How to Make Candied Bacon in the Oven - this post will give you all the details you need to make candied bacon in the oven with brown sugar. The bacon is crispy, chewy, salty, and sweet - perfect all on its own or added to other recipes!
Have you ever had Candied Bacon? Or Pig Candy as some people affectionately call it? If not, please make this soon. It's oh-so-delicious and completely addictive.
I know - candied bacon is a weird thing to share on my cake decorating blog. But after sharing the Maple Brown Sugar Buttercream recipe last week, and the candied bacon today, I hope you can see that this is going somewhere good.
Somewhere very, very good. And delicious.
Jump to:
After thinking about it for a while, I think I know why I love candied bacon so much. First, I love pancakes. And I love bacon or sausage with pancakes. Why? Because I love to dip the bacon or sausage in the syrup when eating pancakes.
So it makes sense that I would love bacon baked with syrup and a brown sugar mixture, right?
Okay - so the candied bacon - let's talk about how to make it.
Candied Bacon
Since I was making this for cupcakes, I only did 6 bacon slices. Of course, you could double or triple this or make a whole pound of bacon if you like. I promise, no judgment here.
Start by covering a baking sheet with two sheets of aluminum foil. This makes for a much easier cleanup when all the work is done.
The first time I made it (when I took this pic above), I didn't double the foil and I regretted it. You'll see further down below pictures of a different batch with the doubled foil.
Before beginning, preheat your oven to 375°F. You're also going to need to gather your ingredients:
- 6 strips of bacon
- ¼ cup brown sugar (or up to ½ cup if you think you'll like extra sweet)
- ¼ cup of pure maple syrup
... and a silicone pastry brush.
Instructions for How to Make Candied Bacon in the Oven
Okay - so spread the bacon on the pan, then brush it with maple syrup.
Note: I used regular bacon for this post but I've also used thick-cut bacon and love that too!
Then sprinkle with brown sugar.
Another note - I also added more brown sugar than seen here the second time around. In this case, I believe more is, in fact, better! Be generous with the brown sugar - that's all I'm saying.
Bake the bacon for 10 minutes at 375°F, then take it out of the oven and flip over each strip.
Now repeat the steps above...
...brush with more maple syrup...
... and add more brown sugar.
Stick it back in the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Check after 5 minutes to make sure it's not starting to burn. Depending on the thickness of your bacon, it may cook a little faster than mine did!
Note: this is where I stopped taking pics the first time around. I have no idea what I was thinking. So darn it, I had to make another batch just to get the last few pictures. I'm really hating myself for this (NOT!!!).
Anyway, I'm telling you this because, as you can see, the pictures are a little different. Different lighting, different pan, and two sheets of foil this time. So, after it was done, I took it out and moved the bacon to let the bacon cool on a wire cooling rack.
It only took a few minutes and it was ready to eat. I mean put on cupcakes. Haha!
This candied bacon really is so, so easy to make and it's delicious. I've only used it as cupcake garnish (ahem!), but I've seen recipes where people eat it straight up as an appetizer or snack (which I highly recommend but know nothing about!), or bake it into cookies, use it for topping on ice cream.
How do you store candied bacon?
If your bacon is not eaten within a couple of hours, it will need to be refrigerated or frozen.
Candied bacon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks airtight container. Layer it between sheets of parchment paper to keep it all from sticking together.
You can also free candied bacon. Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months if wrapped and separated with parchment paper, then placed in an airtight, freezer-friendly container.
How do you reheat candied bacon?
If all of your candied bacon isn't eaten immediately and you've stored it in the refrigerator or freezer, there are a few ways to reheat it. First, you can eat it cold (not my favorite) or let it come to room temperature by leaving it out on the counter for a bit.
Or if you'd like to reheat it, you can warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Or for my favorite option, preheat your oven to 350°F and warm it in the oven for five minutes. Reheating it in the oven gives it the best overall flavor and texture (in my opinion).
Is Candied Bacon Gluten Free?
The short answer... yes! This sweet and savory and sticky treat is gluten-free!
Is it Keto? While there might be some sugar-free options out there, my Candied Bacon recipe is not Keto-friendly (thanks to the brown sugar and maple syrup).
Can you make candied bacon with white sugar?
Yes. But I don't recommend it. The flavor and richness will not be as delicious as with brown sugar.
Another option is to make your own brown sugar if you happen to have molasses on hand. Find out how to make brown sugar here.
Candied Bacon Flavors
Want to spice things up? Add more flavor to your candied bacon by mixing some other flavors into your brown sugar. Then use that brown sugar mixture in the same way you use the plain brown sugar.
Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of any of the following spices to change up the flavor. You can even add two or three if you really want to amp up the flavors. Here are some suggestions:
- For an herb flavor, try dried Rosemary
- Garlic and/or Onion Powder
- To add some heat, try Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, and or Black Pepper.
- Cinnamon and/or Nutmeg
- Fresh Orange or Lemon Zest
However you choose to eat it - I'm sure it'll be fantastic and a huge hit with your crowd!
You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, & Facebook!
Here's the printable recipe for you:
PrintRecipe
Candied Bacon
Description
How to Make Candied Bacon in the Oven - this post will give you all the details you need to make candied bacon in the oven with brown sugar. The bacon is crispy, chewy, salty, and sweet - perfect all on its own or added to other recipes!
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil (I recommend doubling it). Lay out the strips of bacon and brush with maple syrup. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the bacon. Brush with more maple syrup and sprinkle again with brown sugar.
Bake for at least 5 more minutes (up to 15, depending on the thickness of your bacon). Check often - once it's close to done, it'll go from done to burnt very quickly!!
Transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp up. It'll stick together very easily so spread it out!
Enjoy!
Jennifer Head
My husband and I married March 1962. I had been a music major (voice and piano) and I had not clue how to cook meat! He came from a farm and meat was as staple on their table (as it was in my parents' home) so he was getting hungry for meat. First meal I cooked for him -- can of corn, slab os iceberg lettuce with French dessing on it, and another vegetable. He took a package of sliced smoked bacon (from the store), stuck it under the gas broiler, had put brown sugar on the bacon -- and we had candied bacon from that day forward. Oh, by the way -- I did learn to cook, big time -- but never ever forget him helping me get meat onto the table with his invention (he just thought of it -- hadn't had it before). IT WAS and IS SO GOOD! Your recipe adds the steps of the maple syrup -- but good is good!!!