Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon

November 14, 2022
Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied BaconServe it up as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon On a Serving Plate Image

Several years ago I had the amazing opportunity to cook with Sister Schubert (yes, of the Parker House roll fame) at her home in Alabama. One of my favorite things she introduced me to was wonderfully sweet-and-smokey candied bacon. Smothered in brown sugar, sprinkled with pecans, and baked to crispy perfection, it was a true bacon delight. I just had to whip up a version at home to share with you here on The Kitchen is My Playground.

This Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon gets its sweetness and spiciness from a layer of brown sugar and chili powder that's sprinkled on part way through baking. A touch of cayenne and black pepper in the mix amp up the spiciness. -- But the heat level can certainly be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon.

After layering the brown sugar-spice mixture onto thick-cut bacon slices, Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon also gets a good sprinkling of finely chopped pecans. The pecans can, however, be omitted for a perfectly delicious nut-free version, if you'd like.

Serve up a little platter of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests (and their taste buds), for game day snacking, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch bacon treat.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon On a Broiler Pan Image

What's to Love About This Recipe?

  • It's bacon! - And bacon is always something to love.
  • A fun & unique way to enjoy bacon - Loading bacon with spicy brown sugar and baking it until crisp is certainly a fun and unique way to enjoy your bacon.
  • Fabulous flavor - Brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne, and bacon combine to deliver up sweet-and-spicy deliciousness in every bite.
  • Just 6 ingredients - It only takes 6 ingredients to whip up a batch -- and 3 of those 6 are spices you probably have on hand in your spice cupboard.
  • Versatile - Serve up Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon as the perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat, or snack on it any time you choose.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Served In a Cocktail Glass Image

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Ingredients:

It takes just 6 ingredients to make a pan of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon. To whip up a batch, you'll need:

  • Thick-cut bacon - It's not candied bacon without the bacon! Sturdier thick-cup bacon forms the foundation for the sweet and spicy toppings. Do not substitute regular bacon -- it's too thin and not sturdy enough to handle the toppings.

  • Brown sugar - The sweet element of the candied bacon topping.

  • Chili powder - The main spicy element of the candied bacon topping.

  • Cayenne pepper - Amps up the heat of the candied bacon's spicy element. Adjust the amount to meet your desired level of heat.

  • Black pepper - Seasons and brings a little bite to the bacon's topping.

  • Pecans - Finely chopped pecans add a nice textural crunch with the crispiness of the bacon. The pecans can be omitted, no problem, for a perfectly delicious nut-free version of this candied bacon.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Ingredients Image

How to Make Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon:

Making a pan of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon is probably much easier than you think. -- Because it's truly not difficult at all. A little measuring, a bit of sprinkling, and a few minutes of baking is about all it takes.

To get started, stir together some brown sugar with a little chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne as the sweet-and-spicy candied element of the candied bacon. Set this aside while you get the bacon started baking.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Topping Mixture Image

Arrange thick-cut bacon slices in a single layer on a broiling pan. If you don't have a broiling pan, set a rack inside a jelly roll pan and use that instead. Bake the bacon for 10 minutes to partially cook it.

Uncooked Bacon Strips on Broiler Pan Image

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle each bacon slice with some of the brown sugar-spice mixture, and then with chopped pecans.

Sprinkling Topping Mixture to Make Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Image

Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the bacon is crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Cooked Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon on Broiler Pan Image

Then you're ready to enjoy the sweet and savory bacon deliciousness. -- Serve it up as an appetizer, a party nibble, for game day, or alongside waffles and pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch bacon treat.

But rest assured no matter when you serve it, your taste buds will know that Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon is one darn amazing bacon delight.

Check out these other super tasty bacon appetizers & snacks:

Platter of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

candied bacon recipe, spicy bacon recipe, baked candied bacon recipe, how to make sweet and spicy bacon, baked bacon with brown sugar, brown sugar baked bacon, brown sugar bacon
Appetizers & Snacks
Southern
Yield: about 10-14 slices
Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon

Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon. Serve it up as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. thick-cut bacon
  • 1/4 c. light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir until well mixed. Set aside.
  2. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a broiling pan or a rack set inside a jelly roll pan. Bake at 425℉ for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle bacon slices with brown sugar mixture, and then with chopped pecans.
  4. Return pan to oven and continue baking until bacon is crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
  1. Before baking the bacon, line the inside of the broiler pan (or jelly roll pan) with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.
  2. If you're serving the Candied Bacon as an appetizer/party food, we recommend cutting the bacon slices in half before baking.
  3. The pecans can be omitted for a perfectly delicious nut-free version of this candied bacon.
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Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon ~ Thick-cut bacon coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar & spice creates this amazingly tasty candied bacon! Serve it up as a perfect party pick-up or alongside waffles or pancakes as a special breakfast treat.  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.

11 comments

  1. If I make these, they won't last til the party! If I don't eat them all, the kids surely would haha! Pinning to my bacon board because this looks like an awesome thing to have for any type of party really!

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    Replies
    1. There IS always that danger, Joann! Just means a double batch is in order. :-)

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  2. This is just dangerous- I would literally eat the whole thing! I live for salty-sweet flavor combos!

    I stopped by from Thursday Favorite Things.

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  3. Sounds very interesting! I bet my husband would LOVE this!

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  4. I just made candied bacon for the first time the other day for an interesting Whiskey cocktail. Wow, candied bacon!! And I made mine spicy as well. Such an absolutely amazing food. Can't wait to try your version.

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  5. My oh my! I do declare...that is SOME special bacon...or bacine. =) Thanks a million for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck. You rock!

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  6. What a delectable dish! I love it so much I chose it as my personal favorite at this week's Weekend Potluck party. Thanks so much for sharing with us...hope to see you over there this weekend with more of your delicious-ness! http://www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2015/06/slow-cooker-cheesesteak-sandwich.html

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  7. Happy Turkey week! Thank you for sharing with us at the To Grandma's house we go Wednesday link party - I'm featuring you this week when the next party starts.

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  8. I have had a similar bacon recipe before and it was amazing. So of course I had to pin this one and feature it too. I know it is going to be so good. #HomeMattersParty

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  9. Hello Donna, thank you for the feature, we enjoy linking with you. See you next week.

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