Maple Millionaire Bacon

As a Breakfast and Brunch blogger, it should come as no surprise that I adore bacon. My Maple Millionaire 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 for 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 Bacon is everything I want in my mouth at one time.

Starting with not-too thick 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, crispy waffles, or upgrading a classic bacon egg and cheese, 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).

❤️ 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. Like bacon candy!
• 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!

• Bacon - You don't want bacon that's too thin because it will brun too quickly with all the sugar and maple syrup. You also don't want a super thick slice or it will never become crisp. I find that a basic grocery store "thick-cut" bacon works just fine for stickiness and crispiness, without burning.
• 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!
• Nutty - My maple pecan bacon adds a nutty twist to you morning meat.

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.

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 one side of a slice of bacon with maple syrup.

Step 3: Press the syrup side of the bacon into the sugar/spice mix and place on a parchment lined large sheet pan, sugar side up. Repeat with the remaining bacon.

Step 4: Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the pan. If any of the bacon pieces are sticking together, separate them now. It will be harder when they're fully cooked.

Step 5: Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, watching carefully as the bacon cooks for the last 5 minutes, as it 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 each piece of bacon should be a deep mahogany color.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and place strips on a fresh piece of parchment paper to cool.

Hint: Your candied bacon won't be crisp when it first comes out of the oven, but will crisp a little more if you let the bacon cool on a wire rack. It 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 😆

(p.s. You'll try not to eat it all. You'll try to share, but no promises, right? Sharing is caring, but sometimes I don't care. I said it.)

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