Brown Sugar Pepper Bacon is easy to make and tastes like a million bucks! With its salty, sweet crunch and peppery kick, you will be licking your lips with every bite!
Candied bacon makes a terrific appetizer with Mini Cheese Balls or Beer Cheese Dip, and is delicious with French Toast Breakfast Casserole for breakfast or brunch.
In This Post
Over the past few years, adding sweet flavor to bacon has become a thing. The first time I had “pig candy” was in Charleston, when I had the best salad that it was mixed into. I’m not gonna lie, I fell hard for this stuff!
As I learned more about this sweet bacon, I realized it has many different names, like “pig candy,” candied bacon, and “millionaire bacon.” Now, I’m about to rock your world and teach you how easy it is to make this candied bacon recipe!
Brown Sugar + Pepper + Bacon = Perfection
- This sweet and spicy bacon is oven-baked, meaning less mess, easier clean up, and perfectly cooked.
- It’s super easy to make with only three ingredients.
- The brown sugar bacon is done in about 30 minutes, perfect for a quick but fancy-feeling breakfast or easy appetizer.
Candied Bacon Ingredients
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a must. When baked, brown sugar caramelizes, creating a crispy crust over the bacon. Some recipes use pure maple syrup, but I find this doesn’t have the same caramelization.
- Pepper: Fresh cracked black pepper provides the most kick without too much spice. We all know I love a good sweet and spicy combination! For more heat, you could use red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Cinnamon is another good option for less heat but still keeps the spice.
- Bacon – Thick-cut bacon works best for this recipe because it’s thick enough to hold onto the brown sugar crust.
How To Make Sweet And Spicy Bacon
- Heat the oven or grill to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the sheet in a single layer.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and pepper. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on the bacon and bake for 15 minutes. Then put the remaining on the bacon and cook another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool so the sugar becomes somewhat hard and caramelized. Drain any excess grease and enjoy!
Donya’s Success Tips
- Lining the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil is necessary because the brown sugar is so sticky! This makes cleanup easier and the bacon easier to remove from the pan. Some recipes use wire racks, but I don’t find that necessary with candied bacon.
- The bacon must cool a bit before eating to set the sugar. It actually has the best crispness when it’s at room temperature.
Questions And Answers
Nothing really, they are all versions of candied bacon with sugar and spices.
I like to store it between paper towels in the fridge. It will keep in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the oven or air fryer for the best texture, but it’s also good served at room temperature.
You can, but it gets pretty messy because of the sugar. I recommend sticking to the oven or grill method for this recipe. For crispy, perfectly cooked bacon, use my air fryer recipe.
What To Serve With This Brown Sugar Bacon Recipe
Homemade candied bacon is great on burgers and takes a ham jam sandwich to a whole new level. It’s so good sprinkled on top of deviled eggs and salads. Mr. A Southern Soul has even topped off his ice cream with a few sprinkles for the perfect sweet and salty snack!
I love serving this savory bacon snack on an appetizer board with cheese, tomato relish, and spicy roasted nuts. As part of a Southern style breakfast, serve it with cheese quiche, hashbrowns casserole and orange glazed muffins.
More Recipes Like This
If you tried this Brown Sugar Pepper Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound thick cut bacon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven or grill to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place strips of bacon on sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and pepper. Sprinkle ½ of mixture on bacon strips. Place baking sheet in oven or on grill and cook for 15 minutes. Turn bacon strips and sprinkle on remaining sugar mixture. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, watching carefully so that bacon does not burn.
- Remove pan from oven or grill. Set aside and allow bacon to cool. Once bacon has become somewhat hard, remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to drain any extra drippings. Seve immediately. Can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Shared with my friends at Weekend Potluck.
Crisp & Quick: Best Air-Fryer Recipes!
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My go-to air fryer recipes....you have to try these!
MLal
Really east and delicious.
Steve
I used a fork to “rake” the brown sugar mixture. Coated the bacon evenly.
Donya
Hey there Steve!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, using a fork to coat the bacon with brown sugar is a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this recipe and for your incredible rating, I really appreciate your support! Let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
Oh, YUM! I LOVE bacon and this will be super added to my appetizer tray. I’ve seen recipes like this before, but this one is by far the easiest and I’m sure will be the tastiest, so I’m definately gonna do this this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Yes! You are gonna love it Claudine. It’s perfect on an appetizer tray. Thank you so much for stopping by and let me know how you like it.
XO,
~Donya