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This Vegan Pepperoni Recipe is perfect for sandwiches, a party platter, or your favorite pizza! It's loaded with peppery, spicy & smoky-sweet flavors that'll keep you coming back for more.
If you've been looking for the perfect pepperoni for your Vegan Pizza, you can end the hunt! You're going to love this Vegan Pepperoni Recipe!
I've been buying Field Roast Sausages for years and I use them for a variety of recipes. I usually add them alongside my Easy Tofu Scramble, Savory Pancakes, or Roasted Red Pepper Pasta. They are great in sandwiches too!
The ingredients are clean and taste delicious, but unfortunately, they don't have Vegan Pepperoni yet, and I wasn't happy with the taste of other brands. So, I decided to try my hand at it.
Field Roast uses vital wheat gluten for their sausages and I've never used it before, so I searched online for easy tips and tricks. I landed on this hilarious video by The Easy Vegan and gave the recipe a try.
The texture came out perfect, I just made flavor adjustments to suit my personal taste. You guys have to try this!
STEP 1 - Whisk all the dry ingredients together to combine well.
STEP 2 - In a separate bowl whisk all the wet ingredients to combine well.
STEP 3 - Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. It will start to thicken up and form a dough. Using your hands, incorporate everything well by kneading for 1-2 minutes.
STEP 4 - Split the dough in half and roll each piece into a sausage-shaped log. Wrap it tightly in parchment paper followed by aluminum foil. Make sure the foil is overlapped or it will open during cooking. Twist the ends tightly to seal.
STEP 5 - Now steam them for about 45 minutes. Every so often, check to make sure the water hasn't evaporated during steaming.
Success Tips
This vegan pepperoni will come out perfectly if you follow the recipe closely and measure accurately. Here are some of my tips to ensure success:
- Preparing the dough is like a weird science experiment. It will become thick and rubbery and will seem inedible, but I promise, it will all be tasty in the end.
- The parchment paper is optional and you don't need it to get the sausage shape. I use it to avoid aluminum exposure to the food.
- If you can't find vegan Worcestershire sauce, try barbeque sauce or vegan steak sauce. Or you can use a combination of 2 teaspoons of ketchup, 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce.
- The vital wheat gluten is essential for the recipe and cannot be substituted.
- For an accurate measurement, you can weigh the vital wheat gluten to get exactly 125 grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method - don’t scoop the VWG with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, aerate it first, then scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess.
- It's very important to measure all of the ingredients accurately and follow the instructions precisely or this will alter the end results.
- Kneading is very important and should be done for 1-2 minutes. Any less and the pepperoni can turn out spongy. Also, if you over-knead, it can turn out tough and rubbery.
- If you top the pepperoni on pizza, add a little spritz of oil before cooking. This will keep it from getting dry.
How to store
Here are my tips on how to store this vegan pepperoni. You may even want to make extra and pop it in the freezer!
- Fridge - it will last in the fridge for 6-7 days stored in an airtight container or wrapped well
- Freezer - It freezes well for 3-4 months when it's wrapped really well in cling wrap and stored in a Ziploc or an airtight container. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
How should I use Vegan Pepperoni?
The sky's the limit here and you can use it for so many things. Here are some tasty ideas:
- As a Pizza Topping (along with my Vegan Mozzarella Cheese)
- In a sandwich (it's great for school lunches)
- For a party cheeseboard
- Top it on a salad for savory flavor
- Make healthier Lunchables for the kiddos with crackers and Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- Crumble it on baked potatoes or pasta
Recipe FAQs
Seitan is made with vital wheat gluten which, unfortunately, isn't gluten-free. It's essential for the meat-like texture and cannot be substituted.
If have an allergy to gluten, you will want to stay away from vital wheat gluten. Otherwise, it's safe to eat and has a good dose of protein and various minerals such as iron and selenium. It's also soy-free and low in fat.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Pepperoni
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds , lightly crushed
- 1.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper , more to taste
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
Recommended Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Pot with Lid
- 1 Steamer Basket
- 1 Whisk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients to combine well.
- In a small bowl whisk all the wet ingredients to combine well. Now pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or spatula just until it just starts to come together (it will start to thicken and form a dough). Using your hands, incorporate everything well by kneading for 1-2 minutes (*the dough will be thick & rubbery). Move the dough around in the bowl to sweep up the dry mixture on the bottom.
- Split the dough in half and roll each piece into a sausage-shaped log (it doesn't have to be perfect). Now wrap tightly in parchment paper followed by aluminum foil. Make sure the foil is overlapped or it will open during cooking. Twist the ends tightly to seal.
- Place about 1 " of water into a large pot that will fit your steamer basket. Place your basket on the bottom and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to med-low to maintain a low boil and place pepperoni log into basket. Cover and steam for 45 minutes. *Keep an eye on the water so it doesn't fully evaporate. Add more hot water if needed.
- After steaming, let the wrapped pepperoni sit on a cooling rack for 20 minutes undisturbed. Now remove wrapping and let it cool before chilling it for at least an hour. This will help it firm up and make it easy to slice. Keep in airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Notes
- If you can't find vegan Worcestershire sauce, you can use barbeque sauce or vegan steak sauce. You can also use a combination of 2 teaspoons of ketchup, 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce.
- Vital Wheat Gluten - this is essential for the recipe and cannot be substituted with anything else.
- Measuring Vital Wheat Gluten - For an accurate measurement, you can weigh the VWG to get exactly 125 grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method - don’t scoop the VWG with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, aerate it first, then scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess.
- It's very important to measure all of the ingredients accurately and follow the instructions precisely or this will alter the end results.
- Kneading is very important and should be done for 1-2 minutes. Any less and the pepperoni can turn out spongy. Also, if you over knead, it can turn out tough and rubbery.
- The parchment paper is optional and you don't need it to get the sausage shape. I use it to avoid aluminum exposure to the food.
- If you top the pepperoni on pizza, add a little spritz of oil before cooking. This will keep it from getting dry.
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