As a Breakfast and Brunch blogger, it should come as no surprise that I adore bacon. My Maple Millionaire's Bacon is a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet and a little bit sticky and a whole lotta addictive! Try it for breakfast, for brunch, or as a garnish on your Bloody Mary!
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I'm not crazy about bacon because I'm a breakfast and brunch blogger. I'm a breakfast and brunch blogger because I'm crazy about bacon! This recipe for Maple Millionaire's Bacon is everything I want in my mouth at one time.
Starting with thick cut bacon, you brush it with maple syrup (the sticky part), drag it through a blend of brown sugar and spices (the sweet and spicy part), and bake it in the oven until it glistens and sizzles and calls to you (eat meeeeee!) As you can tell I feel a type of way about this bacon.
Perfection with fluffy pancakes or crispy waffles, this delicious spicy candied bacon is ridiculous on top of a burger, or just eaten by itself, disappearing into your mouth like you're a human woodchipper (but bacon).
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❤️ What you'll love about Maple Millionaire's Bacon
- Spicy - Not so spicy that you want a glass of milk with your bacon, but that perfect heat level that wakes up your mouth.
- Sweet - Balancing out the spice is just the best sweet ever - a combo of brown sugar and smoky maple syrup. Just wow!
- Easy - Just brush on the maple syrup and drag your strips through the sugar and spice and you're ready to bake.
- Quick - The whole process, including baking takes less than 30 minutes.
- Economical - I tested this recipe with expensive double smoked bacon and store bought bacon and you know what? No difference! No need to be bougie. This time.
Ingredients
Start gathering your ingredients, and keep bacon in the house at all times. You're going to be hooked!
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
Substitutions
I want this to work for you, so let's figure it out together!
- Cayenne - There are some people who are allergic to capsaicin, which is found to some degree in all peppers. If that's the case, or if it's too spicy for you, try substituting mustard powder for the cayenne, or just skip it altogether.
- Ginger - In place of ginger, you can use allspice or turmeric. Even mustard powder, to give you that same zing.
- Smoked paprika - If you don't have smoked paprika, you can substitute with regular or sweet paprika.
- Maple syrup - No real maple syrup in your pantry? I ask you, in the name of brunch, that you not use "pancake syrup" in its place. That's just sugar and caramel coloring and it makes me sad. I mean, I won't be in your kitchen, but I'll be sad. Try warming up a little honey and brushing that on in its place.
Variations
I'm hoping you came here because you're like "I wanna feel like a millionaire. Gimme that millionaire's bacon", but if you want something a little different, try these variations:
- Black pepper - If the cayenne and the red pepper flakes just sound too spicy for you, try just adding cracked black pepper to your brown sugar mixture. Maybe that's upper middle class bacon? Still good!
- Bourbon - Try combining a bit of bourbon with your maple syrup and brushing that on before seasoning. Smoky maple and a little woo-hoo? Why not?
- Everything - Try my Everything Seasoning Candied Bacon! After brushing on maple syrup and baking it halfway, a sprinkle of everything seasoning is an absolute delight!
Parchment paper vs Foil
When making candied bacon, or baking bacon in the oven that has a very high sugar content, I always prefer to use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. Not only does it prevent foods from sticking, it is less conductive than metallic foil, which can increase the chances of burning.
That being said, if I'm super concerned about an easy cleanup, I'll completely cover my sheet pan in foil and then lay a sheet of parchment paper over it, having protection from both sticking and doing more dishes. Winning!
Hot tip: To keep your parchment paper from curling up, especially if you have the kind that comes on a roll, crumple up your parchment with your hands and then flatten it out. Now it will lay flat in your sheet pan!
Oven temperature
Remember, making bacon in the oven is highly dependent on two things: the temperature of your oven and the amount of time you are baking. Not every oven's temperature sensor is accurate. My last oven was off by 75 degrees!!
If you are unsure of your oven's temperature, use an oven thermometer to check its accuracy, and consult your oven owner's manual to adjust the temperature if needed. If you don't have a thermometer to check, keep a close eye on the time you have your bacon in the oven. A higher or lower temp will change the amount of time your candied bacon needs.
Get back to basics: If you've never made Crispy Bacon in the Oven, this post will get you started the right way!
Instructions
So easy a child could do it but definitely don't have children do this because ovens and bacon grease are very hot and also this is too delicious don't let your children taste it or they will try to eat all of it the end 😮💨
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a small sheet pan, combine your sugar and your spices.
Step 2: Brush both sides of a slice of bacon with maple syrup.
Step 3: Press both sides of the bacon into the sugar/spice mix and place on a parchment lined large sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining bacon.
Step 4: Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully flip over.
Step 5: Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, watching carefully for the last 5 minutes, as can go from perfectly done to burnt in a minute. There will likely be a lot of darker grease and sticky bits around the bacon strips, but they will come out just fine.
Step 6: Remove from the oven and place strips on a fresh piece of parchment paper to cool.
Hint: Your candied bacons will be floppy when it first comes out of the oven, but will crisp up a bit as they cool. They won't be shatteringly crisp, but just that perfect amount of crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle and oh so yummy! Enjoy! You'll try not to eat it all, try to share, but no promises, right? Sharing is caring, but sometimes I don't care 😆
Expert tip
The biggest hazard of making millionaire's bacon, besides eating it all and making everyone else mad, is splattering yourself with grease. To avoid that, whenever you make bacon in the oven, use tongs to grab the end of the bacon furthest away from you. Lift carefully and drag the bottom away from you and gently turn it over onto the other side. If any bacon grease splashes, it will be to opposite the side of the pan, and not on you.
Recipe FAQs
Because of the high sugar content candied bacon shouldn't be absolutely crispy as there is a fine line between perfect bacon and garbage. You can try letting it cook longer to get the crisp you desire, but I'm not kidding when I say check it every minute or two.
Yes you can, but I don't recommend it. Thinner cuts of bacon will cook faster than the sugars on the outside can caramelize and "candy" the surface. By using thicker bacon, you sacrifice having a truly crispy slice, but the flavor is worth it!
In the unlikely event that not all of the bacon is devoured, store in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can reheat in the oven on a parchment lined sheet pan at 350°F for 10 minutes or microwave on a parchment line plate for 20 to 30 seconds. In either case, allow to cool before eating.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a comment with a ⭐️ rating below to tell me all about it, and don't forget to tag me on Instagram!
I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Maple Millionaire’s Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon thick cut
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar either light or dark is fine
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a small sheet pan, combine your sugar and your spices.
- Brush both sides of a slice of bacon with maple syrup.
- Press both sides of the bacon into the sugar/spice mix and place on a parchment lined large sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining bacon.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully flip over.
- Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, watching carefully for the last 5 minutes, as can go from perfectly done to burnt in a minute. There will likely be a lot of darker grease and sticky bits around the bacon strips, but they will come out just fine.
- Remove from the oven and place strips on a fresh piece of parchment paper to cool.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Val says
Absolutely delicious! This is the star of brunch whenever I make it and with good reason.