Easy Vegan Mushroom Bacon

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My crispy, smoky vegan mushroom bacon is so simple, it needs just 6 ingredients. It's a healthy, flavorful plant-based topping for salads, sandwiches, and more!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: 30 Minutes or Less, Breakfast, Brunch, Topping

Cuisine: American, Vegan, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 36kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

1 portobello mushroom , see note
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1-1½ teaspoons sea salt , start with 1 and taste to see if you want more
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 175 C
Slice the mushroom into thin slices, no thicker than ¼ inch thick, and place them on a plate or wide container.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
Coat the mushroom slices with the mixture on both sides.
Lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the slices over. Bake for another 10-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them. Make sure to start checking them every 5 minutes after flipping as cook time will vary by oven and how thick the slices are.
Serve in everything!

Notes

Other Mushrooms: If you want to use another mushroom, use 160 grams of whatever one you are using. I chop up cremini mushrooms for this too and it works great, just watch the bake time.
Keep An Eye On The Mushrooms: Every oven is different, and your bake time will depend on how thick your slices are and how crispy you like them. Mushroom bacon can also go from perfectly crisp to overdone pretty quickly. I always check mine every 5 minutes after flipping and pull any thinner pieces early so they don’t burn.
Slice Evenly: Try to cut all your mushroom strips the same thickness so they cook evenly. Thinner = crispier, thicker = chewier.
Taste As You Go: When it comes to salt, I start with 1 tsp and adjust after baking. Some mushrooms soak up salt more quickly than others so it's important to taste as you go.
Wipe, Don’t Rinse Mushrooms: I use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean them. Avoid soaking, they’ll absorb water and won’t crisp up properly.
Customize The Texture: If you like your “bacon” chewy, bake closer to 25 minutes. If you want it crispier, go for 30–35 minutes (or as long as you need to in order to get it super crisp) and use thinner slices.

Nutrition