Banana peel bacon is the deliciously smoky, crispy alternative to bacon. Eat them for breakfast, or make yourself a vegan bacon sandwich. They’re easy to make, and taste surprisingly like the real deal!

PREP TIME 10 mins

COOK TIME 5 mins

MARINADING TIME 15 mins

TOTAL TIME 30 mins

COURSE Breakfast

CUISINE American

SERVINGS 4 servings

CALORIES 126 kcal

INGREDIENTS  

  • 2 bananas, very ripe peels only *see note 1
  • 3 tablespoons tamari *or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Peel the bananas. Set the bananas aside for another use (or freeze them). Cut the peels into four pieces and scrape out any banana “meat” with a spoon. The peels will be quite thin.
  • Add the tamari, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, pepper and salt to a container big enough to hold the banana peels.
  • Transfer the banana peels to the marinade and turn them over with your hands to ensure they’re evenly coated in marinade. Set them aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  • Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan. Fry the banana peel bacon for approximately 2 minutes on each side.

NOTES

  1. It’s important to choose a banana that is very ripe.  A ripe banana has brown spots (see image in post).  If the banana is not ripe enough, the end result will lack sweetness, which is necessary in this recipe. If your bananas are not organic, you will need to scrub the peel to remove any pesticides.
  2. This recipe is naturally gluten free. However, be sure to use tamari, not soy sauce (which contains gluten).

NUTRITION

Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 152mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 289IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg