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)
Ingredients
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)
Instructions
- 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
Nutritional info is approximate.
Tyler
April 10, 2018 at 7:57 amI wonder if we could use beans or lentils so it could be gluten free? I may try it.
Heather
November 20, 2018 at 4:49 pmThis turned out awesome. I made it the super lazy way – in my breadmaker. I subbed the tomato sauce for chipotle adobo sauce, and replaced a little gluten flour with chickpea flour as I ran out. Will make this again.
Sue
March 29, 2019 at 12:49 pmJust made this in the Instantpot (wrapped in parchment then tinfoil). 20 min NPR
Will definitely make again – wonderful!
Susan, haven’t had a recipe of yours fail to impress. Thanks!
Susan Voisin
March 29, 2019 at 1:31 pmI’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for the Instant Pot directions!
Tim
April 3, 2019 at 6:50 pmI am going to try this and stuff into fibrous sausage casings. These are inedible (you peel it off) and made of plant cellulose. You can smoke the contents with these also, which adds a nice flavour and mahogany colour.
Julie
May 3, 2019 at 1:37 amThis is perfection. Awesome veggeroni as you call it, an admirable substitute for the real thing. Thanks for your taste and thanks for being so rigorous and precise with your recipes. Most of all: thanks for sharing. Greetings and warm kisses 🌸
Vee
August 8, 2020 at 1:46 amThis was awesome! Great firm texture which allowed it to be sliced very thin, so we enjoyed it on sandwiches. I also diced some to put in pizza rolls. Such a simple recipe too. I prefer your gluten-based faux meat recipes to any others I have tried. Thank you!
Nai
August 24, 2020 at 7:49 pmI’m confused if I’ve done something wrong. I followed the instructions to a T but the log came out basically like bread, spongy inside and hard on the outside. Any suggestions on what went wrong? 🙁
Erin
April 14, 2021 at 3:22 pmI have been making this recipe for over ten years! My three year old loves it as well, so thank you for this awesome recipe that has definitely withstood the test of time!
Paula Vicker
November 19, 2021 at 2:46 pmMade this pepperoni today and while the flavoring is very good, the texture was spongy. Do you have any idea what may have caused that?