If you invited me to a cocktail party, I’d bring this.
Sweet and smoky bacon…
slathered in pure maple syrup with a crisp, candied crust.
It takes only 5 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes in the oven. I even foil the baking sheet a million times for easy clean up.
Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is getting the bacon out of the bag.
Maple-candied bacon makes a great hors d’oeuvre (is that how you spell it?) to serve with cocktails.
Any leftover bits can be thrown into salads and of course, there’s always the BLT.
Just a little warning my friends… these candied beauties are hard to resist!
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maple-candied bacon
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
Ingredients
- 1 lb. good quality bacon, sliced
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
- Add the bacon to the bowl and toss gently with your hands. Make sure that all of the slices are evenly coated* See note below.
- Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack.
- Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes. The bacon will be a bit brown, but will most likely need to bake for another 10-15 minutes. It should look slightly dark (not burnt) and crispy. If you take it out too soon, the texture will be chewy. Be patient!
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack. Don’t let them sit too long or else they will stick.
- Once cool enough to handle, you can break the bacon into chards (you’ll have about 32 pieces). Alternatively, you can leave them whole.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
*Note: When using a full pound, the bacon mixture will seem a bit dry when tossing with the glaze ingredients. This is how it’s supposed to be. Additional sauce is optional, but not necessary.
Comments
Gemma Cook says
This recipe looks fab! I am excited to give it a try! I wondered how long the bacon will last once candied?
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! For best results, I would make & eat the bacon on the same day. Sometimes the moisture in the glaze will soften the bacon if stored for too long (although I’ve kept some in the fridge for general snacking and it’s still good!).
Cindy Ammons says
Hi! Came across a picture of these beauties today. Did you use thick cut bacon or regular cut bacon? Thank you! You are now added to my “favorites”! Bacon has that kind of power! :)
Cindy from Georgia
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Cindy! Thick cut or regular bacon is fine (I use applewood smoked, thick cut from Trader Joe’s). Enjoy! xx
Judy McFarland says
This is an awesome addition to a Bloody Mary bar where people can make their Mary’s THEIR way. Speaking from experience….
Emilie says
Absolutely! I’m with you 100%! :)
Gus Gonzales says
Thanks for keeping this recipe available, I want to use it as a garnish for Natalie Miglarini’s (@beautifulbooze on IG) Maple Negroni cocktail. She calls for a bacon garnish, which got me thinking about jazzing up the garnish with maple candied bacon instead. I’m gonna give both recipes a go over the Thanksgiving Holiday this year.
Oh! And here’s her Maple Negroni recipe: http://www.beautifulbooze.com/blog/recipes/post/maple-negroni
Thanks!!!
Emilie says
You are quite welcome!