There’s bacon, and then there is candied bacon made with thick cut bacon, maple syrup and fresh ground pepper. Perfect with cocktails!
One of the things I love about this blog is that I get so many suggestions for different things folks would like me to make. And of all of those suggestions, some of my very favorites are the ones that involve bacon. I know, shocking.
And of those bacon recipes, the ones that are pretty much all bacon? Heaven, heaven, heaven. This particular one is for candied bacon, which is a combination of two of my favorite words in the whole universe.
I was a little afraid to make it, just in case it didn’t turn out to be all I hoped and dreamed it would be. As it turned out, I had absolutely nothing to worry about.
The idea for this came from my friend Dennis, who had a recipe for caramelized bacon that he was raving about. I simplified it down to three delightful ingredients: fresh ground pepper, maple syrup, and a nice generous amount of thick-cut bacon.
Here’s how you make incredibly addictive candied bacon!
Line a baking pan with foil (do not skip this step if you ever want to use this baking pan again….trust me on this) and pop a wire cooling rack on it. Preheat your oven to 375.
Now mix up the maple syrup and the pepper together (sweet! spicy!) and cut your bacon in half slices. Lay the slices on the wire rack and paint them generously with the syrup. Flip them over and paint them again.
Now give them one more grinding of black pepper for good luck.
There's bacon, and then there is candied bacon made with thick cut bacon, maple syrup and fresh ground pepper. Perfect with cocktails! Pop them in the oven and bake the bacon for about 25 minutes or so – you want it nice and crispy. Let it cool for a few minutes, and then remove it to a plate – a nice serving dish if you are going to serve it as is, or a regular plate if you are going to use it as an ingredient in something.
My next post is going to call for using this candied bacon as a key ingredient, but in the meantime Dennis left me the following note with his review of my version of candied bacon: “Delicious with a cocktail!!!”
And you know, it was!
Candied Bacon
There’s bacon, and then there is candied bacon made with thick cut bacon, maple syrup and fresh ground pepper. Perfect with cocktails!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon, slices cut in half
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, please!)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for the sprinkle at the end
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (don’t skip this step!) and set a wire cooling rack in the center of the pan.
- Lay the bacon pieces on the rack. Mix the pepper and syrup together and paint each piece of bacon with the peppered syrup with a pastry brush. Flip them over and paint again. Now grind a generous amount of pepper on the side that is currently facing up.
- Bake the bacon until crispy, about 25 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the rack and then finish cooling to room temperature on a plate. And don’t even try to eat just one…it’s impossible.
Margie Palatini says
Can you make this ahead of time?
Like a day ahead for a party?
If so, how do you store it?
Hi Margie! Yes you can make it ahead of time. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in foil and store it in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before you serve it. Hope you have a great party!
Linda says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Where does the brown sugar come in?
Hi Linda! And oh my goodness, I don’t know WHERE my brain was when I typed brown sugar – all you need is the bacon, the maple syrup and the pepper. I’ve fixed up the post – thank you for that, and I hope you love love love this recipe! :)
William says
I’m thinking the oven temperature should be 375?
William, you are so right and I’ve fixed that (some of my recipes got a little wonky in my last re-design, so thanks for catching that!)
iKimmybee says
Will use this as appetizer for Christmas!! :3
Hurray and Merry Christmas!!
Peggy says
Harringtons is the absolute best for all things pork. Bacon is delicious and their hams are the holiday favorite in my house. Don’t overlook their selections of cheese. Equally delicious.
I’m so excited about the bacon…and now I need to get some other things, clearly!
Sharon & Denise @ BeBetsy says
Yum, yum and oh yeah, YUM!!! Thanks for sharing this great recipe. ~~ Sharon & Denise
Siesta Brandy says
I have made candied bacon for years and of all the things I make, this one is huge favorite! Men especially love it. Mine is made with brown sugar, rice vinegar and cayenne but I am going to try yours which also sounds delicious! I also want to know more about the bacon from Harrington’s. I usually serve mine as an appetizer at parties–whole slices standing in a glass or lying on a pretty dish.
Crystal @ Simply Playful Fare says
This looks awesome! Maybe I’ll make this to do something nice for my husband! :)
Do! Bet he will do something nice back. :)
Nutmeg Nanny says
Oh wow! This is perfection :) I love candied bacon!!
It’s a whole new level of wonderfulness. :)