Salty, smoky, crunchy – delicious. That's bacon, right? Although it is usually positioned as a side for eggs, pancakes, waffles and other favorites, it can also be an interesting baking ingredient. It's crumbled into all kinds of baked goods both savory and sweet – like these Truly decadent Bacon Brownies — is a delicious example of the salty-sweet flavor combination many of us find so tempting.
PJ Hamel
Now, what if you could deliver that salty-sweet flavor in a neat package? Add the candied bacon. Yes, you heard that right, sweetened bacon, as in bacon baked with a brown sugar storm, so it crumbles into shiny, mahogany-brown ribbons of salty, sweet irresistibility.
If you're someone who likes a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top chocolate chip cookies, or that old New England favorite—a chunk of salty cheddar served alongside apple pie—then you'll love candied bacon. Basically, what you're doing is taking a standard strip of bacon, adding sugar and doubling the flavor impact.
Candied bacon (aka bacon candy) is simplicity itself to make. Talk about delivering maximum flavor with minimum effort: Simply place your bacon strips on a sealed baking sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar or maple sugar, and bake until caramelized. Chill, crumble – and browse your favorite recipes to find out which ones totally need candied bacon! (After trying some hot and crispy strips first, of course.)
Baker's tip: It's much easier to bake (rather than fry) the bacon. Read my method in this post a better way to make ham.
How to sweeten ham
Here's what you'll need:
- A rimmed baking sheet; a 13″ x 18″ half sheet pan is Done
- Parchment or foil to line the pan
- ham; about 12 ounces will fit in a half sheet pan
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (53 g to 106 g) brown sugar or maple sugar
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line your pan with parchment or foil. While not strictly necessary, lining the pan is a big help when it comes time to clean up.
PJ Hamel
Lay the bacon strips in the pan. They can be very close to each other, but do not overlap; you don't want them to stick to each other as they bake.
PJ Hamel
Sprinkle each piece of bacon evenly, end to end, with sugar. Using only 1 teaspoon of sugar for each strip of bacon will give a slightly sweet taste. Doubling the sugar will intensify the sweetness.
PJ Hamel
Bake the bacon for about 20 minutes, until it turns a very deep brown. For even baking, rotate the pan halfway (back to front, front to back).
Transfer bacon from pan to another piece of parchment or foil; you want to remove the bacon from its fat to cool. Why not drain it on paper towels? Because the cooling sugar will stick to the towel, leaving you with the frustrating job of picking up paper pieces from your candied bacon!
PJ Hamel
Once your candied bacon has cooled
When the bacon is completely cool, use a knife or a pair of scissors to shred it. (Honestly, I find it just as easy to use my fingers to tear the bacon into whatever size pieces I want.)
PJ Hamel
To make candied ham “crumble” – for sprinkles cinnamon roll filling or topping glazed donuts, for example — process completely cooled ham in a food processor or blender until crumbly. If the bacon isn't as sweet as you like, feel free to add extra sugar.
Store the candied bacon in the refrigerator for several days; or freeze for longer storage. I find that storing ham in a screw-top glass jar provides the best protection against further spoilage as well as drying out.
Mark Weinberg
How to use candied bacon
For recipes that already call for cooked bacon, simply substitute the candied bacon for the standard cooked slice. Try it in ours Maple-bacon scones, Maple Glazed Bacon Donuts, Overnight French ToastAND Cheddar Bacon Buns.
Kristen dough
What about breakfast sandwiches? Start with our 2022 recipe, Ultimate Sandwich Bagels, and build your own ham-based favorite. Or check out some new bacon breakfast sandwiches: The Vermonster AND Avocado BEC.
For recipes that don't already call for bacon, think of candied bacon as an addition similar to chopped nuts or dried fruit. Try adding chopped candied bacon to muffins, cookies, brownies, cookies, brownies, quick breads—anywhere the salty, sweet, smoky flavor of bacon sounds right.
So you're going to add candied bacon to it Lemon square? Well, maybe not; to me, the combination of the bold smoke of bacon with the bright and tart flavor of lemon just doesn't sound right.
Kristen dough
But candied bacon on the ground, oats Date squares? Yes, I would go there. And how about one of my all-time favorite cinnamon-flavored breakfast treats Donut muffins? Absolutely. And if you've never thought of pairing bacon with ice cream and waffles… now's your chance. See the tip at the end of our recipe Frozen cream.
PJ Hamel
Secrets of success
- If you have any used parchment—sheets of parchment that have already held cookies or rolls or scraps—use that to line your bacon baking pan. There's no point in using brand new parchment if you have some gently used sheets kicking around.
- The bacon slices on the edges will cook faster than those in the center. If the bottom slices start to get too dark, take the pan out of the oven, remove any parts that are at risk of browning, and return the pan to the oven so the rest of the bacon can finish browning.
- Experiment with flavors: Before using, mix the sugar with chili powder to taste, a touch of mustard powder, or the spice or herb of your choice.
PJ Hamel
- If you're a maple lover, substitute it maple sugar for coffee—and just try to stop yourself from gobbling up every slice right out of the oven, licking your sticky fingers as you go.
- How much ham do you need? A 12-ounce package of bacon, which is a good match for a half-sheet pan, will cook up to about 5 ounces of candied bacon, about 1 1/3 cups chopped.
- Use thick cut bacon? Bake at 325°F for a little longer. You want to cook and brown the bacon all the way through – but without burning the sugar.
If you're one of those people who just can't get enough of salty + sweet, check it out these recipes on our siteBY Salted and Sweet Butternut Cookies THE Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake.
Cover picture (Maple Bacon Scones) by Shilpa Iyer.
