Vegan Coconut Bacon Bits

Ingredients

• 2 cups large flake unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp avocado or grape seed oil (or another neutral oil)
• 2 Tbsp tamari (ensure gluten-free for GF eaters)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp liquid smoke*
• 1 pinch sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (162°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or more baking sheets if increasing batch size).
2. Add coconut flake, oil, tamari, paprika, maple syrup, liquid smoke, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss/stir to thoroughly coat.
3. Bake at 325 for 6 minutes, then stir and flip pan around. Bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until coconut bacon is crispy and golden brown. Watch carefully in the last minutes of cooking and be careful not to burn as it can go from brown to burnt very quickly.
4. Let cool for 10 minutes – it will continue crisping as it cools. Coconut bacon is great for adding to things like salads, sandwiches, dips, and more! Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 1 week (sometimes more), or in the freezer for 1 month.