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Looking down on a vegan pizza on a wooden counter with a pizza cuter next to it.
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Vegan Pepperoni

Top your pizzas, Italian dishes, and sandwiches with this delicious, and slightly spicy vegan pepperoni.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 20
Calories 58kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
  • 10 oz extra firm tofu
  • 15 oz can of chickpeas , including liquid from can
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper , freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Swerve, stevia, or Truvia sweetener
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more for spicier)
  • ½ cup beet puree (see note)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking pan.
  • Add about ¾ of a cup of water to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat that for 1 to 2 minutes, until hot. Add the firm sun-dried tomatoes and set them aside to allow the tomatoes to soften.
  • Remove the tofu, wrap in a dishtowel, and press to remove excess fluid.
  • Chop the tofu into large cubes and then place that along with the chickpeas in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until combined. 
  • Add the sun-dried tomatoes and then pulse again, leaving bits of the sun-dried tomatoes throughout the dough. I feel this adds a textured look to the pepperoni.
  • Turn the dough out onto your prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to press it out to about ⅛ to ¼-inch thickness. Spray the top with a light coating of vegetable cooking spray.   
  • Place in the heated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it starts to look a little crispy on the edges. Remove from oven and cool. Then use a small round cookie cutter to cut out pepperoni rounds. Save the uncut edges to use in things like pasta, where you'd like some pepperoni flavor.
  • This pepperoni will last up to 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.

Notes

I have a recipe for beet puree. Or you can add a quarter cup of chopped raw beets to this recipe.
Add more liquid smoke, sweetener, and or crushed pepper, depending on your preference for smoky, sweet, and spicy! Also, you can add more beet puree if you'd like a deeper red color.
Stevia was used for the calculation of nutrition. If you want, you can sub coconut sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.4mg