4-Ingredient Healthy Vegan Bacon

This is about to blow your mind.It always seems that, when asked what food they miss the most, a good portion of vegans and vegetarians – both new and old – reply with bacon. Now, I’ve never been one for faux food. Vegan meats are usually not something that appeal to me, and vegan cheese just rarely seems to have the right consistency. But this recipe is something I can get down with. When used as a salad topper or sprinkled atop your veggie burger, this stuff tastes just like bacon – it even has the consistency of it!

And you want to know the best part? While I must admit that it does contain a good deal of fat, this “bacon” is actually good for you. It’s made of two of the healthiest sources of fat out there: olive oil and coconut. Here’s how it’s made!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (the key is to get large flakes – I use Bob’s Red Mill!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (Bragg is awesome)

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium-low. Add the coconut, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt. Fry for about 4-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flakes crisp up and turn brown. Voila! Instant bacon bits.

For even more of a bacon-like taste, you can add in liquid smoke or spices of your choice like smoked paprika!

I like to sprinkle bacon bits top of a kale & cucumber salad with a creamy avocado dressing – it creates the perfect combination!

I forced my sister’s boyfriend (a lovely non-vegan muscle man) to try this, and he responded with, “Wait. This isn’t bacon?” No joke! It’s a crowd pleaser for sure. If you try this, let me know what you think!