Vegan pepperoni recipe (Perfect for pizza & charcuterie)

Slices of seitan pepperoni dotted with fennel seeds and mustard seeds on cutting board.

5 from 2 votes

Vegan pepperoni recipe (Perfect for pizza & charcuterie)

Vegan pepperoni can be hard to find in stores, and when you do find it, it's often lackluster. This homemade version has just the right texture and little kick of heat from cayenne and red pepper flakes.

It's delicious eaten by the slice on a charcuterie board, topping sun-dried tomato hummus, or of course, as a vegan pizza topping.

This seitan pepperoni also freezes beautifully. Great to keep on hand for pizza emergencies!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: homemade vegan pepperoni, seitan pepperoni, vegan pizza topping

Servings: people

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ Tablespoon fennel seeds
12 ounces vital wheat gluten
⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ Tablespoons tapioca flour
1 ½ Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ Tablespoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne depending on your spice preference
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground (Several generous twists of the pepper grinder)
1 ¾ cups water plus more for steamer pot
½ cup tomato paste
½ cup avocado oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil
¼ cup tamari
1 ½ Tablespoons white miso paste
2 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, lightly break up mustard seeds and fennel seeds. They should still be chunky with some whole spices remaining. (Don't grind into a powder.)
Make the dry mixture: Put the mustard seeds and fennel seeds into a mixing bowl. Then add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast flakes, tapioca flour, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, onion powder, salt, and cayenne. (If you like a minimum amount of heat, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne. If you like more of a kick, add ½ teaspoon.)
Then add several generous twists of coarsely ground black pepper from a pepper grinder (about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon).
Use a large spoon to mix the dry ingredients.
Make the wet mixture: In a separate mixing bowl, add water, tomato paste, avocado oil, tamari, white miso paste, and minced garlic. Use a whisk to combine, break up, and incorporate the tomato paste and miso paste until it's a smooth and even liquid.
Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, then stir to combine. Once it starts to form a dough, use your hands combine everything, making sure no dry white spots remain. Knead the dough with your hands for a couple of minutes, until it forms strings of gluten. Then break up the dough into 4 evenly-sized mounds.
Lay out 4 sheets of aluminum foil (roughly 10 to 12 inches each). Roll and work each piece of dough, and form each one into a log that's about 5 inches long.
Put one pepperoni log onto each aluminum foil sheet. (The dough will be soft at this point with cracks, that's fine.)
Roll each pepperoni log up tight, twisting the foil at the ends like a Tootsie Roll. (Keeping the foil tight around the log helps it to compress and for any cracks in the seitan to seal.)
Put water into a large steamer pot with insert.
(Use a steamer pot with an insert about 10 inches wide — a 5 to 6-quart size works well. Depending on the type of steamer basket you're using, you may need a few inches of water or less. You want it to be enough water that it doesn't quickly burn off, but also not so much that it actually touches the pepperoni once it's boiling.)
Bring the water to a simmer. Add the foil-covered pepperoni logs into the insert. Then cover and steam for an hour. (Some oil may seep out during that time, and that's fine.)
Keep an eye on the water levels. Lower the heat and add more water if it's cooking off too fast.
Once the pepperoni is fully cooked, remove it from the steamer pot, and let it cool on the counter for about half an hour.
Then move it to the refrigerator, where it will continue to firm as it cools. For the best texture, wait at least 4 to 6 hours before slicing.
Once it's cooled, it's ready for you to remove the foil and thinly slice with a serrated knife. Enjoy it cold, on pizza, vegan charcuterie boards, or any way that you like.

Notes

You’ll need a kitchen scale to measure the vital wheat gluten. It’s the optimum way to get accurate results.

Storage & freezing instructions

For storage, put the pepperoni logs into an airtight container. (I generally leave the foil on as well until ready to use.) It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Vegan pepperoni also freezes beautifully. Remove the foil from each pepperoni log. Then put the pepperoni into a freezer bag. It will keep for 3 to 6 months.

When you're ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge, or use the defrost function on the microwave, being careful just to thaw it, not to cook it.

Remember: Be sure to remove the foil from the pepperoni before freezing, because the foil can freeze into the sausage, making it trickier to remove. You also can't defrost it in the microwave with the foil still on.

Nutrition