Best Easy Candied Bacon

Looking for a party snack, appetizer or breakfast recipe with WOW factor? Best Easy Candied Bacon is the recipe for all those and more! This crispy, sweet & salty treat will disappear quickly! Serve it for brunch, game day or in a Southern Jarcuterie cup. This sweet and salty recipe is only 2 ingredients and quick and easy to make in the oven.

What is Candied Bacon?

It really can't get much easier (or yummier) than sprinkling brown sugar on bacon and baking it. The result is sweet and savory strips of candied bacon, sometimes called Million Dollar Bacon or Pig Candy, that can easily be eaten with your fingers.

You can do this! It's so easy!

Variations:

This 2 ingredient recipe is the base for plenty of variations! Sprinkle a little black pepper, cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for a sweet & spicy version. This one is sometimes called Millionaire or Million Dollar Candied Bacon.

Maple Candied Bacon is made by drizzling a bit of real maple syrup on the bacon. Go sparingly on the maple syrup as it sometimes causes the bacon to stick to the pan.

If you have an air fryer, you'll want to check out my recipe for Easy Air Fryer Candied Bacon.

What you'll need to make Candied Bacon in the oven

• Bacon (Thick or regular cut)
• Light Brown Sugar

It's that simple! Two ingredients.

Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.

What kind of bacon is best?

First of all, any bacon is good bacon. Am I right?

But, for the Best Easy Candied Bacon, I prefer the thick cut bacon. Thick cut bacon provides a firmer foundation to hold onto all that brown sugar. I've made it with both kinds and found that the regular cut bacon has a tendency to burn if you don't watch it closely... but it's still good. Scroll down for both baking times in the oven.

I love it made with both cuts of bacon! It's truly addicting and makes me happy happy.

As far as brands of bacon go, I love Conecuh thick cut bacon when I can find it. It has just the right amount of smokey flavor and a good pork to marbled fat ratio. I'm also partial to it because it is made in Alabama and I always try to shop local when I can.

How to make Candied Bacon in the oven

For complete, detailed directions scroll down for the printable recipe.

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• Lay the bacon on an aluminum foil-lined pan. I prefer foil to parchment paper here for easy clean up. It's ok for the bacon to touch but not overlap.
• (Optional) For Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon, sprinkle black pepper, cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes on the bacon.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on just one side of the bacon and gently press down with fingertips. (1 tablespoon per piece of bacon.)

• Bake thick cut bacon at 350F for 20 to 22 minutes or just until the bacon is browned and crispy on the outside edges. The rest of the bacon will firm up when it cools. For regular cut bacon, bake for 17 to 18 minutes or until edges are crispy.

Watch the bacon closely so that it doesn't burn. Some bacon is cut thinner than others.

No need to turn the bacon when cooked in the oven.

• IMMEDIATELY remove bacon from the sheet pan with tongs to a cooling rack. Do not place on paper towels as you would normally do with bacon. Candied Bacon will stick to paper towels. If Candied Bacon is not removed from the pan soon, it will stick to the foil.

Although the melted brown sugar may burn around the edges of the pan, it shouldn't burn the bacon. This is why you watch it closely.

• Let cool completely on parchment paper, silicone baking mat, or other nonstick surface. Just like homemade candy, if you try to eat it before it cools, it may stick to your teeth. And it's HOT before it cools.

How to serve Best Easy Candied Bacon

• Christmas Brunch
• Breakfast in bed for Valentines Day
• Breakfast for Mothers Day or Fathers Day
• Brunch for a special occasion
• On a grilled burger
• In a Jarcuterie (Charcuterie in a Jar) or Charcuterie Board
• Use short strips of Candied Bacon as crackers to scoop Jalapeno Pimiento Cheese
• Dessert
• Snack
• Wrapped in a cellophane bag with a ribbon as a gift
• With a cup of coffee and a good book!

How to store Candied Bacon

Candied bacon is not shelf stable. While it can sit out at room temperature for most of one day, in a cool dry environment, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator.

Since the atmosphere in a refrigerator is fairly moist, it is a good idea to layer the candied bacon between sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking together.

Can I make Candied Bacon in the airfryer?

Absolutely! There are a few differences in how to cook it other than the obvious oven vs. air fryer difference. Check out my step by step post on how to make Easy Air Fryer Candied Bacon.

Other breakfast recipes you will love

• Bacon Sausage Strata Breakfast Casserole
• Double Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls
• Banana Pancakes (King Cake Pancakes)
• 2 Ingredients Biscuits
• Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Casserole

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If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to rate it 5 stars if you love it!

Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.