Umaro Plant-Based Vegan Bacon (Smokey Black Pepper)

This plant-based bacon is excellent. We had been buying the Applewood version and really loved it, so I was a little hesitant to try the Smoky Black Pepper because I wasn’t sure it would compare. Thankfully, it absolutely delivered. We used it to make BLTs and avocado bacon sandwiches, and it was fantastic in both. The flavor is smoky, savory, and satisfying without being overpowering. The black pepper adds a nice extra kick without taking over the overall taste. One of the things I appreciate most is how easy it is to prepare. I just toss it in the air fryer for about 2 minutes, and it comes out crisp and ready to go. There is a little oil, but nothing excessive or unpleasantly greasy. We’ve tried a lot of plant-based bacon over the years, and this one really hits the right notes in flavor, texture, and convenience. My only complaint is that it can be hard to find in stock because I would absolutely keep buying it regularly.

I am really sad to say this was gross. The original is delicious but this one tastes and smells weird. Sort of like plastic? Don’t buy this stick- with the original which is amazing. I saw other reviews that said this but I thought maybe they didn’t understand vegetarian proteins. They did. I should have listened.

The first time I used this vegan bacon I cooked it completely wrong and I really disliked it. Then I realized 3 minutes in a preheated air fryer was all it took to get a beautiful delicious BLT. I'm sold but I'm also a little ticked off that I can't get the original right now because Umaro is in the process of expanding their Manufacturing location. So I'm waiting patiently because well I love booth the peppery and the original, my grandson is hooked on the original and we can't get that anywhere. If you don't know how to cook this you're going to be disappointed, but like I said 3 minutes in the air fryer is all it took for a seriously delicious sandwich and you honestly don't need to use a ton of it like you would with regular bacon, I found that I can use like three pieces on large sourdough bread along with the rest of the ingredients and it's more than enough and that really helps to spread out the cost. Love this the pieces, love that it doesn't have nitrates and all that bad stuff that's in regular bacon, love the ease of cooking and how well it comes out and if you're getting greasiness you're not doing it right, don't judge it by how it comes out of the package because that's not how it's going to be when it's finished cooking.

This vegan bacon was really good and super convenient to have on hand. It cooks up quickly and gives a nice smoky flavor that works great for breakfast sandwiches, salads, or just snacking. Texture is pretty satisfying—crispy when cooked right, not too chewy or weird like some plant-based meats can be. What I liked most is how easy it is to use straight from the package with minimal prep. It’s a solid option when you want something quick that still feels like a “real” breakfast addition. I’d definitely buy it again.

The peppered flavor is amazing. Gently crisp it up and wow! The plain flavor is wildly over salted. Since it's otherwise very tasty, I'd recommend maybe using it as part of something else. Crisp it and maybe use in potato salad, maybe an omelet. But see for yourself. It could work in a BLT where the saltiness would not be so strong.

This by far is the best tasting and healthiest plant based bacon I ever had. The main issues are they are not reliably accessible and they doubled in price. I used to buy these at my local market Winn Dixie at half the price. They need to offer more for the price and it needs to be accessible.

We were excited for this after trying the original flavor, bought from our local Whole Foods - not because of the taste, but because it added a very authentic salty/oily/crunchy texture to any sandwich it was put on. Unfortunately, there was no more at Whole Foods. This smoky pepper flavor was all we could find on Amazon. And the difference is so so weird. Not only did it not have the texture that we had before, it smelled terrible in the air fryer, it didn’t have any smokey or peppery flavor, and the texture was completely synthetic and rubbery. I don’t understand why this version is so much worse, when they didn’t even sacrifice the texture for a better taste. It’s just uniformly an abysmal thing to try to eat. It’s probably a small company that’s experimenting with scaling and recipe. I do hope they figure it out because the original I had once was really good.

This is amazing ‘bacon’. Great texture and taste plus good value for your money! Hands down my favorite!!