Maple-Cinnamon Candied Bacon Recipe

Bacon-topped cupcakes, bacon jam, and apple-bacon pie are just a few of the ways bacon is used as the perfect, savory pairing for sweet (and somewhat unusual) desserts. But it's possible to dress up your bacon with a maple-cinnamon dressing to turn the bacon itself into a sweet treat. "Candied bacon contains that absolutely delicious flavor combination of sweet and salty," says recipe developer Jennine Rye. "It's a wonderful and different ingredient, and always surprises people!"

Fortunately, it doesn't take very long to make — about 25 minutes from start to finish — and only requires four ingredients, so it's a fun and easy treat to make at the beginning of the week to enjoy as a snack or a topping with other dishes. But if you're at a loss as to what you'd enjoy this candied maple-cinnamon bacon with, Rye has you covered with some creative ideas for using the strips or bacon crumbles. "It is wonderful added to salads, to pancakes, to desserts, or even to burgers," she says. 

There are only four ingredients in this super-simple cinnamon-maple candied bacon recipe, and you likely already have a few of them on hand. All you need to gather are bacon, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and black pepper. Just make sure you look for "streaky bacon" which is a fattier cut that's also known as side bacon. 

You'll be baking your candied bacon instead of frying it, so go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F. As it heats up, mix together the maple syrup, cinnamon, and black pepper in a bowl. The amount of black pepper you use is up to you, but a couple pinches will likely do. 

Pull out a baking sheet, line it with foil, and place a wire rack on top. Lie the bacon slices across the top of the rack. The recipe calls for 10 slices, but if you want to have extra on-hand for different recipe and snacking purposes, you can easily double or triple the amount of bacon used. Just be sure to double or triple the maple-cinnamon sauce, too. 

With the bacon laid out on the rack, use a pastry brush to brush the sauce evenly across the top of the bacon. You'll have some left after doing so — set it aside because you'll be using it in a bit. 

When the oven is nice and hot, pop the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to start crisping up the bacon. After 10 minutes, pull the sheet out and use tongs to flip the meat over. Grab the leftover cinnamon-maple sauce and brush the other side of the bacon before putting it back in the oven. Let the bacon cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until it's nice and crisp. "The only thing to factor in with this is the different cooking times needed for the different thicknesses of bacon. Thinner bacon will take less time to bake, so it's good to keep an eye on the bacon," says Rye. "Luckily, this recipe is very forgiving. The cooking process won't be dramatically altered by opening the oven door, so you can check on the bacon as often as you like." 

When the bacon is crisp and has a nice deep brown color, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool. While it may not seem particularly hard at first, it will harden up as the bacon cools down. You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container or eat it right away. A batch lasts about four days, so don't be shy about crumbling a piece on top of your nightly bowl of ice cream or using it in place of bacon bits on your favorite salad.