“Mmmm bacon”, “but, bacon though?” , “dont you miss bacon rolls?!” . Yep, we’ve heard them all. The go-to comments of internet trolls or questions of well meaning friends who can’t yet get their head around the fact that a moment of taste isn’t worth the life of an innocent animal.
Of course now we can answer with confidence that no, I don’t miss bacon at all, because we have a plethora of delicious vegan bacon to enjoy! From smoky and crispy to wonderfully chewy, the vegan bacon alternatives listed here are not just ethical choices that we have to make do with, but revolutionary taste sensations in their own right.
A quick caveat here before we get to the list – as with all food, taste is personal, and what delights one palate might not impress another. There’s a lot of variation in taste and texture here, so I would encourage you to try a few out for yourself.
For me, the ultimate test of any vegan bacon (aka facon) is how well it holds up in a classic bacon roll and that is the basis of the complex ranking system used here.
Top 7 Vegan Bacon (Facon) Alternatives
La Vie Plant-Based Bacon
- Made from: Soya
- Calories per 100g: 218 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 14g
- Cost: £3.50
The undisputed king of vegan bacon. OK well some might dispute it. But it’s definitely my favourite. The taste is amazingly smoky, the texture thin and a tiny bit chewy, it’s easy to work with. I just can’t fault it. I like to cook it to almost crispy and put it on a roll with lashings of brown sauce or sometimes BBQ sauce if I’m feeling crazy. The key is to use the whole pack and split over two medium sized rolls. Heaven.
This Isn’t Bacon Rashers
- Made from: Soya
- Calories per 100g: 164 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 25g
- Cost: £3.20
The OG facon. This Isn’t Bacon Rashers were the first vegan bacon alternative I tried. These don’t really try to imitate bacon in terms of look and texture. However they are damn tasty. They have a smoky, salty taste and a meaty, chewy texture. They are also the thickest rashers here. I don’t think these work all that well on a roll unfortunately and if you try them hoping for a realistic bacon alternative you’ll be disappointed. However as part of a fry up or with some scrambled tofu on toast they’re great.
This Isn’t Streaky Bacon
- Made from: Soya
- Calories per 100g: 181 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 13.5g
- Cost: £3.50
My wife prefers This Isn’t Streaky over La Vie. I quite like it, and in a La Vie free world (what a sad thought) I would buy it more often. It’s very realistic in texture with the fake fat that crisps up really well so if you like crispy / verging on burnt bacon for your rolls then this might be the one for you.
SGAIA Smoky Flavour Vegan Bacon Rashers
- Made from: Wheat Gluten & Soya
- Calories per 100g: 172 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 31.5g
- Cost: £4.99
I had this brand recommended by a family member who swears by it. So I went online and bought a bunch of their products including this INCREDIBLE vegan bacon. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and this is definitely true here. At a whopping £4.99 plus shipping (unless you spend over £30) this vegan bacon certainly isn’t cheap! However it tastes delicious and definitely has the texture of thick chewy bacon. Great on a roll but also an excellent addition to a full vegan fry-up.
Richmond Meat-Free Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Made from: Wheat & Pea
- Calories per 100g: 178 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 15g
- Cost: £2.30
These rashers have a smoky flavour that will resonate with bacon fans. While they’re not exactly a carbon copy of pork bacon, they offer a satisfying chewiness and are surprisingly substantial in a sandwich. However, they might be a bit salty for some tastes, but nothing that a dab of sauce in your roll or a slice of tomato in your FLT (facon lettuce tomato don’t ya know) can’t balance out. For those who like their bacon crisp, these strips crisp up nicely without becoming too brittle.
Richmond Meat-Free Back Bacon Rashers
- Made from: Soya & Wheat
- Calories per 100g: 149 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 15g
- Cost: £2.30
Now for the Richmond Meat-Free Back Bacon Rashers. These rashers bring a heartier bite with a thicker cut you would expect of back bacon. They cook up with a nice edge of crispness while keeping a meaty texture that’s quite satisfying in a hearty full vegan cooked breakfast or layered on a roll. They’re less smoky compared to the streaky version but will be preferable for those of you who prefer thick back bacon style to the streaky alternative.
Asda Meat-Free Bacon Style Rashers
- Made from: Wheat
- Calories per 100g: 200 kcal
- Protein per 100g: 9.3g
- Cost: £2.00
If you can get over the fact that it looks like it’s been moulded from playdough, this is actually a pretty decent product. It crisps up nicely and doesn’t lose its shape. You also get a good bang for your buck with 10 fairly big rashers per pack. However in my murderous days I always preferred smoked to unsmoked bacon and this one just doesn’t have enough of that smoky flavour for me personally. A decent option nonetheless for a quick facon butty, particularly if you prefer unsmoked. It’s also the cheapest.
Homemade Vegan Bacon Recipes
Did you know you can make bacon from bananas?! Well you can! (oh boy that’s going to get the meatflakes really worked up).
Here’s a few homemade vegan bacon recipes to try
Banana Peel Bacon “Yes, you read that right, this is banana peel bacon. A vegan bacon recipe made from the banana peels that you would otherwise toss away. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. Does it taste good? Yes, it does. It really, really does!”
Vegan Rice Paper Bacon “This bacon gets it’s flavor from a marinade made with tamari, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, liquid smoke, MSG or mushrooms seasoning, and maple syrup. These ingredients together provide you with umami, smoky, salty and slightly sweet flavor very similar to bacon.”
Carrot Strip Bacon “It’s not every day that you hear “carrots” and “bacon” in the same sentence. That’s all about to change because this Vegan Bacon recipe is made from, you guessed it, carrots!”
Vegan Tofu Paper Bacon “My smoky vegan bacon is crispy, chewy and super easy to make. It even bubbles and crackles like real bacon.”
I’m the founder and editor-in-chief at GetVedgy. As a former meat eater who only recently made a commitment to veganism, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of years researching the subject. It felt like a good idea to share what I’ve learnt and help to answer the questions I’ve had that no doubt many others’ will also have.