This vegan pepperoni recipe will simply amaze you!  Spicy, flavorful, meaty pepperoni made from wheat gluten and spiced to perfection!  Make vegan pepperoni pizza, pepperoni rolls, and calzones, or use it to spice up your vegan charcuterie board. This seitan pepperoni whips up in minutes and adds a meaty spicy kick to any meal.

Vegan pepperoni on a wooden cutting board cut into slices with vegan cheddar next to it.

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High-protein vegan meats made from cooked wheat gluten are known as seitan, and this pepperoni seitan is one of the easiest of all.  Once you see how simple this pepperoni is to make, you will make it time and time again. 

Dice up this plant-based pepperoni and toss it into vegan pasta salad, vegan bolognese sauce, vegan empanadas, or even put it in vegan lasagna, vegan baked ziti,  or stuffed shells for a flavorful meat substitute.

A white plate filled with vegan cheeses and pepperoni.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Oil – for a rich flavor.  I like refined coconut oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work. You can omit it if you want it to be oil-free.
  • Smoked Paprika – you can also use regular paprika plus 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke.
  • Red Pepper Flakes – you can adjust the amount to control the level of spice.
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper – it’s important to use fresh ground for the best flavor.  You can swap it out for regular black pepper, but it won’t be quite as flavorful.
  • Onion Powder– for flavor.
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor.
  • Fennel Seeds – for a traditional flavor.  Omit if you don’t like the flavor.
  • Whole Mustard Seeds – optional for flavor.  Feel free to leave them out, but I like the flavor and texture that they add.
  • Water – or low-sodium vegetable broth
  • Salt – if you don’t want to use salt, you can swap it out with 1 tablespoon of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce.
  • Ketchup – for flavor and a slight sweetness.  You can also use tomato paste and a little sugar.
  • Vital Wheat Gluten – this is a high-protein gluten flour.  You must use wheat gluten and no other type of flour to get the pepperoni to work with this method.  There is no gluten-free swap for this. You can find it at most major grocery stores, but I like to order a large bag from Amazon to make lots of seitan recipes.

🔪 Helpful tools

  • Small Saucepan – to warm the oil and spices.
  • Aluminum Foil – for wrapping the vegan pepperoni in before steaming it. You can wrap it in parchment paper first before wrapping it in foil, so the foil doesn’t touch the seitan.
  • Steam Basket – You can use any method to steam the pepperoni. If you don’t have a steam basket, you can use jelly jar rings at the bottom of a pot and just fill the water to the top of the rings. You just need a way to hold the pepperoni out of the water.

🥄 How to make vegan pepperoni

Step 1 – In a small saucepan, warm the oil over low heat and add the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, black pepper, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Step 2 – Stir the spices around in the warm oil and let the flavors bloom for about 3 minutes, then remove from heat.  (Be sure to only warm the oil and not burn the spices.)

Step 3 – Add cold water, ketchup, and salt, and stir well.

Step 4 – Mix in 5 tbsp of the vital wheat gluten with a silicon spatula, then knead in the remaining 2 tablespoons of wheat gluten with your hand.

A collage of 4 pictures that show the process of warming spices in oil, adding water and wheat gluten, and kneading it into pepperoni.

Step 5 – Shape the pepperoni into a log shape and wrap it tightly in foil.  (You can wrap it in a layer of parchment before wrapping it in foil if you don’t want the foil to touch your food.)

A pepperoni log made of wheat gluten before and after wrapping it up.

Step 6 – Place the pepperoni into a steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes.

Step 7 – Allow it to cool and then slice and use as you would pepperoni.

A vegan charcuterie board with vegan cheeses, olives, grapes, and vegan pepperoni.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.
  • Reduce the red pepper for less spicy pepperoni.
  • Add a dash of cayenne for extra spicy pepperoni.
  • If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can use a small amount of water and place jelly jar rings at the bottom of your pot to lift the pepperoni up out of the water.  Just check and refill the water as needed.

🥣 Tips about vital wheat gluten

  1. Vital wheat gluten is a very fine powder and it gets messy fast.  When adding the flour, hold the measuring cup low in the bowl so you don’t have a cloud of powder.
  2. Wash your bowl and utensils in very hot water.  This will “cook” the gluten and stop it from being sticky.

🍕 How to get the right texture

  • Small changes in the amount of vital wheat gluten you use will change the texture of the final result.  More gluten gives you a firmer texture and less gives you a softer texture.
  • I find the best texture is achieved if you add vital wheat gluten until the dough doesn’t easily absorb more, yet not so much that the dough becomes rubbery and you are not able to form it into a smooth shape.
  • You may also choose to omit the oil and simply add the spices to the water.  This produces a very firm and chewy pepperoni, but it’s also lacking the mouthfeel that fat provides. I tested it both ways many times and my family couldn’t decide which one they liked better.  I encourage you to play around with it until you get the consistency that you crave.

Note: Your pepperoni will continue to firm up once it cools completely.

A pizza with vegan pepperoni and black olives.

🥡 Storage

Your vegetarian pepperoni will keep well wrapped in an airtight container on the countertop for 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  You can also keep your vegan pepperoni in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

🌟 Make big batches

It’s great to make up a double or even triple batch!  Slice it or dice it before freezing, so you can easily thaw it and toss it in your meals.

This vegan pepperoni is great for snacking, sandwiches, topping pizzas, adding to vegan cheese boards, vegan pizza rolls, and vegan stromboli, or adding to any Italian-style meal like vegan lasagna, baked ziti, tofu stuffed shells, or any vegan pasta dishes.

A stick of veggie pepperoni on a white plate with vegan cheese and grapes on the side.

✨ More seitan recipes

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan pepperoni recipe

Homemade vegan pepperoni on a wooden cutting board next to sliced cheese and purple grapes.
Diet
High Protein Icon
Nut Free Icon
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5 from 11 rating

Vegan Pepperoni

Yield: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
An easy seitan based pepperoni recipe made from wheat gluten and spices.
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 7 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, warm 1 tbsp oil over low heat and add 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp onion powder.
  • Stir the spices around in the warm oil and let the flavors bloom for about 3 minutes, then remove from heat.  (Be sure to only warm the oil and not burn the spices.)
  • Add 1/3 cup cold water, 1 tbsp ketchup, and 1 tsp salt, and stir well.
  • Mix in 5 tablespoons of the vital wheat gluten with a silicon spatula, then knead in the remaining 2 tablespoons of wheat gluten with your hand.
  • Shape the pepperoni into a log shape and wrap it tightly in foil.  (You can wrap it in a layer of parchment before wrapping it in foil if you don't want the foil to touch your food.)
  • Place the pepperoni into a steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes.
  • Allow it to cool and then slice and use as you would pepperoni.

Notes

  • Vital wheat gluten is a very fine powder and it gets messy fast.  When adding the flour, hold the measuring cup low in the bowl so you don’t have a cloud of powder.
  • Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.
  • Reduce the red pepper for less spicy pepperoni.
  • Add a dash of cayenne for extra spicy pepperoni.
  • If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can use a small amount of water and place jelly jar rings at the bottom of your pot to lift the pepperoni up out of the water.  Just check and refill the water as needed.
  • Wash your bowl and utensils in very hot water.  This will “cook” the gluten and stop it from being sticky.

The texture of your pepperoni

  • Small changes in the amount of vital wheat gluten you use will change the texture of the final result.  More gluten gives you a firmer texture and less gives you a softer texture.
  • I find the best texture is achieved if you add vital wheat gluten until the dough doesn’t easily absorb more, yet not so much that the dough becomes rubbery and you are not able to form it into a smooth shape.
  • You may also choose to omit the oil and simply add the spices to the water.  This produces a very firm and chewy pepperoni, but it’s also lacking the mouthfeel that fat provides. I tested it both ways many times and my family couldn’t decide which one they liked better.  I encourage you to play around with it until you get the consistency that you crave.
  • Note: Your pepperoni will continue to firm up once it cools completely.
Serving: 2oz, Calories: 100kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 626mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 586IU, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg
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