Vegan Pepperoni

Craving that bold, savory pizza topping without the heavy grease or mystery ingredients? Finding the best vegan pepperoni for homemade pizza night can be a challenge—especially since many store-bought options or online recipes rely on vital wheat gluten. If you are looking for a gluten-free vegan pepperoni that actually delivers on classic flavor and texture, you are in the right place.

Made with a wholesome blend of tofu and chickpeas, this vegan pepperoni recipe gives you all the smoky, slightly spicy goodness of traditional salami without weighing you down or leaving a pool of oil on your slice. Whether you are topping a fresh-baked pie or stuffing a sandwich, this easy plant-based recipe will quickly become a household favorite!

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Watch How to Make This Pepperoni

Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions:

Step One: Making the Vegan Pepperoni Batter

Let’s get this delicious dough started! First, grab your food processor. Toss in your chopped, pressed tofu.

I like to measure out the liquid from the can of chickpeas (seems like every can has a different amount!). Make sure you get 3/4 of a cup. Any more? Toss it. Any less? Add a little water to it to get to 3/4 of a cup. Then add the ground flax seed.

Then you can add the chickpeas and flax seed water to the food processor too.

Then pulse, scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse some more.

Next, add all the spices and pulse again. There’s a lot of pulsing in this recipe.

Add the oil, beets, and the maple syrup, and you guessed it, pulse again.

Finally, add those sun-dried tomatoes. I like to leave them until last because here we’ll just pulse in short bursts so we leave some sun-dried tomato bits throughout the batter. I feel like it gives a pepperoni vibe.

Step Two: Spreading and Baking

Once your batter is thoroughly mixed and smells incredible, grab a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to press the mixture out evenly across the pan. I personally like my pepperoni slices a little thick and chewy, but if you prefer yours thinner, feel free to stretch the dough across the pan and maybe even use two pans.

Pop the pan(s) into your preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges look delightfully crisp.

I personally like the pepperoni slices to be a little thick, but if you prefer a thinner pepperoni slice, you can use even three pans to create a more thin layer of pepperoni dough. It depends on how you want your vegan pepperoni texture to be. Once you get the batter spread out in the pans, then place the pans in the oven and bake.

Step Three: Slicing or Crumbling

Take your pan(s) out of the oven and let the pepperoni cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.

Now comes the fun part! You can use a small round cookie cutter—or, if you’re like me in a pinch, any round kitchen gadget (like the end of a frosting piping tip)—to punch out your pepperoni rounds.

Prefer crumbles? No problem at all! Just break it apart into little bits.

Save any of those uncut edges to toss into sauces or pasta dishes later when you want a punch of extra flavor.

Why Make it Homemade?

So, why take the time to make plant-based pepperoni from scratch when you can buy it at the store? A few reasons:

1. Guaranteed Availability: There have been long stretches where store-bought vegan pepperoni completely disappears from grocery shelves. Making your own means you never have to deal with ingredient downtime!
2. Gluten-Free Control: Many commercial or online recipes rely heavily on vital wheat gluten. This recipe gives you a completely gluten-free option without sacrificing flavor.
3. Healthier Profile: Traditional pepperoni is high in saturated fats, sodium, and preservatives. This wholesome version cuts down the heavy grease and leaves your stomach happy.

That said, if you’re in a pinch and prefer store-bought, brands like Yves, Field Roast Pepperoni, and Lightlife are great backup options.

This vegan pepperoni, in contrast, has only 50 calories per serving, only 1 gram of fat, and even some fiber, thanks to the chickpeas. That makes this the best healthy pepperoni for your next pizza!

Serving Suggestions

While traditional pepperoni is mostly reserved for pizza night, this flavorful plant-based version doubles as a delicious vegan salami that you can enjoy in so many ways.

Here are a few favorite ways to serve homemade veggie pepperoni:

• Pizza Perfection: Layer it onto a classic Vegan Pizza Dough, a rustic Cassava Flour Pizza Crust, or a cozy Vegan Deep-Dish Pizza.
• Appetizers & Dips: Blend it into a savory Vegan Pepperoni Dip or serve it alongside Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread for movie night.
• Pasta & Salads: Dice it up to add a smoky punch to Vegan Lasagna, toss it into warm pasta dishes, or sprinkle it over fresh salads.
• Snack Time: Enjoy it straight from the fridge when you need a savory, protein-packed bite!

This post was originally published in 2018 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.

Vegan Pizza Favorites

If you love this recipe for vegan gluten-free pepperoni, be sure to check out some of my favorite ways to use it. Including all of these vegan pizza recipes:

Frequently-Asked Questions

What is Vegan Pepperoni Made Of?

While most store-bought or online plant-based pepperonis rely on vital wheat gluten (seitan) for their texture, this recipe takes a completely different route. It uses a wholesome, gluten-free blend of tofu and chickpeas, seasoned with classic spices like fennel, smoked paprika, and garlic to deliver that authentic, chewy bite without any wheat.

Is Pepperoni Bad for You?

Traditional meat-based pepperoni is a heavily processed cured meat loaded with saturated fats, sodium, and nitrates, clocking in at around 138 calories and nearly 12 grams of fat per ounce. In contrast, this homemade version gives you all the smoky, spicy flavor you crave with only a fraction of the calories, virtually zero heavy grease, and an extra boost of fiber from the chickpeas.