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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    March 3, 2019 122 Comments

    Easy Vegan Pepperoni

    11.3K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    I've been on a seitan roll!!! First with my vegan seitan steaks, then my seitan tenders, followed by sticky garlic & buffalo seitan bites. It took me a while and a whole lot (like a really a whole lot... (like I'm talking years)) of recipe testing before I got the hang of making my own seitan. But now that I've nailed the technique, I just can't stop making vegan meaty deliciousness! Luckily, you guys seem to be loving it too, as my steak recipe has become one of my most popular recipes on the blog, and the tenders are quickly catching up. All hail seitan!

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    Next up, my Easy Vegan Pepperoni recipe. I had a craving for a classic pepperoni pizza, and normally my go to would be my Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza in Fuss-Free Vegan cookbook, which is a super easy recipe where the sun-dried tomatoes are soaked in a marinade to make them taste like pepperoni. Perfect for if you are gluten-free or for a quick vegan pepperoni hack. But for a classic pepperoni taste, texture, and look, it was time to make vegan seitan pepperoni.

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    This recipe is my easiest seitan recipe yet, no food processor involved and no need to marinate. Just mix everything together in a bowl, roll up in foil, steam, cool, and enjoy! This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze them to save for another time.

    It's sensational on a pizza, but it's also great to enjoy as a snack on a vegan cheese board or even just with some crackers.

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    To make easy vegan pepperoni:

    Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. This recipe makes 2 vegan pepperoni logs, but feel free to half or multiply the recipe as needed to make however many pepperoni logs you like!

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    Once the mixture starts to come together, finish mixing by hand, kneading the dough for 2 - 3 minutes to make sure it's combined well. Kneading will also make the seitan have a chewier texture which works well with this pepperoni recipe.

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    Divide the dough into two pieces then roll the dough pieces into two logs about 6 inches long each. Roll each log up loosely in a piece of aluminum foil then twist the ends closed.

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Steam for 30 minutes. Oil may release during steaming and appear in the steamer basket and water, and that's ok. After 30 minutes, remove the logs from the steamer and allow to cool completely in the fridge. The logs will have puffed up in the foil and become tight. Once cooled, remove the foil and they are ready to slice and enjoy as you like!

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    This vegan pepperoni works great on a pizza or served on a snack board.

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni recipe! Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganpizza #vegetarian

    Common Questions:

    • Is Vegan Pepperoni Available Gluten-Free? Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free chicken inspired recipe try my Baked Tofu Bites recipe.
    • How Long Can Vegan Pepperoni Last? Make these pepperoni's ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for longer.
    • What is an alternative method to making Vegan Pepperoni? If you prefer to avoid aluminum foil, roll the pepperoni up in parchment paper, and then roll the parchment paper wrapped pepperoni up in cheesecloth and tie the ends closed.
    Print Recipe
    4.98 from 49 votes

    Easy Vegan Seitan Pepperoni

    Perfect to top your pizza. It's surprisingly easy to make, tastes way better than store-bought. Can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have it on hand whenever you need vegan pepperoni. 
    Recipe adapted from my Vegan Seitan Steaks, but shout out goes to The Easy Vegan's version for the funniest video. 
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Cooling time1 hr
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian
    ingredient tag: seitan
    Servings: 2 pepperoni logs
    Calories: 666kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
    • ⅓ cup tomato paste
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • ¼ cup refined coconut oil, cooled so that it's solid
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (reduce or omit for less spice)
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    Instructions

    • Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil.
    • In the meantime, mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Once the mixture starts to come together, finish mixing by hand, kneading the dough for 2 - 3 minutes to make sure it's combined well. Kneading the seitan will also give the vegan pepperoni a chewier texture.
    • Divide the dough into two pieces then roll the dough pieces into two logs about 6 inches long each. Roll each log up loosely in a piece of aluminum foil then twist the ends closed. Steam for 30 minutes. Oil may release during steaming and appear in the steamer basket and water, and that's ok. After 30 minutes, remove the logs from the steamer and allow to cool completely in the fridge. The logs will have puffed up in the foil and become tight. Once cooled, remove the foil and they are ready to slice and enjoy as you like. 

    Notes

    Coconut Oil: the coconut oil should be solid to make this recipe and get the best texture. To make sure your coconut oil is solid, store it in a cool place or the fridge. If needed you can replace the coconut oil for olive oil. If you use olive oil, omit the water. The olive oil pepperoni will have a grainier texture but will still taste good.
    Aluminum foil alternative: if you prefer to avoid aluminum foil, roll the pepperoni up in parchment paper, and then roll the parchment paper wrapped pepperoni up in cheesecloth and tie the ends closed.
    Freezing and Storing: make these pepperoni's ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for longer. 
    Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free chicken inspired recipe try my Baked Tofu Bites recipe.
    Steaming tips: I recommend getting a steamer pot if you plan to make seitan often, or you can use a DIY method if you do not have a steamer.
    Cleaning tips: vital wheat gluten is very sticky and can destroy dish brushes and cloths. So what I like to do is save old clothes, sheets, or towels that are too shabby to donate, and cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean up after preparing a seitan recipe and discard the rag once finished.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1log of pepperoni (recipe makes 2 logs) | Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Sodium: 2572mg | Potassium: 832mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2985IU | Vitamin C: 10.2mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 8.8mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lillian B. says

      April 07, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      Beyond 5 stars rating! Me being quarantined at home and finding this recipe-your blog is quite possibly the ONLY good thing to come out of the coronavirus pandemic! I made only half of the recipe in case it was not successful and oh boy, it is phenomenal! Thank you! This recipe is a complete game changer!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 09, 2020 at 5:31 pm

        Aww so happy you love it, Lillian 🙂

        Reply
    2. Deanna says

      January 19, 2020 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe. It's delicious, so much better than any store bought stuff. My family asks me to make it every week. We put it on pizza, in sandwiches, and on top of vegan mac and cheese.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 23, 2020 at 1:17 pm

        Wonderful!! Thrilled you love it, Deanna 🙂

        Reply
      • Stephanie says

        April 03, 2020 at 3:56 pm

        when you say let it cool completely in the fridge, do you mean to put it ik the fridge while its still hot? Is that safe? Or should i let it cool a bit before?

        Reply
    3. Jay Fogelman says

      January 13, 2020 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      Made it this morning. So easy, I had everything in the cupboard. I've made all kinds of vegan sausages; this is one of the best.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 23, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        So thrilled you think so, Jay! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Mother says

      December 18, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe so many times. A few things I've learned along the way. I wrap it really tight, comes it more like pepperoni. Cut slices and let them dry out in it fridge. Extra spices! More fennel for me.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 18, 2019 at 6:50 pm

        So happy you love it!

        Reply
    5. Sophie says

      December 04, 2019 at 6:21 am

      4 stars
      I was surprised that this tasted so good given how little time it took to make! I served mine on a snack board with some crackers, hummus, and apple pear chutney and it was super yummy!

      I rarely comment on recipes but I wanted to comment on this one to suggest to others that if you have the time to do so, it's worth refrigerating the pepperoni overnight to improve the texture. When cooled, mine was still a little too bready in texture to be pepperoni-like, but refrigerating overnight made the seitan firm up and get nicely chewy.

      My only issue with this recipe was that mine came out a little bit stretchy. I've only made seitan a few times and have never steamed it so I'm not sure how to troubleshoot. Should I just have kneaded it for longer or is there something else I should be doing?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 06, 2019 at 11:37 am

        Hi Sophie, glad you enjoyed it! If it was a bit stretchy it was likely undercooked a but. Try steaming it for an extra 10-15 minutes next time. You can't really over steam it so you're safe 🙂

        Reply
    6. Cindy says

      November 17, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      Made this and your melty mozzarella this morning and had pizza tonight. OMG it was so good! I have missed a good pepperoni pizza and this just made me so happy!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 25, 2019 at 5:57 pm

        Yay!! Thrilled you loved it, Cindy 🙂

        Reply
    7. Alex-Maude says

      November 11, 2019 at 8:11 am

      5 stars
      I was a bit scared since the last (and my second) time I made seitan, I failed. But this recipe is AWESOME. Friends (both vegetarian and meat eaters) ended up putting these on their pizza!!! We also ate all what was left and couldn't stop! I will redo for sure.

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        November 15, 2019 at 4:27 pm

        What cheese recipe went along with this pizza in the pictures?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          November 15, 2019 at 6:40 pm

          I believe that was store-bought, Follow Your Heart brand.

      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2019 at 6:17 pm

        Yay!! So happy you loved it, Alex-Maude 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jamari says

      September 19, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      Hi Sam! This recipe looks absolutely amazing and I can't wait to try!! One question: will it still taste good when eaten without slicing, like a hot dog? Thank you in advance and again, it looks amazing!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 23, 2019 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Jamari, it will taste good no matter how you choose to eat it, but it will be too firm to eat as a hot dog. You can try my sausage recipe or my carrot dogs in my cookbook. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Shilpa Sharma says

      September 17, 2019 at 2:27 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious! The flavours continued to strengthen after a few days. Quick question- I froze one of the logs. Can I slice it directly from the freezer? How long would it last if I take it out of the freezer and refrigerate?

      Has anyone tried slicing this thin in a food processor?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 18, 2019 at 11:25 am

        You can definitely slice it straight out of the freezer but it might be a bit difficult to do when frozen solid. If it was frozen freshly made, once thawed it should store in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks

        Reply
    10. Michala says

      September 10, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      This is seriously so good, the taste and texture is so much like real pepperoni I couldn't believe it. Great umami flavor, I didn't love it cold sliced off the log because it had kind of a lingering bready taste to me, but I never liked cold regular pepperoni either. Warmed up in a pan it was AMAZING!

      Trying it on some Detroit style pizza with the gratable tofu mozzarella tonight and can't wait.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 16, 2019 at 12:13 pm

        Awesosme!!! I'm so thrilled you loved it so much, Michala! I hope you love your pizza 🙂

        Reply
    11. Mike says

      September 03, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Sam!

      I just put this in the fridge to properly cool. Made it to go with your vegan mozzarella, which I have in the freezer to shred tonight for homemade pizza (I use a Lavash bread crust...easy to make crispy). The mozz - btw - also a big hit!

      I wanted to let you know that I tasted it (couldn't resist) and it was GREAT! I did substitute for apple cider vinegar for the water - I've found it greatly cuts down the "doughy" flavor from vital wheat gluten.

      Now I'm just waiting for your baloney recipe to finish steaming. It smells heavenly in my house!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 04, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        That's amazing, Mike! So thrilled you are enjoying so many of my recipes!! Your fridge is going to look like mine! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jo Schaefer says

      August 14, 2019 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      I was using a pepperoni recipe adapted from various other recipes over the years. It was good..no problem there...but it took many more ingredients and a few more steps than yours. I then tried your pepperoni recipe and it was MUCH more simple to make and SO exceptional in flavor! A friend of ours (who is a meat eater) loves this stuff! I share some with him whenever I make it. It's fantastically good, Sam! Thank you! If we ever went back to eating meat, I would still make this recipe! It's THAT good!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 16, 2019 at 5:56 pm

        Haha, that's so awesome Jo! Thrilled you enjoy it so much 😀

        Reply
    13. Connie Sawatzky says

      August 09, 2019 at 12:26 am

      5 stars
      Followed everything but had to sub out the coconut oil. I'm allergic. I used Earth Balance - straight exchange. Totally worked. I didn't eliminate the water.

      Sam........my 19 year old son (both of us are vegan), gave me a slow clap and said "congrats Mother".

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 12, 2019 at 10:06 am

        Hahaha! Love that!!!! Thanks so much, Connie 🙂

        Reply
    14. Veeps says

      August 01, 2019 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      Great site, great book. great recipes, Sam! Only problem I'm having with seitan is it always seems to have a strong gluten smell and flavor in the finished product, no matter HOW much I increase the spices.

      Wondering if you (or any others who wanna chime in!) have experienced this and found a solution? Maybe a particular blend of herbs and spices?? Any help much appreciated!

      PS I'm using Red Mill VWG

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 12, 2019 at 9:30 am

        Thanks, Veeps! Have you tried making my seitan recipes? Or is this just with other recipes you have tried?

        Reply
    15. JP says

      July 09, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      Sam, you are a genius! I love your recipes and this one is no exception. Even knowing your recipes are fab, I was still amazed by this pepperoni: it turned out even better than expected. We had some on pizza last night, and I even added some to my toasted lettuce and tomato sandwich today. I had to put it away as I kept nibbling little slices of it. It's GREAT! Thank you so much for all your inspiring recipes (and your infectious enthusiasm). I have your book and use it a lot too.
      From a Canadian living in the UK.
      (p.s. I threw everything in my food processor for a couple of minutes instead of mixing and kneading by hand and the pepperoni turned out perfect - so easy!)

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        July 13, 2019 at 11:01 am

        Aww shucks, thank you so much, JP! Thrilled you love the pepperoni so very much!! So happy you are enjoying so many of my recipes 🙂

        Reply
    16. Christina says

      June 22, 2019 at 1:41 am

      Any chance of a seitan turkey recipe on the horizon? It would be great to have a good vegan roast as a center piece for Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 24, 2019 at 3:46 pm

        Yes I love that idea!!! I will work on it 🙂

        Reply
    17. Kate says

      April 23, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      666 - NUMBER OF THE BEAST(less pepperoni)

      I'm sorry.. I had to

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 26, 2019 at 11:11 am

        Hahaha, love it!

        Reply
    18. Joe says

      April 23, 2019 at 1:24 am

      5 stars
      Hi Sam, I was surprised at how quickly this came together and that I didn’t screw it up LOL. Most of the first half went to a vegan pizza but the rest, I’m surprised to say I ate by itself. It’s kinda addicting! I’m very impressed how well the texture matches ‘real’ pepperoni. And the taste was awesome too. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 26, 2019 at 11:10 am

        That's so awesome, Joe! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂

        Reply
    19. Ginny says

      April 16, 2019 at 9:26 am

      Hi Sam. I am whole food plant based no oil. I have made your recipes before and I love them! I always just substituted something else for the oil. Do you suggest leaving out the oil or maybe using some mashed avocado to replace it in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 17, 2019 at 10:02 am

        Hi Ginny! So happy you are enjoying my recipes. Pepperoni is traditionally very fatty which is why I use oil in this recipe. I haven't tried replacing it so I am not sure what to recommend. Seitan is pretty finicky stuff so I wouldn't want to recommend anything without testing it first. Sorry I can't be more help! You could try my seitan steak recipe which is oil free tho. 🙂

        Reply
      • Katie says

        March 01, 2020 at 12:41 pm

        Did you find a substitute for the oil?

        Reply
    20. Jenn says

      April 04, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      Hey Sam,
      I tried this, came out awful. Not sure where I messed up 🙁 🙁
      Was not edible at all. Followed the recipe, only change was less soy sauce. I wasn't able to roll it like the picture either. So sad

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 08, 2019 at 6:47 pm

        Hi Jenn, it's difficult to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Making seitan is like science so small changes like less soy sauce could reduce the liquid ratio and change the consistency of seitan which could make it difficult to roll. In future, I would always recommend following seitan recipes exactly as written before making changes. Hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Jenn says

          April 08, 2019 at 7:03 pm

          Hey Sam
          Thanks! I’m a new seitan maker and was concerned on the salt with the amount of soy sauce. I will take your advice and follow the recipe exactly until I perfect it which might take forever..LOL. BTW, your tofu marinades are on point! I love them

        • Sam Turnbull says

          April 08, 2019 at 7:29 pm

          So happy you enjoy them Jenn! I was very careful about how I wrote all the seitan recipes, so make sure you read and follow them exactly and that should yield you great results 🙂

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