Homemade Seitan Pepperoni (Easy Vegan Pepperoni Substitute)
Homemade Vegan pepperoni that’s easy to make and perfect for topping your pizza, sandwiches, or using on a charcuterie board!
Why Make Homemade Vegan Pepperoni?
I wanted a pepperoni substitute- a good one. We have a pretty limited selection of meat alternatives in our area, and ever since becoming vegetarian, we’ve really been missing pepperoni. Mostly on Italian hoagies and pizza. So of course I made it my personal mission to create a homemade vegan pepperoni we’d actually love.
What Makes This Seitan Pepperoni Kid‑Approved?
This recipe has truly been a labor of love. It took around ten different tries to get a seitan pepperoni that my daughter finally deemed “pizza worthy.” I tested spice blends (“too spicy but also needs more spice”), tried different cooking methods (turns out I did not own a steamer big enough for a pepperoni log), cried a little, and eventually I asked my wife for help — she figured out how to steam it without actually buying a steaming basket. After all that, we finally landed on a version everyone in the family enjoys. What can I say, seven‑year‑olds are tough food critics.
How to Adjust the Spice Level
This homemade seitan pepperoni isn’t meant to be spicy. If it were, my kid wouldn’t touch it. Instead, it has a smoky, savory flavor with just enough seasoning to give it that classic pepperoni taste while still being totally kid‑friendly. If you prefer a spicier vegan pepperoni, just add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes.
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
- Vegan Grilled Chicken Bites
- Homemade Vegan Steak Bites (Gluten-free, High-protein)
- Easy Vegetarian Pepperoni Rolls
Equipment Needed for Homemade Vegan Pepperoni
Steamer
You need some sort of way to steam the seitan or the texture just isn’t right.
If you don’t have a steaming basket that’s big enough you have a couple options:
You can make two small sticks of pepperoni.
You can take a large pot, add some water to it, put a wire rack over it, and cover it in foil. This is what I have to do. It’s not pretty, but it is effective.
Mixing Bowl
To mix together the seitan pepperoni ingredients. It doesn’t have to be very big.
Oven
For baking the seitan pepperoni at the end. This will give it a pepperoni-like “skin” texture on the outside.
Ingredients for Homemade Vegan Pepperoni
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 tbs nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika- It needs to be smoked paprika. This not only enhances the flavor, it also adds in the red hue pepperoni typically has.
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoon anise seed
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbs Tapioca Starch- This can also be called tapioca flour.
- 1/2 cup water
- ½ tsp of vegan beef bouillon- I like Better Than Bouillon personally.
- 4 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce- I use low-sodium.
Preparing Your Homemade Vegan Pepperoni
First, put the fennel, anise, and mustard seeds in a bag (or use a spice grinder if you happen to own one of those) and crush them. You don’t want them to be a powder, but you also don’t want entire seeds in your pepperoni. Aim for something in the middle.
Then, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add wet ingredients and mix until they’re incorporated and you have a blob of dough that’s holding together.
Let rest in the bowl for 15 minutes.
Shape into a loaf that sort of resembles a stick of pepperoni. If it’s kind of funny looking don’t worry about it. It’ll look fine once it’s cooked. Roll your seitan as tightly as you can in foil. If you have really thin foil you may want to use two layers.
Steam for 60 minutes, or until it’s 180-200℉ internally. If you don’t own a steamer that’s big enough, see tips. Let rest until it’s cool enough to handle, then unwrap it from the foil and bake it in the oven at 350℉ for 15 minutes, turning it a little bit every 5 minutes.
Tips for Getting the Perfect Texture
Don’t worry if it doesn’t look quite right during the shaping phase, it’ll be ok once you roll it and steam it.
It’s really important to steam the seitan to get the texture just right. If you don’t have a steamer (I don’t) or if your steamer is too small for your pepperoni, you can make a make-shift one out of a large pot and a cooling rack. Just put a few inches of water in the pot and place the cooling rack on top. Put your foil wrapped seitan on the rack and then cover in a couple layers of foil to hold the steam in.
Don’t cut it as soon as it comes out! You’ll want to wait until it’s cool or it’s very difficult to cut. If you’d like thin slices, then put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Flavor Add‑Ins
If you’d like your pepperoni to have more spice, add 1-2 tsp of red pepper flakes in with your dry ingredients.
How to Use Your Homemade Pepperoni
Put your pepperoni on a charcuterie board, pizza, hoagies, or use it in my Vegetarian Pepperoni Rolls (they also have a vegan pepperoni roll option).
FAQ
Sure! It’s actually a lot easier to slice when it’s frozen. Store it in an airtight container or bag and it should be good for about 3 months.
About 5 days in an airtight container or bag.
Yup! Just add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes to your spice mixture.
Vegan Pepperoni
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- First, put the fennel, anise, and mustard seeds in a bag (or use a spice grinder if you happen to own one of those) and crush them. You don’t want them to be a powder, but you also don’t want entire seeds in your pepperoni.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
- Add wet ingredients and mix until they’re incorporated and you have a blob of dough that’s holding together.
- Let rest in the bowl for 15 minutes.
- Then shape into a loaf that resembles a stick of pepperoni. Roll your seitan tightly in foil. If you have really thin foil you may want to use two layers.
- Steam for 60 minutes, or until it’s 180-200℉ internally. If you don't own a steamer that's big enough, see tips.
- Let rest until it’s cool enough to handle, then unwrap it from the foil and bake it in the oven at 350℉ for 15 minutes, turning it a little bit every 5 minutes.
