Today I'm bringing you a homemade vegan baloney recipe! Do you say baloney or do you call it bologna? Either way, these vegan deli slices are so easy to make, and so tasty too! Perfect as a snack, to layer in sandwiches, and it even fries up beautifully just like the traditional version!
I think I may be turning into a vegan butcher these days. I've gotten into this streak of posting one meaty vegan recipe after another... and I'm loving it! Vegan steak, chicken, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, Italian sausages, chorizo, pepperoni, fried fish, and now vegan baloney!
It's such a fun challenge for me try and remember what animal products used to taste like (it's been almost 7 years since I've eaten meat) and then to try and recreate those flavours and textures. And some people say vegan cooking is boring... nuh uh!
It's probably been even more than 7 years since I've eaten bologna as I really enjoyed it more as a kid, but let me tell you, making a fried vegan baloney sandwich with vegan mayonnaise, some yellow mustard and a bit of lettuce brought me right back to those childhood sandwiches! The kid in me was overjoyed, and so was the adult in me. Tas-tee! These slices are fantastic for your lunch box no matter what your age.
To make vegan baloney:
In a food processor add the tofu, ketchup, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, and nutmeg.
*Nutmeg may sound like an odd addition and it is totally optional if you want, but nutmeg is traditionally one of the ingredients in baloney that gives it its classic taste.
Mix until smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. 
Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse several times to incorporate, scraping the sides as needed. It will form a crumbly dough.
Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and knead together to form a dough. Shape into a large log that will fit in your steamer basket.
Roll the log up in foil twisting the ends closed so it looks like a large candy.
Place in the steamer basket and cover. Steam for 1 hour. The vegan baloney will have expanded in the foil making a tight log. Remove from the steamer basket and allow it to cool. Chill in the fridge until completely cold. Now it is ready to slice an enjoy! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
This vegan bologna is great as a snack, but it's also fantastic fried or layered in a sandwich.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Baloney (Bologna)
Servings: large vegan baloney log
PRINT
PIN
COMMENT
Ingredients
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ¾ cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil.
- In a food processor add the tofu, ketchup, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse several times to incorporate, scraping the sides as needed. It will form a crumbly dough.
- Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and knead together to form a dough. Shape into a large log that will fit in your steamer basket.
- Roll the log up in foil twisting the ends closed so it looks like a large candy. Place in the steamer basket and cover.
- Steam for 1 hour, or until the seitan's internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine—you can't really oversteam seitan The vegan baloney will have expanded in the foil making a tight log.
- Remove from the steamer basket and allow it to cool (the foil will loosen a bit as it cools). Move to the fridge and chill completely before serving. When ready to serve just slice an enjoy! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week
Notes
Nutrition
SARAH says
Absolutely delicious! I couldn't even wait for it to cool. Game changer and I swear I will only 1 more slice...... This will save me so much $$$ to not have to buy tiny packages of vegan bologna any more. AND... it's so much better!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So thrilled you love it so much Sarah!!
Susan says
Soooo excited about this recipe! I am wondering about if it's a typo on the way of the block of tofu. One package is $396 g. So I had to cut off a little bit of it. I'm making your Deli lunch meat at the same time. And the weight on that recipe shows the full block amount of 396. Just wondering if I was supposed to cut a little piece of this black off to weigh 350?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Susan, Thank you for paying such close attention to the measurements—this will definitely help you get the best results! The recipe is correct as written. Different brands and countries do sell tofu in various sizes, so yours was just a bit bigger. You did exactly the right thing by adjusting it. I hope you enjoy the baloney!
Amy says
I was so excited until I saw the seitan in the recipe.
Is there a way to make this gluten free?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Amy, no unfortunately this is a recipe to make homemade seitan, there is no gluten-free alternative for this recipe.
Nancy says
Hi Sam,
I made this today and it reminded me of when I made playdough with my children, except it tasted way better! I can't wait to make toasted bologna and cheese sandwiches with tomato soup for dinner!! My vegan daughter is loving it!
thanks again
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Stephanie says
This definitely tastes like fake vegan bologna. I really like the other seitan recipes but this one lacks the similarity to actual bologna.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Sorry you didn't enjoy it!
Ronda says
This was super good, and much easier to make than I was anticipating. It makes a lot too. We had bologna sandwiches all week for less than the cost of one package of store-bought lunch meat. This will be going into regular rotation.
Sara says
I make this vegan baloney a lot for my son who needs protein and likes the packaged vegan lunch meats. They are so expensive and have not great ingredients so I was absolutely thrilled to find such a delicious, cheap and simple recipe to make it at home. We like to fry it up in a pan too.
Jodie says
This recipe is my go to for sandwiches. It is perfect with a nice vegan cheese and dijon mustard and vegan mayo.
Great cold or grilled for a warm yummy taste of comfort food.
Anna says
I usually don't leave comments but this was outstanding, we ate the whole thing in three days as sandwich meat, I also added some in a pasta dish, absolutely delicious!!!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Fantastic! Thanks for your review!
Henry says
What if you have a gluten allergy?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Then seitan is not for you as it is gluten. Try my tofu deli meat recipe instead. Enjoy!
Jane says
Thanks for another fabulous recipe. I served this for lunch today. Tastes very similar to Frys baloney which no longer seems to be available. My son loved it and said that he would have believed me if I said that I had bought it, at which point my ( omni) husband looked shocked as he hadn't realised that it was homemade!
Only gripe is that it was too big for my normal large pan but luckily I own a sizeable pressure cooker.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We are so happy to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Kim says
I made this today in the instant pot (50/20) and I think I over cooked it. Its very firm and a little dry. Great taste though. And looks just like bologna. I cooked it in my deli meat press instead of foil. Maybe that’s why it overcooked. I’ll definitely try again.
Kerry says
I took the Seitan class and made this recipe. Cold, it tasted like tofu with ketchup in it; definitely fry it up in some olive oil, elevates the taste and texture 100%!