Candied Bacon Recipe (2024)

4.28 from 36 votes

Ingredients

Bacon—lean, thick cut preferred.
Brown sugar—or maple syrup
Spices—chili powder and cayenne pepper (optional)

👨‍🍳How to Make Candied Bacon

Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional. Convection baking is recommended to help dry out moisture and have crisper results.

Mix ½ cup of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of chili powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional).

Prep a rimmed baking sheet like a sheet pan with aluminum foil to help clean up and a wire rack coated heavily with PAM baking spray. If you don't have a rack. Use a heavy spray of PAM on the foil or pan and coat only the top side of the bacon.

Cut bacon strips in half or thirds. Trim any large chunks of fat.

Dip bacon in the brown sugar mixture and coat well.

Spread in a single layer over the prepared rack, leaving a little space, then give the bacon a light sprinkle of additional sugar and spice.

Bake until bacon appears crispy and done—about 15-20 minutes. It may take longer, so cook until it looks done. But remember, sugar can begin to burn when left in too long.

Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes, then carefully pat off any pools of fat on top of the bacon with a paper towel.

Then, transfer it for cooling on another rack. A silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or a plate should do. Do not "drain" on a paper towel due to sticking.

See Also

Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread RecipeVegan Kimchi Recipe (Easy & Homemade)Brioche Bread RecipeGrandma's Candy Popcorn recipe & a Giveaway!

For more details, keep reading. See theRecipe Cardbelow for complete instructions and to print.

✔️Tips to get it right every time

1. Bake until crispy. This is not the time for wimpy bacon. But that time will vary by the thickness of the bacon and your oven, so times are approximate.
2. Use a baking rack if you have one. Please note that a cooling rack may not be an oven-safe baking rack.
3. Pat some of the fat off the top of the bacon after removal from the oven. But let it cool for a few minutes before moving to the cooling area. But get it off the rack before it sticks.
4. Serve either warm or cold. To warm— 5 minutes in a 350° oven will reheat nicely or a few seconds in the microwave.

🐖Variations and Ingredient Options

Bacon Variations

Use good quality thick-cut bacon. If you use thinner bacon, the cooking time will decrease, and since it is finger food, it will tend to fall apart, may not fully caramelize, and be sticky.

Use smoked bacon for a smoked candied bacon. Or a maple bacon for a maple candied bacon.

Coating Variations

Sugar— Use either dark or light brown sugar. But you may use maple syrup to add more maple flavor to maple candied bacon.

The ratio to substitute is for each cup of brown sugar, use ¾ cup of maple syrup. If you use maple syrup, cook your bacon candy until dark brown to make it less sticky.

Chili powder—substitute smoked paprika for a more smokey taste.

Cayenne pepper—varies according to your taste.

Other Sweet Recipes

Check out other popular sweet recipes, like Popcorn Balls, Oreo Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Clusters, Easy 5-Minute Fudge, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites, and Candied Nuts. This recipe is featured in Holiday Candy Recipe Roundup.

Should I coat both sides or one side of the bacon?

Do I have to use a baking rack?

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Candied Bacon Recipe

Sweet, salty, and crispy with a touch of heat, this Candied Bacon Recipe is easy to make at home with bacon, brown sugar, and spices. Known as Millionaire or Million Dollar bacon, it makes a great party dish, snack, or holiday gift.

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Servings #/Adjust if desired 22

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Your Own Private Notes

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 117 kcal (6%)Carbohydrates : 5 g (2%)Protein : 7 g (14%)Fat : 7 g (11%)Saturated Fat : 3 g (15%)Cholesterol : 20 mg (7%)Sodium : 361 mg (15%)Potassium : 118 mg (3%)Fiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 5 g (6%)Vitamin A : 134 IU (3%)Calcium : 8 mg (1%)Iron : 1 mg (6%)

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

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