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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    March 3, 2019 129 Comments

    Easy Vegan Pepperoni

    11.4K 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
    4.95 from 53 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 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Cooling time1 hour hr
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course : Side DishSnack
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadianItalian
    Servings: 2 pepperoni logs
    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)
    US Customary - Metric
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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. Barbara says

      February 10, 2023 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best pepperoni ever! I am making it for our snack board for the big game on Sunday. I always have this pepperoni on hand. I slice and freeze it for easy use.

      One hack I found about the vital wheat gluten mess, if your cloth/sponge gets messy and you have a wood cutting board, just rub it on a wet wood board. My cutting board is bamboo and the clumps just rub off. I have no idea why this happens but it is like magic. The gluten crumbs don't stick to wooden spoons either.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        February 14, 2023 at 9:15 pm

        Thanks for sharing your tips!

        Reply
      • Genie says

        March 03, 2023 at 12:36 pm

        I'm going to have to remember that because the gluten makes such a mess and seems to stick like crazy to everything else!

        Reply
    2. Kim says

      February 09, 2023 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for an amazing recipe using "normal" pantry staples. I made this one time before and again today. It's a no-mess, easy recipe to follow. It tastes better than any replacement that I have tried on the market. It's great as a snack or on pizza. I do add pizza toppings over it before baking so as not to dry it out or spray olive oil on top before baking. I do make my rolls longer than 6" (just my preference). The end result is wonderful. I slice it up and store it in the freezer for future pizza and it freezes very well.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        February 14, 2023 at 9:05 pm

        Fantastic! Happy to hear it!

        Reply
    3. KM says

      January 14, 2023 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      This is EXCEPTIONAL!

      It has been over 25 years since I’ve had a pepperoni pizza. This was worth the wait. I made the olive oil version and it was perfect.

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
    4. Karyn Thompson says

      February 13, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      I haven't tried this yet, but am wondering about using the Instant Pot in Steam mode?

      Reply
      • S says

        May 07, 2022 at 1:11 pm

        5 stars
        Just did it, worked like a charm!

        Reply
    5. Elaine says

      July 13, 2021 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is delicious and so easy. Thank you for the excellent seitan recipes. I'm not a big fan of fennel, so I used 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp thyme instead.

      Reply
    6. Guest says

      June 26, 2021 at 1:41 pm

      Can you fry it instead of steam it?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 28, 2021 at 4:12 pm

        You must steam them first to set the seitan, then you can fry once they are full steamed. 🙂

        Reply
      • Debbie Gill says

        June 29, 2021 at 2:05 pm

        You could fry pieces after you steam it and cool it I think. Once steamed it’s fairly solid.

        Reply
    7. Les says

      April 28, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      Troubleshooting question... I've made this before and loved it! Recently I made it and the final texture was weird. Kind of "chalky."
      Any thoughts on what I might have done wrong (kneaded too much or not enough)?
      Thanks for all your great recipes!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 07, 2021 at 9:05 am

        Hi Les, is it possible that you forgot to add the oil, or maybe not enough oil? That could make it dry and chalky

        Reply
        • Les says

          June 04, 2021 at 6:29 pm

          Thanks for the reply!
          There was clearly oil in it as well as being a “chalky” consistency.
          I don’t know what I did differently this time. ‍♀️
          But I’ve made it before with great success, so I will just move on and try again!

    8. Jacob says

      March 09, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was super simple and the results were amazing! I hadn’t had anything close to a pepperoni pizza in 6 years, so I was super happy to have something that got the meaty texture as well as the flavor of pepperoni. Fantastic recipe. Thanks, Sam!

      Reply
      • Joana says

        March 12, 2021 at 12:10 pm

        Hello! I'm a newbie to veganism so I'm glad to find this amazing recipes. I've never done seitan before but I pretend to start working on it this week. I'll start from scratch by the washing flour method. My question is, can this sausages and steaks be made from the gluten dough I'll obtain from the whole flour? Or is it mandatory to use the gluten flour instead? Thank so much for your share.

        Reply
    9. Maria says

      January 05, 2021 at 1:25 am

      Hi Sam,
      I'm thinking of making this, but need to know if using solid unrefined coconut oil will work? That's what I have on hand. It's the same brand as yours (Nutiva), but not refined.
      Thanks a bunch!

      Reply
      • Desiree A Roy says

        January 23, 2021 at 9:22 pm

        Refined coconut oil is usually deodorized so has not coconut flavour. I you use regular coconut oil you will have the coconut taste.
        Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply
    10. Barb S. says

      December 30, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      Oh my gosh! This is my first successful attempt at making anything with vital wheat gluten. What a fool proof recipe and what wonderful results! I made half a batch and used most of it on a home made pizza, and the remainder went on a picnic with crackers and vegan cheese. WOW. I'm about to get in the kitchen and make a full batch, some to eat right away and some for the freezer to have on hand. I was almost ready to give up on making my own seitan but I have been motivated to explore more of the recipes on this site. I'm coming for you, vegan chicken tenders. Uh huh.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 05, 2021 at 3:59 pm

        Haha! Amazing! I hope you love the seitan tenders as well 🙂

        Reply
    11. Rose says

      August 24, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      Hi! Is it possible to sub something for the vital wheat gluten? I'm having a hard time finding it

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 26, 2020 at 5:20 pm

        No, unfortunately vital wheat gluten doesn't have a good substitute. You should be able to find it any any health food store, bulk food store, or on amazon. 🙂

        Reply
      • Jacob says

        March 09, 2021 at 5:34 pm

        Rose—if you still haven’t been able to find vital wheat gluten, you can try to make a dough with regular white flour and water and rinse the dough in running water until all the starch is washed off. This will leave you will a similar dough as if you had made it with VWG. Might not work as well, but it’s worth a shot. -Jacob

        Reply
    12. Damian says

      August 04, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      It kinda looks like poop before you slice it

      Reply
      • Holly says

        November 19, 2022 at 4:34 am

        That’s my favorite part.

        Reply
    13. Heather says

      July 30, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I made one fat pepperoni instead of 2 smaller ones to make pepperoni rolls. These worked perfectly.

      Reply
    14. Tricia Hein says

      July 05, 2020 at 11:56 am

      I've made this before, but today, I decided to try a trick I learned from the Netflix baking show Nailed it! (not a vegan show) One of the judges said that if you keep getting dough stuck to your hands, you can spray a little non-stick cooking spray on your hands. I tried it, and the seitan was so much easier to work with.

      Reply
    15. Amy Keraly says

      June 30, 2020 at 9:38 am

      Quick question. I am not a huge fan of fennel. Is there anything that could replace the fennel without compromising the integrity of the recipe too much?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 30, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        Fennel is a classic spice in pepperoni, but you could sub it with another spice that you enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    16. Lisa says

      June 13, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      OMG! This is amazing. My omni hubby LOVES it. He said he can't stop eating it. I have to have it in the fridge at all times. We eat it on crackers with cheeze! So good! Your recipes are helping me turn my omni family into vegans! Heeheehee!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 18, 2020 at 2:14 pm

        Haha! Amazing!!

        Reply
    17. Valerie says

      June 08, 2020 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing, thank You sooo much! I made pizza for my husband (who is plant based too) & my dad who eats meat. And they both loved it as much as myself. I appreciate all your recipes.

      Reply
    18. betty says

      June 04, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      hallo! i'm italian (sorry for my english...), don't know how i discovered your blog but i'm getting crazy reading your recipes 🙂 yesterday night i tried this one and i think i'm dreaming: so perfect!!! the first log is already gone at lunch (2 person) simply with home made bread, i think the second will disappear tomorrow 🙂 so happy, thank a lot!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 11, 2020 at 12:25 pm

        Aww that's wonderful! So happy you love it so much, Betty 🙂

        Reply
    19. JULIE PLEDGER says

      April 24, 2020 at 12:23 am

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh! So easy, so good. I made a calzone with this beautiful pepperoni and the melty stretchy gooey mozzarella. Absolutely the best! Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 06, 2020 at 6:27 pm

        So thrilled you, loved it!!

        Reply
    20. Jon says

      April 22, 2020 at 12:13 pm

      I didn’t read the part about omitting the water if using olive oil. Steaming for 30 minutes basically did nothing. Can I steam for longer or is this batch ruined?

      Reply
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