Perfect Vegan Pepperoni (Step-By-Step Tutorial)
With over a dozen 5-star reviews, rest assured that this vegan pepperoni truly tastes like the real thing. Top your pizza or crackers with this pepperoni, a meatless plant-based alternative made from seitan, tomato paste, soy sauce, and loads of delicious seasonings!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten 180 g
- ½ cup water 120 mL
- ¼ cup tomato paste 50 g
- ¼ cup soy sauce 60 mL
- ¼ cup coconut oil* should be solid, 50 g
- 2 tsp each crushed red pepper flakes, ground mustard seed, smoked paprika, garlic powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds roughly crushed or chopped
- 1 tsp liquid smoke 5 mL
Instructions
- Dough: In a large bowl stir together all ingredients until a ball forms. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough is elastic and cohesive (it will still be lumpy, that's okay!)
- Shape: Divide into 2 even pieces, then shape each piece into a log. Each log should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Wrap each log tightly in aluminum foil, making sure the foil overlaps so it doesn't open during cooking, then twist the ends to secure.
- Steam: Bring a pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, then place wrapped pepperoni logs into the basket. Cover and let steam for 45 minutes. (Keep an eye on the water level to make sure water doesn't all evaporate.)
- Cool: Remove pepperoni logs from the basket and gently unwrap. Transfer to the fridge and allow to cool fully, then use a sharp knife to thinly slice each log into pepperoni pieces! Use as you would traditional pepperoni (on pizza, sandwiches, or crackers!)
Video
Notes
Store pepperoni in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
*Solid coconut oil is important for the finished texture. If your coconut oil is not solid, transfer it to the fridge so that it can cool down and become solid.
Why does the coconut oil need to be solid?
Solid coconut oil is important for the final texture of the pepperoni, giving it those pockets of fat you would find in traditional pepperoni! If it’s not solid, transfer it to the fridge to cool down and harden before using it in this recipe. How should seitan pepperoni be used?
You can use this wherever you’d use traditional pepperoni — on pizza, in sandwiches, with crackers, in your favorite meatless charcuterie boards, etc! Can I use something other than foil to wrap the logs?
Yup, feel free to use parchment paper.
Solid coconut oil is important for the final texture of the pepperoni, giving it those pockets of fat you would find in traditional pepperoni! If it’s not solid, transfer it to the fridge to cool down and harden before using it in this recipe. How should seitan pepperoni be used?
You can use this wherever you’d use traditional pepperoni — on pizza, in sandwiches, with crackers, in your favorite meatless charcuterie boards, etc! Can I use something other than foil to wrap the logs?
Yup, feel free to use parchment paper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 24.2g | Fat: 9.7g | Saturated Fat: 7.9g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 1.5g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
