TikTok users are obsessed with this 'vegan bacon' hack that uses leftover banana peels

Dillon Thompson
·2 min read

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Is this viral banana peel bacon recipe really just as good as actual bacon?

TikTok is full of vegan food hacks — including barbecue ribs made from corn, a controversial “cucumber Wellington” and, of course, meatless chicken nuggets. This new dish, however, is just too fascinating to ignore.

So, the In The Know team set out to make it ourselves, thanks to some help from this handy little banana peeler.

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The banana peeler made turning our bananas into bacon super easy. Now, all that was left was to actually try making these things.

Thankfully, In The Know editor Poppy Shen was up to the challenge. To see how she made the banana peel bacon recipe — and how it compared to regular bacon — keep reading or watch the video above.

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How to make the viral banana peel bacon recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make the recipe:

  • 3-4 bananas, peeled into 4 strips each

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • ½ tsp paprika

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

To start, mix the soy sauce, syrup, paprika and garlic powder to make a marinade. Then, toss your banana peels in a bowl to coat them in the sauce. Let them sit for 10 minutes.

Next, heat oil in a pan and fry the peels at medium heat, until they’re gold and crispy on the outside. Set the peels aside on a paper towel to dry for a few minutes before trying them.

Is the banana peel bacon recipe really as good as bacon?

Poppy decided to compare the banana peels to regular bacon on three main factors: convenience, healthiness and taste.

Convenience: This was a big win for regular bacon, which typically doesn’t require any of the prep and marinating that our banana peels did.

Healthiness: Here, the outcome was exactly what you’d expect. There’s nothing wrong with some bacon now and then, but banana peels are healthier for your body and the environment — they turn food waste into a snack!

Taste: Always the most important category. Surprisingly, the banana peel bacon won out here. It’s sweet, tangy and still has a lot of the crispiness so many people love in their bacon.

So in summary, this recipe is really a must-try! TikTok vegan hacks aren’t always right, but when they are, they’re a huge winner.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show with these rich and easy to make snacks!

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If you liked this story, check our video on how to make “Big Mac tacos.”

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The post We taste-tested the viral ‘banana peel bacon’ recipe — here’s our take appeared first on In The Know.