There are only a few things in life better than bacon. Judge all you want, but for me it’s right up there with chocolate, cheese, and wine. It’s crunchy, it’s salty, it’s fatty, it’s umami and it really does make everything better!
How can I, a nutritionist, put my stamp of approval on bacon? It’s one of lives little pleasures and being a flexitarian, I leave room in my diet for indulgences and so should you.
Alas, I cannot eat delicious bacon every day! For my “off” days, I have found a delightful substitute, vegan “bacon” bites made from crunchy baked coconut flakes tossed in a smoky, sweet marinade.
– Garnish salads
– Top your baked sweet potatoes
– Garnish your oatmeal
– Sprinkle over avocado toast
– Add to ice cream and coconut yogurt or even fruit
– Mix in with trail mix or eat solo
Coconut “Bacon” Bites
Makes 1 batch
Ingredients:
2 T Bragg’s coconut amino’s
1 ½ T liquid hickory smoke
1 T organic coconut oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. smokes ancho chili
1 T maple syrup
3-4 cups large flaked coconut (depending on how much you want to make)
sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix coconut amino’s, liquid smoke, coconut oil, paprika, chili powder, and maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until marinade is combined. Add coconut flakes. Toss flakes in the liquid, coating each flake with the marinade.
Place marinaded coconut flakes onto a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to lay the flakes as flat as possible without stacking a lot on top of each other. Season flakes with sea salt sprinkle and place in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes. Stirring/flipping a minimum of every 4-5 minutes. Be sure to rotate the flakes so they are evenly browned. Keep a close eye out after the 15 minute mark, as this is one they can go from crispy to burnt relatively quickly
Pull from oven and allow to cool completely, when coconut is browned and caramelized. Be sure to store in airtight container, good for about 10 days.
* no piggies were harmed in the making of this bacon
