Brown Sugar Bacon is the perfect sweet and salty snack. It’s easy to make and extra delicious!
This candied bacon is going to knock your socks off! It is perfectly cooked bacon with a delicious coating of brown sugar with a little heat!
For this recipe, we are going to bake our bacon, but not the same way as I’ve shown you before. For this recipe, we need to cook the bacon a little faster to really get a nice crispy, candied version.
What you need for Brown Sugar Bacon:
Bacon- Use your favorite kind just keep in mind the thickness will determine the cook time.
Brown Sugar- I use light but dark will work great and give off more molasses flavor.
Spice- Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes- optional but delicious.
I am a big fan of sweet and spicy. I recently shared my buffalo wing popcorn and these candied jalapenos! The flavor combo is just something I can’t get enough of!
How to make brown sugar bacon?
- Combine the brown sugar, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Lay your bacon on an oven safe wire rack, placed inside a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture, patting it down to really pack it on.
- Bake until the sugar is melted and the bacon is nicely golden brown.
Variations
Bacon- Try this with peppered bacon for extra peppery flavor!
Maple- Try using Maple sugar or maple syrup for tasty treat!
More Heat- Use cayenne pepper for extra heat!
This bacon is the perfect side dish for a meat lovers’ meal or add it to your favorite wagyu burger, breakfast sandwich or breakfast burrito for a tasty treat!
Can you use white granulated sugar?
You can try but it does not caramelize very well at this temperature and so it won’t melt to coat the bacon.
Think about how you roll cookies in sugar before baking and the sugar crystals don’t melt- same thing goes for this recipe. It will stick but not melt.
Helpful Tips
Wire Racks: You can use most cooling racks in the oven if they are NOT non-stick. Non-stick has a coating on them that is not meant for the oven.
No Wire Rack Option: If you don’t have a wire rack line your baking sheet with parchment or foil. Add the bacon and top with the sugar. The bacon will be sitting in its own grease but it should still crisp up.
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What is candied bacon made of?
Candied bacon is made of sugar and bacon. Typically, it is brown sugar coating the bacon.
Can you coat both sides of the bacon with brown sugar?
This tends to be a bit messy and can be difficult to get the bacon off the wire rack since the sugar will be sticking to it as well as the bacon.
However, you are more than welcome to give it a go! Just be careful not to burn yourself on the hot sugar and bacon!
How to keep candied bacon crispy?
To keep the candied bacon crispy, leave the bacon in the oven but keep the temperature to 200°F. You can leave the bacon in the oven for 1-2 hrs without it getting over cooked. After 2 hrs it should be eaten or stored.
How to reheat candied bacon?
Reheat cold bacon in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.
Helpful Tip: Cold Bacon will have white spots from the cold bacon grease. As soon as you reheat the bacon it will dissolve!
How to store brown sugar bacon?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long does brown sugar bacon last?
Brown sugar bacon is best when eaten the same day you make it, however, it will last 3-4 days if refrigerated.
Let’s talk bacon really quick!
I was sent a box of bacon from Good Ranchers to try for this recipe. Let me just tell you it is as delicious as all their other quality meats!
If you want to try their chicken, steak, fish, or bacon you can get it here! Make sure to use code Joy to get an extra $30 off at checkout!
Also, if you’ve had bacon sitting in your fridge for a while make sure to check out my article on how to check if your bacon is still good!
Video
Brown Sugar Bacon
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Wire Rack*
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar*
- ½ teaspoon Pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar with pepper and red pepper flakes.⅓ cup light brown sugar*, ½ teaspoon Pepper, 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Lay bacon onto wire rack1 lb bacon
- Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the bacon, coating each piece, then gently press the sugar into the bacon.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until sugar is melted and the bacon is nice golden brown/red. Check bacon halfway through and rotate the baking sheet if needed. At 18 minutes start checking the bacon to see if it’s done. *
- Remove from oven and allow bacon to cool. The bacon should be fairly stiff straight from the oven, so if it’s not stick it back in for another minute or too. It will only set up slightly as it cools and the sugar hardens. Be careful checking the bacon (use a fork) as the sugar is very hot and you can burn yourself.
Notes
- Sugar: Light Brown Sugar is preferred, dark brown gives more of a molasses flavor, and white granulated doesn’t caramelize as well.
- Wire Racks: You can use most cooling racks in the oven as long as they are NOT non-stick. Non-stick has a coating on them that is not meant for the oven. If you have small grilling grates those can also work in a pinch but the spacing is a little bit wider on them so you will need to keep an eye on the bacon so it doesn’t fall through.
- No Wire Rack Option: If you don’t have a wire rack line your baking sheet with parchment or foil. Add the bacon and top with the sugar. The bacon will be sitting in its own grease but it should still crisp up.
- Crispness: Depending on the thickness of your bacon will alter your baking time. For thick bacon you will need a little longer. If you remove the bacon from the oven, it cools, and it’s not stiff, it’s ok to put it back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes (it will need to heat back up.) Just watch the bacon closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
Lisa says
Love this recipe! Delicious sweet with a little heat!