Made with a sweet and slightly spicy maple glaze and chopped walnuts, this is an easy, irresistible recipe for Maple Candied bacon.
Just like Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole and Breakfast Sliders, Maple Candied Bacon is a satisfying breakfast recipe that is both sweet and salty.
It is hard to improve upon bacon. Crispy, crunchy, salty, and savory, bacon is a loved staple in so many homes.
However, preparing candied bacon with a maple glaze takes a delicious breakfast staple and turns it into a memorable dish.
This recipe for Maple Bacon uses my fool-proof technique of making Baked Bacon, but it amped up a few notches with the addition of the sweet and spicy maple glaze.
Maple syrup, spices, and chopped nuts transform bacon from simply being smokey and savory to smokey, savory, sweet, and a bit spicy. As the bacon bakes, the glaze gets gooey, and sticky and helps the bacon to crisp up to an irresistible texture.
It gets crispy, crunchy, and finger-licking good! It is the perfect compliment to eggs and toast Whole Wheat Pancakes or French Toast.
Notes on Ingredients
- Bacon: I recommend using thick-cut pork bacon for the best results. That said, you can certainly use turkey bacon if you prefer.
- Maple Syrup: Use only pure maple syrup when preparing maple bacon. Pancake syrup is not an acceptable substitute.
- Spices: For candied bacon that is balanced in flavor, you want to use both warming spices and spices that pack a little bit of heat. For the perfect combination, this recipe uses cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Nuts: The nuts are completely optional, but add a nice crunch and flavor to the bacon. Both walnuts and pecans are fabulous options.
Notes on Equipment:
- Baking Sheet Pan Fitted With Rack: The best pan to use when preparing bacon is a rimmed baking pan that is fitted with a heat-safe rack. The rack will let the air circulate around the bacon from every direction, allowing it to cook evenly. If you don’t have a baking pan like this, you can use a broiler pan.
- Foil: I highly recommend lining the bottom of your pan with foil to make clean-up easy.
How to Make Candied Bacon
- Line your baking pan with foil and top with the metal rack.
- Lay the bacon out in a single even layer on the baking sheet, being sure to not overlap the slices of bacon. It is better to use two pans versus crowding the bacon all onto one pan.
- Prepare the maple glaze by mixing together maple syrup with the spices until evenly combined.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the maple syrup over each slice of bacon and sprinkle with nuts, if using.
- Bake until golden brown and to your desired level of crispiness.
- Once the bacon has been baked, allow it to cool slightly on the pan, and then remove it to a paper-towel-lined plate to fully cool.
- Serve as desired.
How to Discard Bacon Grease Safely
Don’t pour the bacon grease down the drain, as it can cause plumping issues and blockages. Instead, let it cool and solidify and then wrap up the foil, with the hardened grease and discard it into the trash.
Storage/Reheating Instructions
If you happen to not devour this Maple Bacon within minutes of preparing, which is a commendable feat in my book, you can store the cooled bacon in an airtight container separated between sheets of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place the bacon on a sheet pan fitted with a metal rack, or a broiler pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes, or until crispy and warm.
Pairing Suggestions for Maple Bacon
While the obvious choice for serving Candied Maple Bacon is at breakfast or brunch, it also makes an unexpected (and LOVED!) appetizer, a delicious topping to a Strawberry Spinach Salad, and is fabulous in place of the sausage on Breakfast Sliders.
But if traditional is more your thing, you can’t go wrong serving Maple-Glazed Bacon with any of the following dishes.
If you tried this Maple Bacon, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Maple Candied Bacon
An easy recipe for candied bacon made with a sweet and slightly spicy maple glaze and chopped nuts.
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Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 105kcal
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay a metal baking rack over the foil.
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Lay the bacon evenly out onto the rack, being sure to not overlap.
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In a small mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup with the cinnamon, paprika, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Brush the maple glaze over each slice of bacon and sprinkle with nuts if using.
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Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and reaches your desired level of crispiness.
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Remove the bacon from the oven and let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool fully before serving.
Notes
Spices: The spice addition lends balance to the sweetness of the maple syrup, so you don’t want to overlook the addition of paprika or pepper. If you don’t have fresh nutmeg, omit the nutmeg. DO NOT substitute for dried ground nutmeg.
Nuts: Almonds or walnuts are a perfect addition to this candied bacon recipe, but you can certainly omit the nuts if you have nut allergies.
Storage: Store the cooled bacon in an airtight container separated between sheets of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the bacon on a sheet pan fitted with a metal rack, or a broiler pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes, or until crispy and warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 54mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.1mg
This post was originally published in 2018 but updated in 2022 with a new video and photos.
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