How to make coconut “bacon” 

I reached over the table and snagged a huge spoonful. Pedro and I were brunching at Blossoming Lotus in Portland. His breakfast curry looked so good – almost too pretty to eat. (I had a brief moment of order regret. Why did I order the kale tacos?)

A smattering of “coconut bacon” topped his bowl of green goodness. While “coconut bacon” has been making the rounds in the vegetarian/vegan world, I have never tasted it. What crunch and smoky flavor!

I was in love at first bite. More coconut bacon, please!

 Once home I began searching for recipes online. Most versions contained the same basic ingredients: flaked coconut (not shredded) + liquid smoke + maple syrup + tamari + smoked paprika. The coconut was baked between 25 and 30 minutes.  I thought I would follow this method before I tried a batch in my dehydrator.

I didn’t have any maple syrup or tamari on hand so I used coconut aminos and liquid soy. I also added fresh black pepper to the mix. Simply put – you mix everything together and put it in the oven. Watch it cook. Done. (Scroll down for the specifics.)

You must use large coconut flakes not shredded) in this recipe. Otherwise the coconut would not resemble “bacon.” I found organic coconut in Portland (for a sweet deal even with the exchange rage) and again at Nutters.

Once the coconut was well mixed, I spread it out on a tray. It looked good already! I pre-heated the oven at 325 before putting in the tray. I set the timer for 20 minutes and set the timer on my iPhone for 5 minutes. I wanted to check the coconut and move it around a bit so it would not burn. I did this three times before it the oven timer went off.

 Ta da! Looks great! Under my watchful eye, it did not burn. One bag yielded three and a half cups of coconut “bacon.” I quickly grabbed a few (ouch!) straight off the tray. Not bad, I thought.

I decided to add a twist to the traditional bacon lettuce tomato (BLT) sandwich. I made a coconut BLT lettuce wrap! It was very tasty! The coconut bacon was good but I think it could be better. Next time I will adjust my ingredient measurements. Not bad though for a first try.

Coconut “Bacon”

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon of paprika
2. 2 tablespoons of liquid soy
3. 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos
4. 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
5. 1 tablespoon of fresh black pepper
6. 1 bag of coconut large flakes

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together
2. Spread an even level on baking tray
3. Pre-heat oven at 325
4. Cook for 20 minutes
5. Check every five minutes to ensure no burning. Move the coconut around on the tray.
6. Enjoy