Do you love a smoky, savory, crisp, and creamy BLT sandwich? Here’s everything you need to know to build your perfect vegan BLT.
The perfect vegan BLT is so subjective, because there are just so many options! There are tons of vegan bacons made from everything from coconut to eggplant to tofu. You can also mix and match different types of lettuce or other greens. And, of course, there are the optional spreads and toppings, like sliced avocado or spicy vegan mayo.
Build-Your Own Vegan Bacon Sandwich
To build an ideal vegan BLT, start with your favorite bread, then add a spread of your choice, vegan bacon, lettuce, and tomato. You can also throw on optional toppings to make things even more fun!
Below, I’m breaking down the vegan BLT elements into: Vegan Bacon, Spreads, and Toppings. Let’s do this. Obviously, we are starting with the bacon, because we do things properly.
Choose Your Vegan Bacon
Y’all, there are SO MANY vegan bacons out there! These are some of my favorites. If you don’t want to make your bacon from scratch, there are tons of great store-bought options, too. Do what works best for you!
Balsamic Tofu Bacon
Make this chewy-sweet-smoky tofu bacon in your oven or in your air fryer!
Rice Paper Bacon
Kristina at Spabettie makes her rice paper bacon with a double layer for thick-yet-crispy results. Just coat the slightly softened rice paper in a cashew butter mixture, then bake to bacony perfection.
Coconut Bacon
Sarah’s coconut bacon is quick and easy to make. Just toss together the coconut flakes and marinade, then bake them to bacony perfection.
Portobello Mushroom Bacon
Linda from Veganosity says that this mushroom bacon is one of the most popular recipes on her site.
Eggplant Bacon
Eggplant has a great, meaty texture that’s perfect for bacon. Ricki’s eggplant bacon bakes up in the oven and is stevia sweetened, so it contains no added sugar. If stevia isn’t your thing, you can replace with sugar or maple syrup.
Choose Your Spread
Are you a more straightforward, mayo person? Or do you like to add a little extra flair with your BLT spread? Either way, I’ve got you.
Vegan Mayo
I love a good, vegan mayo on a BLT, and there are so many delicious options to choose from! Go with straight up mayo or add sriracha or other spices to boost the flavor of your BLT.
Hummus
What can I say: vegans love hummus! You have lots of tasty hummus options to choose from. Keep it simple with a plain hummus, or up the game with Roasted Fennel Hummus, Roasted Beet Hummus, or my Magical Curried Hummus!
Cream Cheese
Up the decadence with cream cheese on your next vegan BLT! Make your own vegan cream cheese from scratch or use store-bought vegan cream cheese plan. Or! Get fancy and turn that tub of vegan cream cheese into deli-style vegetable cream cheese for an extra flavor boost.
Pesto
YES to pesto! Talk about bringing the flavor. Go with a standard basil pesto, or splash out with cilantro pesto, sage pesto or sorrel pesto.
Toppings
Toppings are optional, but I do love to add some extra elements when I’m making a BLT. Here are some of my faves to mix and match.
- avocado OR avocado fries
- cucumber slices
- pickled jalapenos
- banana peppers
- sprouts
- arugula
- raw or sauteed or caramelized onion
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
With so many options, you could truly eat BLTs for weeks without repeating the same sandwich twice. What’s your favorite way to construct your vegan BLTs? Did I miss anything that you like to add?
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