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You’ll love this maple candied bacon recipe that’s sweet and slightly spicy. Thick sliced bacon is brushed with a brown sugar maple syrup glaze and seasoned with black pepper for a tasty treat you’ll love!
This luscious recipe for candied bacon in the oven is very versatile. It is wonderful for brunch or breakfast, and pairs nicely with our Bacon Cheddar Mini Quiches and Bacon Bloody Marys.
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It’s also a crowd-pleasing bacon appetizer, along with some of our other favorites like Tater Tots with Bacon and Cheese and Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies.
Candied bacon is one of those amazing recipes that will blow your socks off, yet it’s super simple to make. If you’ve read our popular tutorial on How to Cook Bacon in the Oven, you’ll recognize the easy (lazy!) technique.
While the bacon is bakin,’ you brush it with a sweet, sticky glaze. As the grease renders out, the glaze becomes thick and glossy on the outside of the bacon. As it cools, it forms a sweet coating on the bacon.
We use the same technique on our popular recipes for Crack Bacon, Jalapeno Bacon, Honey Bacon, Million Dollar Bacon, Halloween Bacon Bats, Bacon Lollipops and Billionaire Bacon!
A sprinkling of black pepper adds a little spiciness which pairs perfectly with the sweet-salty bacon. (If you love the flavor combination of maple and bacon, be sure to check out our Bacon Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Maple Bacon Cupcakes!)
Why it’s Worth Making Maple Brown Sugar Candied Bacon
- People will literally moan when they eat it.
- The glossy, maple-y, peppery bacon looks gorgeous on the plate.
- The sweet-spicy-salty combination is just so tasty.
- If you bring it to a potluck or party, you will not be bringing any home. We offer a money-back guarantee on this promise.
- The recipe is very easy to make.
- You can use it in other recipes. Maple Candied Bacon is the crunchy topping on our Maple Bacon Cupcakes.
The Easy Cooking Process
- Make the maple and brown sugar glaze.
- Arrange the bacon strips on a foil and parchment paper-lined baking sheet
- Bake until the bacon slices start to brown. Blot the excess grease.
- Brush with the glaze and continue baking. Turn, glaze again, and continue baking.
- Remove from stove and cool.
- Serve and humbly accept all compliments.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: It may be necessary to close open windows if guests’ moaning sounds become too loud.
FAQs
Can I make this recipe with regular sliced bacon instead of thick sliced bacon?
You bet. Reduce your cooking time, and keep an eye on the bacon near the end so it doesn’t burn. You may wish to cut the bacon slices in half since they’ll be thinner.
Can you tell me how to make candied bacon on the stove?
You’ll definitely cook the brown sugar maple syrup glaze on your stovetop, but to give the bacon its gorgeous candied exterior it has to spend some time in the oven. The heat of the oven helps the glaze candy and turn glossy. Plus, cooking candied bacon in the oven is super easy and the clean-up is much simpler.
How long does candied bacon last?
This maple glazed bacon is best eaten just after you make it, but it can be stored in a covered container or wrapped in foil for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
How do you ship candied bacon?
Make sure the bacon completely cooled before wrapping it in aluminum foil. Then put it inside a resealable plastic bag. Place it inside another resealable bag with a frozen ice pack, and squeeze out all the air before sealing. Package in a sturdy shipping box with plenty of bubble wrap or shipping peanuts to cushion it. Send your tasty treat using an overnight service.
Can you make candied bacon ahead of time?
Yes, you can absolutely make this recipe in advance. I sometimes make it early in the morning on Christmas day and it’s fine sitting out for a few hours at room temperature until we eat it.
Or you can also prepare it up to a day or two in advance. Cool the bacon to room temperature and store in a sealed container or on a foil-wrapped plate for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. The glaze may soften a bit and get a little grainy, but don’t worry. The glaze will melt and get shiny when you reheat it.
Spread the bacon strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet and reheat in a preheated 375 degree F oven until hot and shiny, for about 7-8 minutes.
Useful Tools for this Recipe
Good maple syrup makes all the difference in this recipe. I used bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, but you can also use a quality Grade A maple syrup.*
You’ll need a large baking sheet* to cook the bacon.
The baking sheet is lined with foil for easy clean up, and a top layer of parchment paper* keeps the glazed bacon from sticking to the pan.
Leftovers and Reheating Instructions
Let’s be honest. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll have leftover maple candied bacon. But if you do, you can store the leftover appetizers in a sealed container or on a foil-wrapped plate for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. The glaze may soften a bit and get a little grainy, but not to worry. When you reheat it, the glaze will melt and get shiny again.
Reheat the bacon strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 7-8 minutes, until hot.
Step by Step Directions
Begin by lining a baking sheet with foil and topping it with a piece of parchment paper. The foil makes clean-up so easy, and the parchment paper keeps the candied bacon from sticking to the pan.
Arrange the bacon slices on the baking sheet. It’s okay if they overlap, as they will shrink while cooking.
While the bacon is bakin,’ let’s make the sticky candied maple glaze. Pour 1/4 cup maple syrup in a heavy saucepan. I used bourbon barrel maple syrup for this batch, but feel free to use your favorite syrup. Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar.
Stir the mixture and heat over medium-high. The sugar will melt into the maple syrup. Continue heating, stirring constantly, just until the syrup bubbles. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Remove from the heat and reserve.
After ten minutes, remove the bacon pan from the oven and blot it with paper towels.
After you brush the bacon with the syrup, sprinkle it generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Continue baking until bacon strips are crispy and browned, about 10 more minutes.
Your exact cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. Watch carefully towards the end of cooking time so bacon doesn’t overcook. Remove from the oven and cool. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Maple candied bacon is ready for eating! If you love the flavor, be sure to check out our scrumptious appetizer recipe for Maple Bacon and Brie.
Here’s the web story we created for Maple Syrup Candied Bacon.
Here’s the easy, printable recipe:
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Maple Candied Bacon Recipe
Eliza Cross
Thick sliced bacon is basted with a brown sugar and maple syrup glaze and baked until candied and glossy, and freshly ground black pepper adds spicy flavor.
4.76 from 74 votes
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Additional Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Bacon Breakfast Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 pieces
Calories 253 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick sliced bacon
- 1/4 cup bourbon barrel aged maple syrup*
- 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil topped with a sheet of parchment paper.
To make the maple and brown sugar glaze, combine the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and reserve.
Arrange the bacon strips on the prepared baking sheet, overlapping slightly if needed.
Bake until the bacon slices start to brown, about 15 minutes. Blot the excess grease with paper towels.
Brush generously with the glaze and sprinkle generously with the black pepper. Continue baking for 5 minutes.
Turn the bacon strips, blot extra grease, and brush generously with the glaze. Sprinkle all over with freshly ground black pepper.
Continue baking until bacon strips are crispy and browned, about 10 more minutes. Your exact cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. Watch carefully towards the end of cooking time so bacon doesn’t overcook.
Remove from the oven and cool. Blot any excess grease. Arrange on a platter and serve. Makes 12 pieces.
Notes
*You can substitute regular Grade A pure maple syrup if you don’t have bourbon barrel aged syrup.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 13gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 642mgSugar: 19g
Nutritional Information Disclosure
Keyword bacon appetizers, brunch recipes, candied bacon, maple syrup
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