sounds so intense

TVP is GOAT