How to Candy Bacon
Irresistibly salty-sweet, perfectly sticky, and beautifully crisp, my Candied Bacon is downright delicious and insanely easy. Featuring smoky strips kissed with golden maple syrup, caramelized with rich brown sugar, and baked in the oven to glossy, candy-like perfection, this maple candied bacon recipe will have everyone swooning!
Equipment
- 1 Large Rimmed Baking Sheet - for baking candy bacon
- 1 Wire Rack - for baking candy bacon
- 1 Small Bowl - for mixing seasonings (optional)
Ingredients
- ½ pound Bacon (SEE NOTES)
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar – packed
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper (substitute: chipotle chili powder)
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- Generous Pinch EACH: Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper – or more to taste
- To Taste Pure Maple Syrup (about 2 TBS)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Then place a wire baking rack directly onto the baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine Sugar and Seasonings: In a shallow bowl or pan large enough to hold a slice of bacon, combine the brown sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Then set aside.
- Brush Bacon with Maple: Working with one slice of bacon at a time, use a pastry brush to brush a small amount of maple syrup on one side of the bacon.
- Coat Bacon in Sugar Spice: Transfer the slice of bacon, maple side DOWN, to the bowl with the sugar. Press and rub the sugar-spice mixture onto the bottom side of the bacon.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Transfer the sugared bacon to the wire rack, placing the bacon sugar side UP. Repeat coating the remaining slices of bacon and arranging them evenly spaced apart on the wire rack. (Note: Do NOT overlap the bacon on the pan. It’s okay if they are touching slightly though.)
- Bake Candy Bacon: Transfer the bacon to the preheated oven and cook on the middle shelf, rotating the pan halfway through baking, for 20-25 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is caramelized.
- Cool Bacon Candy: Remove the baking pan from the oven and let the bacon cool on the wire rack for 2 minutes. Then, use tongs to transfer the bacon to a parchment paper or wax paper-lined surface and allow to cool completely to room temperature.(Note: Don't let the bacon completely cool on the wire rack or it will stick to the rack.)
- Serve Candied Bacon: Enjoy candied bacon whole, cut into little bacon candies, or crumble, and enjoy!
Notes
- Bacon: You can candy whatever bacon variety you love - thick-cut bacon, regular bacon, center-cut, lean, etc. Please note that leaner, thinner cuts of bacon will get more crispy in the oven, while thicker cuts will be more chewy in texture.
- Don’t let bacon cool on a wire rack for more than a couple minutes or it will stick like glue.
- Storage: Airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 5 day
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Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
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Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal Carbohydrates: 28g Protein: 7g Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 8g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 37mg Sodium: 383mg Potassium: 152mg Fiber: 0.1g Sugar: 27g Vitamin A: 73IU Vitamin C: 0.1mg Calcium: 26mg Iron: 0.4mg