Candied Bacon

Candied Bacon

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 pound

Candied bacon may sound wrong, but it is oh so right! To make this easy recipe, all you need to do is coat raw bacon with a sugar and spice mixture and bake it until it's crispy. The resulting treat is simultaneously chewy and crunchy, sweet and salty, and completely addicting.

Not sure how you should enjoy candied bacon? First off, it's wonderful eaten plain. But you can also crumble it on salads, use it on sandwiches, or crush it up and use it to top cakes, cupcakes, or doughnuts! You can also dip it in chocolate. Once you master the art of candied bacon, the possibilities are endless.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sliced bacon
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Optional: Dash cayenne pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil, then place an oven-safe wire rack on top of the pan. Spray the rack liberally with nonstick cooking spray.

    Candied Bacon
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the cayenne pepper (if using). Toss them together until the spices are well-distributed.

    Candied Bacon
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
  3. Take a strip of bacon and press it into the sugar mixture, then turn it over and coat the other side with sugar. Place it on the wire rack, then repeat until all of the slices of bacon are covered with sugar on both sides.

    Candied Bacon
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
  4. If you have any remaining sugar, sprinkle it over the top of the bacon. ​Bake the bacon in your preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. When it is done, it will be firm and crispy and dark along the edges.

    Candied Bacon
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
  5. Soon after you take it out of the oven, use a spatula to lift the bacon off the rack—sometimes the sugar and fat cause the bacon to stick, and if it's not removed when it is still warm, it's difficult to get off of the rack.

    Candied Bacon
    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
  6. Let the bacon cool completely, and then enjoy! Candied bacon can be eaten on its own, crumbled to use as a salad topping, or enjoyed on top of other desserts like cakes or cupcakes.

Recipe Variation

  • If you love making candied bacon, once you become an expert it can be fun to start making other versions of this irresistible recipe! Another variation on this same idea can be made with thin slices of Genoa salami. Prepare the brown sugar coating in the same way and place on a wire rack, however slices of salami tend to cook much faster in the oven, only about 5-7 minutes to get nice and crispy. The spices in the salami pair perfectly with the brown sugar candied coating. Serve at your next party and it is sure to be a huge crowd pleaser!
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
250 Calories
15g Fat
14g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 250
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 635mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 14g
Calcium 18mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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