Okay, you wormed it out of me. I was going to make this again just to tweak the seasonings a little, but with so many of you writing to tell me that you just have to have the recipe now, I’ve decided to post it here and let you do the experimenting with it. (I’ve moved on to veggie bologna!)
But first a warning: I haven’t had real pepperoni since before some of you were born, so I could be way off on the flavoring. Feel free to do the experimenting that I haven’t had time for. If you’ve got a copy of Vegan Vittles, Joanne Stepaniak has a pepperoni version that I didn’t see before creating this one and it might be better (though she probably hasn’t had pepperoni any more recently than I have.) I have to say that I really liked how this came out, whether it tastes like the real thing or not.
And an apology to my gluten-free friends: There’s not much you can do to convert a recipe that is gluten. I’ve thought about experimenting with marinated, baked tofu, but I haven’t gotten around to that. If anyone tries it, please drop me a comment about how it turns out.
Veggeroni (Seitan Pepperoni)
(click for printer-friendly version)
(with thanks to Joanne Stepaniak, Lachesis, and all the other inventive cooks who’ve been wrapping their seitan in foil and baking it)
Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more for spicier pepperoni)
3/4 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Wet ingredients:
2 tablespoons cashew butter (may substitute peanut butter or tahini)
2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons ketchup or tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar (optional, but definitely use if you use tomato sauce)
Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Put the cashew butter in a smaller bowl, and slowly mix in the water. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the small bowl and blend well.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry, stirring well (use your hands if necessary). Remove from the bowl and knead for a few minutes, making sure ingredients are distributed well.
Roll into a log shape, about 7 inches long. Place the log on foil and roll it up in the foil, twisting the ends to seal. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning over after 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and unwrap to cool. Slice as needed and store leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge.
Notes:
This fit perfectly in my toaster oven, so I didn’t have to heat up the whole kitchen.
I sliced it and used it as-is on pizza, pita pizza, wraps, and sandwiches, but you may want to slice it and pan-fry it to give it more of a real pepperoni feel.
Makes 6-8 servings. Based on 8 servings: 202 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (21% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 0g Cholesterol; 347mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.
Have fun with your big ole tube of veggeroni!
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free
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I'm SusanV, and I love good food. Join me as I create delicious dishes made with whole foods and without a lot of processed fat and sugar. 
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Anonymous, that slim jim suggestion is going to make me cry. I'm off to make a double batch of this. It's nice for pizzas but I use it a lot for lunch meat, I just throw it in my sandwiches.
My family and I are trying to transition to a vegan diet. We did well this week, except for the pepperoni pizza my husband brought home one day! I made this last night and he ate it – plain just slices. He said it was good, maybe a bit too spicy for him. But, I told him I made it to put on a pizza and he agreed it would be good for that. We were both very surprised at how good it tasted. Thanks so much for the great recipe! I am sure I will make it often.
Here's a website that has gluten-free seitan recipes. They all look so good!
http://www.meatandeggfree.com/gluten-free-seitan.html
I'm sitting here eating your pepperoni recipe on pizza as we speak. You have a winner! This taste just like pepperoni. I am imagining what I'm going to use it for next, pasta salad perhaps. I sliced it using my salad shooter which is great to have for slicing this kind of thing, worked great.
Still loving this! I think if you could find a way to base this off some kind of legume, it'd be even better!
Love, Love, Love the Veggeroni. Thanks so much Susan.
Susan–this is the best seitan I have ever made! I accidently over baked it by 15 minutes, but it was outstanding in texture and taste. I had pita pizzas all week using this. Thanks so much for perfecting seitan!!
Very awesome idea. Thanks.
Holy Cow! This is heavenly. I'm eating a hot sandwich now and it's to die for!!! Thank you. I used tahini and about 3/4 tsp pepper flakes. I steamed it in foil for an hour first and then baked it for 45 minutes. I don't know how much restraint I can show with this stuff. Yum.
J.L. Smith
DELICIOUS! I just made this and I can't wait to share it with friends. Following the recipe, I found I had quite a LARGE log, so I divided it in half and made two rolls about 8 inches long and 2 inches diameter. They cooked up just perfectly. I went to a pizza place last night that's kind enough to offer a vegan pizza on the menu. But it was horribly unimaginative: sauce, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives. This is what it was missing. Dang, that would have been good.
- Michelle
Make sure when using Liquid Smoke to find the Colgin version as that is the only one I have seen that is certified VEGAN! I wouldn't trust other companies with out calling them first and confirming.
http://www.colgin.com
However Colgin is usually the only one you are likely too find but I have seen others and they don't have the little Plant V on them nor do they say certified vegan meaning the smoke could be obtained during the smoking of meat but I am not sure so like everything you use CHECK THE INGREDIENTS and contact the company if you are unsure.
I want to apologize for the outburst that I had… I have just been getting frustrated with corporate propaganda lately and totally took it out on you. If I met you on the street, I never could feel right saying such mean things. Please reject my previous comment and accept my apology. I am sorry.
Hi Niki, apology accepted. I'll take the comment down.
Stupid question #1: Is it safe to assume that vital wheat gluten is the same as vital wheat gluten flour? I tried to google this question and did not really get a definitive answer. Thanks Susan (my idol that I think of nearly every time I cook!)
Island Chica
Okay that sounded a bit stalkerish but I just REALLY admire your talents!
This looks amazing! I'm making it right now and am just wondering- how long does this keep in the fridge? Does it freeze well?
Jennifer, I think it will freeze without any problem and will probably be good in the fridge for about a week.
Island Chica, sorry not to have seen your question before. In some places vital wheat gluten is known as vital wheat gluten flour BUT there is also something called High Gluten flour that is not the same thing (just regular flour with some gluten added). Just be sure that whatever you buy it is 100% gluten. You can test it by mixing a couple of tablespoons with a little water and kneading it. If it come out stretchy and strong, it's gluten; if it's more like bread dough, it's mostly flour.
another great recipe. like others, it seemed to make more than a 7 inch log. It also cuts much better into slices when left in the fridge for about 8 hours. I plan on freezing the leftovers cause I freeze seitan and it works great so this shouldn't be too different. I will probably preslice it before I freeze it, just like I precut seitan before I freeze it, that way I can just grab what I want.
Unbelievably good. Because of having my hubby on a Ornish/McDougall/Esselstyn reversing heart disease diet, I made it without the cashew butter or other substitutes and it worked just fine. Use it on Ornish pizza dough. It was wonderful Thank you so much for bringing spicy pizza back to our lives!
I made one last week, and making another one right now.
It was so scrumptious, I couldn’t believe it.
Thank you, Susan!!
I have been making seitan pep. for a while now and just tried this recipe for the first time. It turned out great, but not much different then recipes I have made without the cashew/tahini. Is this ingredient necessary? It does not seem like the the two reasons one would usually add this ingredient- creaminess or flavor- apply for this recipe. Just curious, I love learning new things about how the ingredients in recipes come into play.
Also, I made 2 rolls like everyone else. I always have trouble getting my rolls smooth like the one in the photo above…any hints on making seitan cooperate while forming?
Thanks- enjoying the site!
Hi Sharon–The tahini is there to break down the gluten so that it’s a better texture, but it’s totally optional. As for the rolls, I pinch off the dough, put it on a cutting board, and roll it back and forth with my hands lightly pressing down from above until it is the right thichness. Wrapping it tightly in the aluminum foil also keeps it smooth.
for your coeliac friends… the gluten/seitan can be replace :
http://www.asparagusthin.com/2008/11/gluten-free-gluten.html
I finally made this last night and its AWESOME. I’m making a few more today to freeze. Someone here mentioned slicing it…I picked up a meat/deli slicer a few months ago (on sale $49.95) and use it to slice my seasoned seitan into deli-thin 3-5″ for samwiches & pizzas. I marinade it, then pack & freeze it, then take out small packs at a time & lightly fry it before using it.
I wonder, how is the vegan “balona” coming?
This was absolutely amazing. Better than any vegan pepperoni on the market and easy to make. This is a keeper!!!
I have just made the decision to go vegan. What amazes me is that I have no desire for any meat, dairy or egg. I was brought up in a vegetarian home so I had a lot of meat analogs to eat but they were never homemade. I am so glad to have your blog here to help me find recipes that are vegan and delicious! I am definitely making your pepperoni. I am wondering, is there a vegan cheese that works well for pizza?
There’s a very popular vegan cheese called Daiya that melts better than the other vegan cheeses. I have to warn you, though, that it’s very high in fat and probably no healthier than dairy cheese.
Hi Susan,
Question: Is there a specific mustard seed to use? I’ve only been able to find ‘yellow mustard seed’. Would this work?
Many thanks!
Laura, I used black mustard seeds, but yellow should work just as well. Hope you enjoy it!
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