Smoky, salty, slightly-sweet vegan bacon bits only have four ingredients, and they're a snap to make in the oven or air fryer. Eat them on their own or use them anywhere you'd use conventional bacon bits.
In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients, making sure to coat the cashews really well (and really evenly!).
Spread the cashews out on on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. If there’s any liquid left in the bowl, use a spoon or rubber spatula to scrape it out, and drizzle it over the cashews.
Bake for 12-18 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes, being especially careful to check the cashews on the edges of the pan. Those will burn first, so make sure to stir thoroughly each time. During the last 4 minutes, I recommend checking on these babies every minute or two, to prevent burning.You don’t have to stir every minute, but definitely check in.
Air fryer directions
Pour the cashews into your air fryer basket, and cook at 350° F for 5-10 minutes, shaking every 2 minutes to make sure they cook evenly and to check for doneness. During the last 2 minutes, you should shake/check every minute to avoid burning. The line between done and burnt can be thin with this recipe.
When they're ready
Your vegan bacon bits are ready when the pan/air fryer basket is on the dry side, the cashews have darkened a bit, and the house smells amazing. If you taste one while it’s cooking, don’t worry if it’s a little bit chewy – like coconut bacon, these bacon cashews will get crunchier once they’re cooled.
Let them cool to room temperature – about 10-15 minutes – then transfer to your storage container of choice. DO NOT cover them until they cool completely, because then you'll get condensation in your container, and that will make your cashews moldy.
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Notes
The variance in baking time depends on a lot of things. Humidity in your kitchen and the size of your cashew pieces are two examples of things that will impact cooking time.Your bacon cashews will keep for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can cut this recipe in half. Just note that they will cook more quickly in the air fryer, because of the reduced volume. Check in every 2 minutes, and if they're not done at the 5-minute mark, check in every minute, so you don't burn them.