6.16.18 Homemade Mock Maple Bacon Bits
(Coco)Nuts for bacon bits!
Hello! Hannah here.
I love bacon. As I sit here and write this, I’m looking at a sign in the kitchen that says, “Life is short. Eat the bacon.”
Life is short. And you should enjoy the little things, like bacon. It makes all the big serious things in our life a lot more manageable.
But seriously, bacon is not exactly good for your heart… maybe good for your soul? Soooo that’s why I went on the hunt for bacon alternatives and found the masterpiece that is Coconut Maple Bacon Bits. We use it in and on everything here at Homecooked. And I wanted to share this gem with all of you.
It can be difficult to find a replacement for something like bacon. But we like to pool all of our resources to come up with delicious and healthy substitutes for some classic staple foods. This recipe is inspired by one of our favorite blog sites for all things vegan – Minimalist Baker. It’s just one example of how the amazing Coconut can be used to replace meat and dairy!
And there is SOOOOOO much you can do with coconut! It’s nuts!
If you’re looking for other ways that the coconut can be used in a vegan kitchen here are some we love:
- Coconut milk in place of cream to add to any soups or rouxs to thicken,
- Coconut to make yogurt (look for next week’s blog post!),
- Vegan buttermilk by adding apple cider vinegar to coconut cream and letting it sit overnight covered with a cloth or towel,
- Coconut flakes in place of oats and grains in hot cereals, etc,
- Roasting fresh coconut meat to create a gluten free breading for any protein or tofu…
This Mock Maple Bacon Bit recipe can be used to top salads, baked potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, pizza, soup, anywhere you would like to add some crunch and bacony goodness!
Hannah at Homecooked with Love
A vegan alternative to bacon bits!
5 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
15 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups large flaked unsweetened coconut, we love to use Bob's Red Mill brand
- 1 T coconut oil
- 2 T Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- dash of liquid smoke
- 1 tsp chili powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper or 2 drops DoTerra black pepper oil
- 1 T maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until coconut is fully coated and spread evenly across a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes - give it a good stir and rotate the pan in the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes.*
- *Be careful as this will burn quickly!!!
- Let the pan cool completely, the flakes will harden and crisp up upon cooling.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.