These Vegan Bacon Bits are so versatile and delicious. Remember classic bacon bits? You know, the ones that have a weird texture and mostly just taste like salt? Forget all about them!
This vegan version, made with shredded tofu, is the exact opposite. It’s smoky and super savory with a perfect texture between chewy and crispy. Sprinkle them on top of a soup, mix them into a salad, or just munch on them for a high-protein snack. They’re seriously addictive and ridiculously easy to make!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Bacon Bits
- Super-firm (high protein) tofu. This is the kind that comes vacuum-sealed rather than packed in water. Its texture makes it easier to grate.
- Olive oil. To help the tofu crisp up. Another neutral oil can be used.
- Soy sauce. Salty & savory flavor.
- Maple syrup & liquid smoke. Sweet and smoky flavor.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika. To add dimension.
- Nutritional yeast. Makes the marinade more savory.
- MSG. Optional, for extra umami.
How to Make Tofu Bacon
Shred the tofu or cut into small thin pieces. If using a box grater, use the medium side and not the fine one. Then mix all ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl.
Toss the tofu in the bacon marinade to coat. Let it marinate while the oven preheats. Then bake for 35-40 minutes, giving the tofu a thorough toss every 10 minutes, until crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use about 1 and half blocks of extra-firm tofu. Pressing it will be a must. It will be more fragile than super-firm tofu, so use a gentle hand when grating it and stirring it to avoid it turning to mush. You may also need to add a few extra minutes of cook time to crisp it up.
Use a gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce. Or substitute liquid aminos or coconut aminos if you don’t mind a slightly different flavor profile.
The oil helps the tofu to crisp up nicely in the oven. You can omit the oil but the texture will be a bit different. Keep a careful eye on it and adjust cook time as needed because the sugars in the marinade may also caramelize a bit faster without the oil.
More Versatile Tofu Recipes
- Crispy Air Fryer Tofu – You can use this crispy tofu in so many different recipes! Just pick your favorite sauce and give it a toss.
- Vegan Deli Slices – Why pay $5 for a tiny package of vegan turkey when you can make a massive loaf at home and eat it all week long?
- Eggy Tofu Patties – Throw these in a breakfast sandwich or add to a breakfast platter.
Vegan Bacon Bits (Tofu Bacon)
Video
Equipment
- large sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) package super-firm (high protein) tofu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral oil (I like peanut oil)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce less to preference; see notes
- 1 scant tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- black pepper to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon MSG optional
For the baking sheet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral oil
Instructions
- Grate or thinly chop the tofu: Use a cheese grater to shred the block of super-firm tofu. (If using a box grater, use the medium-sized shredding holes and not the finer ones.)If you don't own a cheese grater, you can cut the tofu into very thin slices — as thin as possible. Then stack the slices and give them a coarse chop.
- Make the marinade: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the marinade: olive oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and optional MSG.
- Marinate the tofu: Add in your shredded tofu and mix to coat. Turn the oven on to preheat to 400°F and let the tofu marinate on the counter in the meantime.
- Grease the cookie sheet: Once the oven is preheated, prep your sheet pan by brushing it with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.Tip 1: Use a large sheet pan so that there is enough room to spread the tofu out in a thin layer.Tip 2: Leave a 1" border of empty space around the edges of the sheet pan. Tofu pieces closer to the raised edges of the pan tend to brown faster (and can potentially burn).
- Bake the tofu: Bake for 35-40 minutes. Give the tofu pieces a good flip and stir every 10 minutes, and then spread them out again in a thin even layer (again, keeping a bit of a border from the edges of the baking sheet). Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on the tofu during the last 10 minutes to make sure it doesn't get too dark.Note: If you are using a smaller baking tray and the tofu is less spread out, it can require extra time, up to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven: The tofu will crisp up a bit more if you let it sit on the hot tray for a few minutes before enjoying.
- How to enjoy: My favorite way to enjoy these tofu bacon bits is sprinkled on top of a soup or salad to boost the protein and flavor.
Storage
- Tofu bacon can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week. The pieces tend to lose their crunch when refrigerated and will instead become a bit chewy.
My new staple. I make it every week to put on my lunch salads. SOOOOO good!! Thank you!
So, so good! I use these “bacon” bits on salads, soups, BLT’s…. you name it, you can put them on it!
10 out of 10! Sara you killed it again! These are amazing on everything, soups, salads, chkn ranch pita sandwiches, bagels with cashew cream chz, you name it! I am now making these every other week!
Thank you for this easy and very tasty recipe. I used these bits on top of some hashbrowns with cashew crema.
This recipe is FANTASTIC!! I’ve been making this every week as a topping for many dishes (it’s great on shakshuka for example). It substitutes bacon incredibly well for BLT and flammkuchen too. AND it’s easy to prepare. Thank you so much!