
Sure, veggie pizza is AWESOME but if you’re looking to add some pepperoni back to that pizza, how about trying some VEGAN pepperoni?
This vegan pepperoni recipe comes courtesy of Chef Skye Michael Conroy.
In episode 382 of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we talked to Chef Skye Michael Conroy (aka The Gentle Chef) about his book, Crafting Seitan.
This recipe was generously shared with us by Chef Skye to share with you all. Enjoy on your next vegan pizza or vegan Italian sub!

Chef Conroy shares his special tips and techniques for preparing a variety of shapes and textures. A special section of the book contains his personal spice blends and flavoring mixes, sauces and glazes, and even a few nondairy staples to enhance these delicious dishes
More Books by Chef Skye Michael Conroy
Vegan Pepperoni Recipe by Skye Michael Conroy (aka The Gentle Chef)
Seitan Pepperoni is an Italian hard sausage richly seasoned with onion and garlic, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and fennel seed. A pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) is recommended for preparation; however, oven-baking is also an option.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Active Time1 minute min
Total Time8 hours hrs 16 minutes mins
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Yield: 1 lb
Materials
Dry Ingredient
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
Fresh Ingredient
- 4 cloves minced garlic
Blender Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp tamari You can use soy sauce or Brag Liquid Amino also
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar Or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp organic sugar
- 2 tsp whole fennel seeds
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dry ground mustard
Instructions
Dough Preparation
- Add the vital wheat gluten to a large mixing bowl. Set the minced garlic aside in a small dish.
- Process the blender ingredients until the fennel is coarsely ground.
- Pour the blender mixture into the dry ingredients, add the minced garlic, and combine thoroughly with a silicone spatula. Knead the dough in the bowl until it exhibits some elasticity, about 1 minute. Divide the dough in half.
Wrapping the Dough
- Lay a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil (12-inches long) on a work surface. Shape one portion of the dough into a slender log 6-inches long and place it near the edge of the foil.
- Lift the edge of the foil over the dough and begin rolling into a tight cylinder. Twist the ends tightly to seal. Bend the ends in half to lock them tight. Wrap in a second sheet of foil in the same manner. Repeat the shaping and double wrapping technique with the second portion of dough. When oven-baking, wrap each package in a third sheet of foil for reinforcement.
Pressure-Cooking
- Add 3 cups of water to the cooker and put the trivet stand in place. Add the packages, seal the lid, close the steam valve and cook on high for 1 hour. Turn the unit off but do not release the steam. Let the steam pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. Remove the packages to cool.
Oven-Baking
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Place the packages directly on the middle rack and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the packages to cool.
Finishing The Pepperoni
- Refrigerate the packages for 8 hours to optimize texture and make thin-slicing easier. The pepperoni is ready to eat or use in recipes; it does not require any additional finishing. Slice thick or thin and use as needed.