Sweet and Spicy Maple Bacon
This easy Sweet and Spicy Maple Bacon is baked in the oven, made with just 4 simple ingredients, and is a deliciously different way to enjoy bacon. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, sandwiches, and more!
Servings: 8 pieces
Estimated Calories: 86
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste (freshly cracked is best)
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Special Equipment
- large rimmed baking sheet (I use a half sheet pan)
- large wire rack (big enough to fit the baking sheet and hold all of the bacon)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a large wire rack in the pan.
- Arrange the bacon slices on the wire rack in a single layer without any overlapping (it's okay if the edges of the slices touch a bit).
- Evenly brush half of the maple syrup (2 tablespoons) over the top of the bacon slices.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and evenly brush the remaining maple syrup over the top of the bacon slices.
- Sprinkle the black pepper and cayenne pepper evenly over the bacon slices.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the bacon is lightly crisp (or done to your liking).
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bacon to cool on the wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. It will crisp up a little more during this time.
- Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- I think that thick-cut bacon is best for this recipe. But you can use regular thinner-cut bacon if you prefer or if that's what you have.
- Regular-cut bacon will cook quicker and will usually turn out much more crispy (thick-cut bacon will be more chewy with lightly crisp edges), so you'll need to watch it and reduce the cooking time accordingly.
- I've never had a problem with the bacon sticking to the wire rack. But if you are concerned about that, you can spray the rack with cooking spray before adding the bacon.
- All ovens are different, the thickness of the bacon slices can vary, and some of us prefer our bacon less or more crisp, so the total cooking time is approximate and can vary.
- Just keep an eye on it, especially towards the end of the cooking time - this is when it can go from almost perfect to burnt rather quickly - to make sure it is done the way you like it.
- If you're not into spicy heat, you can omit the cayenne pepper and even the black pepper and just use the maple syrup. Still very delicious!
- Please refer to the post for additional tips, information on storing and reheating leftovers, and serving suggestions.
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