Easy Vegan Carrot Bacon

This easy carrot bacon is crisp, savory, and instantly scrumptious! This recipe is everything you love about bacon, but it’s completely cruelty-free. The texture is perfect and can be added to sandwiches, as a bold breakfast side, or even crumbled on top of a salad. There are endless ways to enjoy this plant-based side!

Yields 1-2 cups of carrot bacon

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot bacon, vegan bacon recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Marinating time 30

Total Time 1 10

Servings -3

Calories 253kcal

Author Gina House | World of Vegan

Ingredients

½ pound thick carrots or 2 large width carrots
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari if gluten-sensitive
2 tablespoons oil olive, sesame, or peanut work well
1 tablespoon peanut butter or tahini if nut-sensitive
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

Please plan to marinate your carrots for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Prepare the carrots by rinsing them, chopping off the ends, and peeling the first layer off of the carrots (optional).
Placing one carrot at a time onto the cutting board, use the peeler to shave thick ribbons slices using a heavy hand and you peel. Try to aim for at least ½-1” in width. When one side seems to be close to the center, flip the carrot to the other side and continue to peel into thick strips.
Mix up your marinade by adding all of the rest of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk well. Add the carrot ribbons and toss gently. Let them sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes or more. The longer, the better.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the carrots are finished marinating, place one ribbon at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Leave a tiny bit of room between each ribbon. Bake for 10 minutes, turn each ribbon over, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. In the last 5 minutes, check often so that the carrot bacon does not burn.

Notes

Air Fryer Alternative - If you’d like reduce the cooking time, try making these in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Then, carefully add the carrot ribbons to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 300 degrees for 4 minutes. Turn and then continue cooking for another 4. Keep an eye on them close to the end, so they don’t burn.
Salt Sensitive? - If you are trying to reduce your salt, try using a low sodium tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos instead. This is not a very salty recipe, so you may find you won’t need to leave it out altogether.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, and nut-free (if not using any peanut butter or oil)

Nutrition