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    Home » Recipes

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Savory, smoky, sweet, crunchy, and delicious easy vegan bacon bits made from TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein). Excellent for sprinkling on top of salads, baked potatoes or simply eating by the handful.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    If you’re not familiar with Textured Vegetable Protein, allow me to introduce you. It’s a highly nutritious soy product loaded with protein; contains no fat; and, is the perfect alternative to meat. TVP is nothing more than defatted, dehydrated soy flour and it’s naturally gluten-free.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    Personally, I think it’s pretty close to perfect. Why? Because of what I just said: low in fat and calories, contains a ton of protein and a great source of fiber. Awesome, it’ll keep you strong and regular. How ’bout that?

    However, it’s pretty flavorless so if you want to enjoy it you’ll need to be creative. I decided to see what would happen if I used my “bacon” brine from my Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon. The results? Honestly, there are no words.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    This recipe is so simple, all you need are 6 or 7 ingredients and roughly 10 minutes of your time. It really is that easy. If you can boil something, you can do this.

    The delicious mixture of spices, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and soy sauce create the ultimate savory, sweet, spicy flavor. Once you bring it all to boil, you simply throw in the TVP and let it soak.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    You can add one final step by baking these low and slow at 225 degrees until they reach your preferred level of crunchiness. Just check on them every few minutes and give the pan a little shake so you don’t burn them.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    If you’ve been longing for something to satisfy a craving from your past, look no further. The smell, the taste, the texture – it’s all there. Everything except the flesh of a dead carcass someone needlessly killed and all the chronic diseases that go with it.

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    I’m pretty confident you’ll love this Easy Vegan Bacon Bits recipe. It’s…

    • SWEET
    • SMOKY
    • SAVORY
    • MEATY
    • CRUNCHY
    • EASY TO MAKE
    • ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

    More Delicious Vegan Toppings

    • Vegan Ranch Dressing
    • Easy Vegan Honey Mustard
    • Garlicky Lemon Tahini Sauce
    • The Best Vegan Chipotle Aioli
    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    Perfect for topping for your salads, baked potatoes with my Cashew Sour Cream or just eat it by the handful.

    Be sure and let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, take a picture, post it on Instagram and tag the photo #shaneandsimple so I can see your dish. If you want to be kept up to speed on all that’s going down with Shane & Simple and my latest recipes – SUBSCRIBE HERE!

    Print
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    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 19 reviews

    Print Recipe

    Savory, smoky, crispy and delicious bacon bits made from TVP. These are the perfect topping for salads, baked potatoes with my Cashew Sour Cream, or simply eat by the handful.

    • Total Time: 12 minutes
    • Yield: 1 cup 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ cup TVP
    • 2 tbsp. low sodium tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
    • 1 tbsp. water
    • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
    • 2 tsp. liquid smoke
    • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp. garlic powder
    • Salt to taste (but it’s not really necessary)

    Instructions

    1. Place all ingredients, EXCEPT FOR TVP, in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
    2. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and add TVP. Stir until all the liquid has been absorbed.
    3. Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread bacon bits out evenly on baking sheet and place in oven. Cook for just a couple minutes then shake so the bacon bits will cook evenly. Repeat until the bacon bits are crispy, but be careful not to burn.

    Equipment

    GreenPans

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    Parchment Paper

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    Spatulas

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    Baking Sheet

    Buy Now →

    TVP

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    Notes

    *Baking is not necessary, it just depends on how crunchy you want them.

    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 2 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Category: Toppings
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
    • Calories: 30
    • Sugar: 2.3 g
    • Sodium: 128.7 mg
    • Fat: 0 g
    • Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
    • Fiber: 1.1 g
    • Protein: 3.4 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: bacon bits, vegan bacon bits, vegan salad toppings

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gin

      October 16, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      I have alpha gal, the red meat allergy caused by a tick bite, so I can’t have pork. Thank you so much for providing me a way to satisfy my bacon craving!

      Reply
    2. LuAnn

      May 26, 2022 at 1:13 pm

      I am going to try this using the Butler curls crumbs. I do this for tacos and if I don’t have enough I put the curls in a plastic bag and break up until I like the size. I use a meat pounder.

      Reply
    3. Wendy C

      December 31, 2021 at 8:01 am

      I made a batch of this yesterday then immediately made another double batch. This is delicious and adds a lot of flavor to so many things! Thank you for another great recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Rachel D

        January 27, 2022 at 5:32 pm

        Yes flavor and texture! We use it on baked potatoes with sour cream (Tofuti) and chives. It’s so good and adds lots of protein.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    4. Elly

      December 13, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      Fantastic! I detest plain tvp. I had some commercial imitation bacon tvp (which I like just fine) and this to compare against each other and this shot the commercial one out of the water and beached it. Flavors are just more intense. We’ll be using this in biscuits and gravy and as part of a savory trail mix with dried apples. I made a double batch and ended up adding a bit more water to full hydrate the tvp and then had to bake it for an hour. Maybe it would’ve been fine with less water but I was concerned.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Rachel Black

      November 21, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      Amazing. It tastes like bacon bits. Thank you so much!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Lorraine Cole

      November 13, 2021 at 6:51 pm

      These are great!! I have been sprinkling them on everything from salads to pizza(vegan). I even threw them in my split pea soup toward the end of cooking and it ended up giving the texture and taste of ham. Thank you for sharing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Maria

      November 03, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      Question: would these hold as a garnishing on a cupcake? Or do you think they would go soggy?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 03, 2021 at 4:50 pm

        They should hold pretty well. I would cook them a little past their allotted time and let them get real crispy.

        Reply
    8. Sarah

      October 27, 2021 at 10:31 am

      If I were to make baked vegan mac what would you recommend? Not baking/or baking the tvp, then adding it in the Mac before putting it in the oven? OR just garnishing it over the Mac?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 03, 2021 at 4:56 pm

        I would just garnish.

        Reply
    9. Nunu

      July 11, 2021 at 11:43 am

      I live in a country where bacon is not available and this is an amazing recipe that allows me to make recipes that call for bacon again.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. brenda

      February 27, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      so, this was sweeter than I want my “bacon bits” to be, but Shane, you are so on target with using TVP for bacon bit. I’ll play around with getting the spices tuned in to my personal taste, but I already know this is FINNALY going to be the technique that yields believable “bacon bits.” Thank you.

      ★★★★

      Reply
    11. Elijah

      February 12, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Dude, this shiz is absolutely ballin. 100% recommend.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Ruby

      February 06, 2021 at 7:50 am

      I’m newly vegan so this is great! How long will they last?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        February 07, 2021 at 11:39 am

        Keep them in a covered container and they should be good for several weeks.

        Reply
    13. Collette

      September 06, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      I love this recipe! I live in Las Vegas and it’s 108 degrees nealy everyday in August, so I baked them in my air fryer. I put 1/2 of the mixture on parchment paper at 300 degrees, shaking every 3 minutes for about 12 minutes. Perfect!
      PLEASE NOTE the recipe says it makes a cup, but it only makes 1/2 cup

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    14. Vicki

      August 16, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      Hi Shane! I’m wanting to try these in a split-pea soup. Will they hold up in a pot of simmering soup or should they be added later as a garnish?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 17, 2020 at 8:53 am

        Hi, Vicki! They should be added later as a garnish.

        Reply
    15. Colette

      August 01, 2020 at 11:01 pm

      Super quick and satisfying 🙂

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Amanda W

      May 23, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      I made this to add to vegan pasta carbonara… the bacon bits came out great! I couldn’t find my paprika, so substituted 1/2tsp cayenne pepper. Still yummy! My only problem is that I think I need to double or triple the recipe! My husband walked in the kitchen just as I was marinating the TVP and said “wow does it smell like bacon in here!” even though he had no idea what I was trying to make!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    17. Elle

      February 05, 2020 at 4:12 pm

      Question: I have heard soy is healthy and I have heard it’s unhealthy. Please educate me. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        February 06, 2020 at 2:40 pm

        It’s completely healthy. Here are a few of the many articles I refer people to. I hope this helps. Blessings.

        https://www.drfuhrman.com/elearning/eat-to-live-blog/137/dont-fall-for-the-myths-about-soy

        https://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/vegan-doctor-addresses-soy-myths-and-misinformation/

        https://vegangreenplanet.com/breaking-down-the-myths-about-soy/

        Reply
    18. Claire

      January 09, 2020 at 11:46 am

      These look amazing Shane! Well done for working out how to recreate the flavour. It’s the stumbling block for many would- be veggies and vegans to go without bacon, but these substitutes look awesome. I imagine that you could make a pasta carbonara with these if you didn’t cook them too crunchy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 09, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Thanks so much, Claire! I hope you enjoy them. Blessings and Happy New Year!

        Reply
    19. Judy

      January 07, 2020 at 12:15 am

      What is TVP and where do you buy it

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 07, 2020 at 7:18 am

        Hi, Judy! TVP is short for Textured Vegetable Protein. It’s basically just dehydrated soy flour. Here’s a link that you can purchase it if you like: https://amzn.to/37KgiEx

        Reply
    20. Judy

      January 07, 2020 at 12:05 am

      What is TVC

      Reply
    21. Isabella

      January 04, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Thanks for sharing. Do you know any alternatives to the soy protein that would be good for this recipe? (soy allergy)

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 04, 2020 at 10:31 pm

        I’m so sorry, Isabella. Unfortunately, no, there is no sub for TVP. But, if I can figure something out you’ll be the first to know! Happy New Year!

        Reply
      • Zeddy

        February 01, 2020 at 8:43 pm

        Hi Isabella I believe that you may want try making a while bean (not soy) tofu yourself an easy one and then crumbling it and drying the crumbles before and after this recipe. I found a good recipe easy for you (is not my recipe thou must say ) best Zeddy :

        http://veganmommychef.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-soy-tofu.html?m=1

        Reply
      • Paul

        December 30, 2022 at 1:12 pm

        There are pea protein bits available on Amazon that can be used in much the same way as TVP, assuming you aren’t allergic to pea protein, of course.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    22. Kathy Zingone

      August 31, 2019 at 2:31 pm

      Simple to make and delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 31, 2019 at 6:18 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    23. Becky

      August 30, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      Hi Shane!
      How do you think this recipe would work work with soy curls crumbs or made into crumbs using a food processor before adding to the marinade?
      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 31, 2019 at 8:57 am

        It might get a bit mushy. BUT, if you were to chop them up into chunks and bake them in the marinade, I think it’d be awesome! Almost like jerky.

        Reply
        • Becky

          August 31, 2019 at 9:52 am

          I forgot, you can make jerky out soy curls! So thanks for the reminder!! 😉
          I’m to give it a whirl on making them into bacon bits and let you know how it turns out. It may be a couple of weeks before I get to it. Clumsy me, fell last Saturday and broke my kneecap. I’m going nuts not being able to get into the kitchen!

          Reply
          • Shane Martin

            August 31, 2019 at 11:04 am

            Ewww, so sorry, Becky! Hoping for a quick recovery for you. I’d be going nuts too. Take care of yourself. Blessings.

            Reply
    24. Lisa

      June 23, 2019 at 10:06 am

      These look fabulous Shane! So just use the small amount of liquid shown in ingredients with no additional water, correct? So there should be more TVP than liquid?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 23, 2019 at 11:39 am

        Yes, that’s correct! Hope you enjoy them.

        Reply
    25. francisco

      June 06, 2019 at 12:02 am

      why do you boil the ingredients on water before marinating the TVP on it? does something change in the flavour if you just put the TVP on them without boiling and then bake them? Is it possible to fry them on a pan instead of baking it?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 06, 2019 at 1:35 pm

        It allows the TVP to absorb and cook a little. I’ve never tried to pan fry them but see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Feel free to try! Good luck.

        Reply
    26. Jessica

      April 18, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      This recipe looks amazing! Do they have to be refrigerated after baking?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        April 18, 2019 at 4:06 pm

        No. They keep in a jar or bag. But, they usually never last around my house:)

        Reply
    27. Amanda

      January 10, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      I’ve just made these but didn’t bake them till crispy, because I want them to be a bit chewy. They’re awesome and so easy to make! I’m planning to add them to some ‘cheesy bacon’ stuffed potatoes but I’ll make crispy ones for salads next time. Thanks for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 10, 2019 at 5:58 pm

        Amanda, that’s awesome and love your idea with the potatoes. Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing! Blessings.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    28. Jackie

      November 19, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      Super easy to make. Quadrupled the recipe to make bacony bits for Brussels sprouts for my omni partner’s family for thanksgiving.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 19, 2018 at 7:50 pm

        Awesome! They go great with Brussel sprouts

        Reply
    29. Juan Carlos

      October 02, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      Pre-heat oven to 225 F or C?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        October 02, 2018 at 2:35 pm

        Farenheit.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    30. dfog

      September 17, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      I didn’t have liquid smoke, but added a ½ tsp ‘smokey’ BBQ sauce and a ½ tsp of Marmite and they were delicious!!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        September 17, 2018 at 6:44 pm

        Great idea! Never thought of that. Can’t wait to try myself.

        Reply
    31. Cass from Winnipeg

      August 28, 2018 at 7:58 am

      Fantastic! I baked them longer for a nice crunch and added 1 TBSP of nooch and 1 TBSP oil.
      This recipe makes me want to make a ton, jar it up with pretty labels and gift them!
      What is the shelf life?
      Thanks for the recipe – it was TOTALLY AWESOME!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 28, 2018 at 8:53 am

        Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed them! Honestly, they don’t last long enough around our house, but I would say they’ll keep for at least a week or little more. Maybe longer. I’ll do some research:)

        Reply
    32. Sandra Polichino

      July 07, 2018 at 8:02 am

      They look so real !!!

      Reply
    33. Michael

      February 04, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      Awesome!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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