How to Make Crispy Banana Peel Bacon (Vegan)

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This is the most incredible vegan crispy banana peel bacon, also known as banana skins. It yields a wonderfully chewy, savory, crunchy, and oily plant-based bacon that tastes the same as actual bacon.

Yep, you read it correctly! Plant-based vegan bacon is prepared using banana peel or skin, whichever you prefer. I’m not exaggerating when I say that banana peel or leftover banana skin creates the tastiest crispy vegan bacon… The most significant part is that all this vegan bacon is made without liquid smoke, carrots, tofu, coconuts, or mushrooms. So, whether it is on the stove, in the oven, or the air fryer, it will only take a few minutes!

Most folks, such as myself, have been throwing out banana peels for as long as I can remember. Today, with this vegan banana skin bacon recipe, you can put them to good use and shock your family or friends.

Is it safe to eat banana skins?

YES! Unless you have a banana allergy, banana peels are okay to consume! A banana allergy is frequently associated with a latex allergy. So if you’ve had a latex allergy, you should avoid bananas. Bananas are delicious but also high in potassium, fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and essential amino acids. I could talk forever about how each vitamin is essential but do your study to discover more!

But does this plant-based bacon taste like real bacon?!

It tastes EXACTLY like real bacon! Compared to pork bacon, my vegan banana skin bacon is by far the most authentic tasting I’ve ever tasted. Even my non-vegan, finicky AF mother agrees! I made her taste it, and she liked it! Compared to pork bacon, she gave it an 8/10 (0 being terrible and 10 being the greatest!). She stated she didn’t give a higher score because she knew they were fashioned from banana peels, which slightly freaked her out.

• Simple to prepare
• Vegan
• Plant-based
• Vegetarian
• Environmentally friendly
• Contains vitamins B6 and B12
• Source of magnesium and potassium
• Mushroom-free
• Gluten-Free
• Carrot-free
• Tofu-free

Other Options to Prepare Vegan Banana Peel Bacon

There are three primary methods for making this banana peel bacon. The frying method is used in the one based on this recipe. You have two options to create this vegan meal without using oil.

1. Air Fryer Method – Leave out the oil and air fry your banana peels for around 10 minutes.
2. Oven Method – Omit the oil from the recipe and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Set the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 5 minutes per side.

Vegan Banana Peel Bacon Recipe

 

Video Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp Vegan Worchestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp organic brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Vegan Steak Sauce
• 3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 2 medium organic bananas (These need to be ripe and have a lot of brown patches!)
• Nonstick pan spray

Directions

1. Thoroughly clean the bananas. Chop both of the bananas’ ends off, then take the bananas and set them aside for a different dish.
2. Remove the interior white section of the banana peels with a spoon and discard.
3. Each banana peel should be cut into three strips along the long side to yield three slices of bacon for each banana. Place your peels off to the side.
4. Then, mix the remaining ingredients (excluding the olive oil and pan spray) in a reasonably wide, shallow basin. This is your marinade.
5. Put a wire rack on top of your large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and greased with cooking oil spray. You must do this to keep the bacon from clinging to it later.
6. Turn on the oven and set it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
7. Over medium heat, heat a large nonstick sauté pan. Pour in the olive oil after the pan is heated.
8. Add 3 to 4 slices of banana peel to the heated oil, outer side down first. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for another 1 and a half minutes on the opposite side. If their outside edges appear to be turning black, promptly take them from the pan and lay them on the prepped wire rack. Larger pieces of banana skin will fry and brown faster than smaller, skinnier ones. The idea is for them to be highly crispy and medium-golden brown.
9. Brush both surfaces of each fried banana skin peel in the marinade, careful not to overcook them. After brushing each peel, there should be no remaining marinade. Return the peels to the wire rack that has been oiled.
10. Put the prepped peels on a sheet pan in the center of the oven. Then, bake for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping after around 2 minutes. The idea is to cook the skins long enough to absorb all of the marinades and become crunchy. Keep a constant eye on the skins to protect them from scorching since the sugars in the skins caramelize fast.
11. Leave the skins to cool completely before eating for the most golden crunch.
12. If preferred, you may preserve the banana skin bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The peels will not stay crispy or crunchy once they have cooled, but they will remain firm.

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Final Thoughts

That’s it, and I hope you liked this vegan banana peel bacon. I use organic bananas to avoid contaminants from pesticides. Let me know in the comments how it did turn out for you. Also, if you liked this recipe, then you might wanna try this one also How to make Vegan Bacon Bits