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This easy Candied Bacon Recipe is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. My entire family love it when I make this recipe and it never lasts long in my house.
You are going to love this candied bacon recipe. It is seriously so delicious. You get perfectly caramelized bacon in each bite. This salty snack makes a great appetizer recipe for any occasion.
Whether you call it maple bacon, million-dollar bacon, pig candy or candied bacon, you are going to love this recipe. It is easy, quick to make, and it will please a crowd. I promise. You just need 3 ingredients to make this maple bacon recipe, so anyone can make it any time.
Great easy recipe. It is important to use very thick cut bacon. I add a little cayenne and black pepper to mine for a little kick.
-Tom
Take it to a family gathering, make it for a brunch, or make it just because. Your family is going to love it. This is great for any party or brunch. See Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes for more ideas. If you love bacon, also try Bacon Crackers or Bacon Jam.
Ingredients
- Thick-Cut Bacon – You can also use regular cut bacon but cooking time may vary
- Maple Syrup – For that perfect sweetness flavor
- Light Brown sugar – See The Best Brown Sugar Substitutes
I know it seems simple but the combination of these ingredients is absolutely delicious. Check out the full recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make Easy Candied Bacon
Step 1 – First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2 – While the oven is warming up, arrange the slices of bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil. You can also use parchment paper.
Step 3 – Then you will need a small bowl. Mix the maple syrup and the brown sugar until they are combined really good. You can adjust the thickness if needed. Just add more maple syrup or microwave the sauce for a few seconds if it is too thick.
Step 4 – Use a pastry brush and get a thin layer of the sauce on to each bacon strip.
Step 5 – Finally, bake the bacon slices in the oven for 25 to 40 minutes until the bacon is crispy. It may only take 20 minutes so keep a close eye as times vary.
Step 6 – The bacon needs to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and it will be more crispy as it cools.
Step 7 – The last step is to transfer the carmelized bacon from the cooling rack to a plate or serving dish to allow the bacon to cool for a few more minutes. I like to transfer the bacon to a serving platter when I am feeding a crowd.
Easy Candied Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place bacon on a rack on a lined cookie sheet. I line mine with foil for easy clean up.
- In a small bowl mix the maple syrup and brown sugar.
- Brush the mixture on top of the bacon on the rack.
- Bake for 25-40 minutes until the bacon is crisp.
- Let the bacon cool on the wire rack for 10 minutes than transfer to a plate to cool completely.
- Then enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to bake – Candied bacon needs to be baked. It won’t caramelize and get the same crispy texture in a skillet.
- Cooking times – Cooking times can vary based on ovens. I would check the bacon periodically as it might not take the required amount of time and you don’t want it to burn. Make sure to arrange bacon in a single layer.
- Allow Bacon to Cool – While it is so tempting to eat the bacon right away, it is important to allow ample cooling time. It is very hot and the sugar mixture can burn you if not cooled.
- Line Baking Pan – For easier cleanup, I recommend lining your baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Variations Ideas
- Brown Sugar – If you don’t have any maple sugar on hand, this bacon would still taste delicious cooked with just the brown sugar on it. Instead of creating the sauce, I would sprinkle the brown sugar on the bacon strips. You can also sprinkle more on them once they are flipped. The dark brown sugar gives this bacon great flavor.
- Other Spices – Also, if you like the sweet and spicy combination, you can also add ½ teaspoon of paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder or black pepper to the brown sugar mixture. We have even added red pepper flakes. This will add a slight kick to this sweet bacon recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Suggestions
- It makes a great side dish with breakfast or brunch especially with these Lemon Blueberry Muffins.
- Candied bacon makes a delicious snack. Kids love this.
- Try crumbling the bacon and sprinkling it on a salad, pancakes, or ice cream.
How to Store
The leftovers need to go inside an airtight container. It can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for a week. Reheat millionaire’s bacon in the oven or the air fryer.
More Easy Bacon Recipes
Easy Side Dishes
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Easy Appetizer
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Recipe
Easy Grilling
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
We love to hear from you! If you make this Candied Bacon Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Do you flip it and brush brown sugar/maple syrup on other side?
I don’t. I just brush the mixture onto one side of the bacon and it turns out great!
I don’t have racks so baked them right on the baking sheet. However, 25 minutes was too long. They still came out crisp and tasted great, but 20 minutes would have been enough. Great with peppered bacon.
Great easy recipe. It is important to use very thick cut bacon. I add a little cayenne and black pepper to mine for a little kick.
Yum – that sounds delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
My whole family loved this recipe. I added a liberal amount of ground black pepper and it was a big hit.
If I make this the day before a brunch, how do you suggest to store and reheat?
Karen – I would store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, I would place it in the oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes until it’s warmed through. Let us know how it turns out!
Oh my God !!! I just couldn’t stop eating this until it was almost gone.
Need I say more ??
Made this tonight for my elderly friend…okay, I’ll admit I ate a bit in the process. Ecstasy! You should definitely make this ASAP!
You can’t eat just one!!!! YUMMMMMMMY.
If you can, try it with Maple Sugar instead of brown sugar. It kicks the Maple taste out of this Galaxy
I added some finely diced Jalapeños to the mix and it was really good. I like to call it Pig Candy! Sounds more fun.
Oh, that sounds amazing! I need to try that – thanks for sharing!
Melt chocolate then cover the bacon and cool…you then have candied chocolate covered bacon!!!
Can it be served cold or should it be warm?
I think it tastes great either way but warm is my favorite!
I LOVE this type of bacon in my burgers. Such a great recipe!
Can you freeze this?
I’m not sure – I haven’t tried it yet. If you do, please let me know if it works. Thanks!
I add Sriracha seasoning for a little spice with the sweetness.
If I make it ahead how would I reheat it ? I’m putting on a ladies brunch this weekend and I’m trying to do almost everything g ahead of time so I can enjoy the brunch as well .
had it for the first time at The Ruby Slipper in Orange Beach. So GOOD! Going to make it myself!