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    Home » Seitan

    Vegan Pepperoni

    Published: Oct 3, 2019 Updated: Aug 9, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Pepperoni

    This vegan pepperoni is smoky, spicy and entirely delicious. It’s perfect on sandwiches and makes the ideal topping for pizza. 

    Vegan pepperoni slices on a vegan pizza.

    Say hello to the perfect pizza topping! This vegan pepperoni is exactly what I want on my pizzas lately (and vegan cheese, of course).

    And I’m thrilled to tell you that it’s not at all difficult to make this. When you get the hang of it, you’ll be making this on the regular. It’s fun and simple and it tastes amazing. 

    And if you want to make more vegan ‘meats’ then check out our vegan bacon as well. It provided some of the inspo for this recipe. 

    What is Vegan Pepperoni Made Out Of?

    We made this with vital wheat gluten aka seitan. Vital wheat gluten gives vegan ‘meats’ a chewy, meaty texture and the spices added to it are what create the pepperoni flavors.

    Vital wheat gluten is also extremely high in protein so it’s a popular choice for vegan meats. 

    Vegan pepperoni slices on a vegan pizza.

    How To Make Vegan Pepperoni

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add vital wheat gluten to a mixing bowl along with nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Mix together.
    Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
    • Then add vegetable stock, canola oil, tamari, tomato paste, maple syrup, liquid smoke and dijon mustard to a bowl or measuring jug and whisk together before adding it in with the dry ingredients and mixing into a thick dough. 
    Seitan dough in a mixing bowl.
    • Get in there with your hands and knead the dough for about 2 minutes until it feels firm to the touch and then form it into two logs. It will be a little difficult to form into logs and will look like it just wants to crack in places, this is fine don’t worry! It smooths out in the cooking process. 
    Seitan formed into two loaf shapes.
    • Wrap each log in parchment paper.
    Seitan wrapped in parchment paper.
    • Then wrap in foil. 
    Seitan wrapped in foil.
    • Steam in a steamer basket above boiling water for 40 minutes. Some oil residue might leak out of the pepperoni and into your steamer basket, but don’t worry about that. 
    Foil wrapped seitan steaming in a steamer basket.
    • After 40 minutes of steaming, move the pepperoni to the counter and let it cool (don’t unwrap) and then place into the fridge to cool completely.
    • When cool, unwrap from the foil and parchment paper and you’ll see it has smoothed out quite considerably. 
    • Now you have vegan pepperoni that is ready to go! 
    Vegan pepperoni in foil.

    Chef’s Tips

    Kneading. We only kneaded this for 2 minutes, but Jaye did it (strong hands) and we set a timer. So if you have strong hands then 2 minutes is enough, but if not then you may need a little longer. Just go by the feel of it and not just the time, it needs to feel firm in your hands and not at all sticky. Kneading the dough gives this a chewy texture which is what you want in pepperoni. 

    Wrap the pepperoni loosely. Wrap it loosely (but completely) in the foil as it will expand a little during the steaming process. Also make sure the water is boiling in your pot before you add your steamer basket as it needs to steam properly for the full 40 minutes. 

    Vegan pepperoni on a wooden board with a few slices cut.

    Serving Suggestions

    Slice it up and place it on pizza and then bake it in the oven along with your pizza, it’s totally divine like this. Some vegan mozzarella also goes great with this!

    Or slice it up and use it on a sandwich. 

    Have it for breakfast alongside a tofu scramble!

    Or serve it with crackers and vegan cream cheese or sliceable cashew cheese!

    Vegan pepperoni on a sliced pizza.

    Can You Make Vegan Pepperoni Gluten Free?

    Since vital wheat gluten is a crucial ingredient in this recipe it doesn’t adapt to gluten-free at all. However, if you are looking for a gluten-free vegan pepperoni recipe then try this recipe from Minimalist Baker that is based on tofu.

    Vegan pepperoni on a sliced pizza.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep it stored in a container in the fridge and enjoy within around 5-6 days. 

    Seitan recipes usually freeze very well and this recipe is no exception. Let it cool completely before freezing and then let it thaw overnight in the fridge and use it as usual. 

    Vegan pepperoni slices on a vegan pizza.

    More Seitan Recipes

    1. Vegan Steak
    2. Vegan Chicken
    3. Vegan Seitan Strips
    4. Vegan Meatballs
    5. Vegan Sausages
    6. Vegan Salami

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Sliced vegan pepperoni pizza.

    Vegan Pepperoni

    This vegan pepperoni is smoky, spicy and entirely delicious. It’s perfect on sandwiches and makes the ideal topping for pizza.
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 120kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups Vital Wheat Gluten (300g)
    • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast (15g)
    • 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    • ¼ cup Vegetable Stock (60ml)
    • ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml)
    • ⅓ cup Tamari (80ml)
    • ⅓ cup Tomato Paste (86g)
    • 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
    • 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
    • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes to a mixing bowl and mix together.
    • Add the vegetable stock, canola oil, tamari, tomato paste, maple syrup, liquid smoke and dijon mustard to a bowl or measuring jug and whisk together and then add to the dry ingredients and mix into a thick dough.
    • Knead the dough for 2 minutes until it feels firm to the touch. Break it into two pieces and form it into two sausage shaped logs. It won’t be perfect at all, but just press it into the shape the best you can.
    • Wrap the sausage logs in parchment paper and then in foil, don’t wrap the foil too tight as the pepperoni can expand slightly when steaming.
    • Steam in a steamer basket over boiling water for 40 minutes. If some oily residue appears in your steamer basket, don’t worry about it, this is normal.
    • Let the pepperoni cool on the countertop and then place into the fridge until chilled.
    • Unwrap it from the foil and parchment paper and your vegan pepperoni is ready to be used!

    Video

    Notes

    1. You can increase the red pepper flakes if you like things spicy. As it is this recipe is only mildly spicy.
    2. You can likely use a different oil other than canola, but I have only tested this with canola oil.
    3. Tamari can be switched for soy sauce.
    4. Keep leftovers in the fridge in a covered container and use within 5-6 days. It is also freezer friendly if you want to freeze it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then use as normal.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve (4 slices) | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aidan Tagg says

      December 23, 2021 at 10:02 pm

      The first seitan based recipe that actually worked for me and tasted intense and flavour-filled. Thank you. I upped the spice with some cayenne – but it was worth the effort and shall make this as a regular. Bless you.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 24, 2021 at 10:40 am

        Brilliant! Thanks so much for the awesome review Aidan.

        Reply
    2. Janette says

      November 12, 2020 at 11:53 am

      This was so good! I always loved pepperoni and I’m so happy I get to eat it now as a vegan! And this is so delicious and well spiced. Definitely a keeper!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 12, 2020 at 11:54 am

        Awesome Janette! So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Rick says

      July 28, 2020 at 3:09 am

      Any way to make this without oil? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 28, 2020 at 10:28 am

        Hi Rick, I’m not sure. You could try replacing it with extra veg stock and see how you go, but it’s not something we have tested.

        Reply
    4. Bill says

      June 22, 2020 at 11:08 pm

      Not sure if I did something wrong. The texture came out perfectly but it doesn’t taste or smell anything like pepperoni in fact it really doesn’t have all that much taste. I will try it again and increase the spices4 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 23, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Hmmm, that’s very strange Bill! I’m not sure what that’s about. Usually it is packed with flavor.

        Reply
    5. Chere’ Potts says

      May 20, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      I’ve been vegetarian since I was 7, and now I’m 12 so I haven’t ate meat in ages, but I’m gonna try this and I hope it will be good!!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 21, 2020 at 10:12 am

        Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Justin from DailyVeganMeal says

      April 01, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      This pepperoni was really good! I was eating it plain, and also made a sandwich with it. I fried some slices real quickly and it worked as a bacon replacement for a BLT.

      I’m gonna be snacking on this for the next 10 days or so. Thanks so much for the recipe! It was super easy to make.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 02, 2020 at 11:49 am

        Awesome Justin! So glad you liked it. Thanks for the great review!

        Reply
    7. regs says

      February 28, 2020 at 4:44 am

      Wow, great idea.Looking forward to your coming blogs.5 stars

      Reply
    8. Anna says

      October 04, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      So good to be able to eat vegan pizza with the old pepperoni flavours! Excellent recipe and idea.5 stars

      Reply

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    4.88 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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