I know a lot of grocery stores now regularly stock Morningstar and other brands of "fakin' bacon," but it's expensive, and to my tastes, leaves a lot to be desired, flavorwise. This recipe is so easy to make, and comes out so "bacony" that, once you taste it, you'll never settle for the processed stuff again! And you'll save a bundle, too!
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke and nutritional yeast.
3. Add the coconut and stir until thoroughly coated.
4. Spread the mixture across the bottom of a Pyrex baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye out that it doesn't burn. After 10 minutes, stir everything up and return to oven for approximately 3 minutes. Repeat this stirring then 3 minute baking routine until your "fakin' bacon" starts to get crispy and to darken up just a bit. Don't burn it though. It's kind of tricky, but so very worth the effort!
5. When you're satisfied more heat would be a bad thing (trust your instincts), remove from oven and set out to cool. Amazingly, the cooling process is as much a part of this recipe as was baking. As your "fakin' bacon" cools, it will crisp up all by itself to bacony perfection!
NOTE: This vegan bacon smells like bacon, tastes like bacon, but looks... well, like shredded coconut. But remember, it's not your eyes you're trying to fool – it's your taste buds! And for flavor and "mouth feel," especially when served on sandwiches, burgers, crumbled into salads, etc., this recipe can't be beat! What you don't use immediately, just freeze in baggies for later use.