Praline Candied Bacon
Candied Bacon is a decadent, delicious sweet-salty recipe! Also known as praline bacon because it calls for a brown sugar-pecan topping, this brunch side dish is perfect for sharing. Makes 4 servings.
Love hosting brunch at home? Be sure to check out How to Host Brunch at Home and these Strawberry Cinnamon Breakfast Buns to pair alongside praline bacon.
This Spicy Praline Bacon recipe and post was originally shared on February 27, 2013. The text and images were updated and republished in February 2021.
You know that moment when you stumble upon the perfect balance of sweet and salty all in the same bite?
This happened to me last summer while we were eating Mother’s Day brunch a little restaurant in Lafayette, La. called The French Press. (Fun fact: Justin Girouard, the chef at The French Press, was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the South 2013.)
Winston’s grandfather mentioned that we had to try the Praline Bacon offered on the menu because it was something ever person needed to try at least once. I remember feeling a little skeptical, but Pa went ahead and ordered us some, telling me it was worth a try.
When our dish of Praline Bacon was delivered to the table, I took a bite and changed my tune. Not only was the candied bacon salty and sweet, but there was a hint of spice in it, too.
Why I love this Praline Bacon recipe:
Obviously, it reminds me of my husband’s grandfather, who is no longer with us.
It also hits on my love for all things sweet-spicy-salty. The bacon has some crispiness while also remaining chewy because of the praline topping.
Truly, this is a decadent dish that everyone should try once, and it’s quite simple to make at home! Plus, it doesn’t make much of a mess since the candied bacon recipe is baked in the oven.
Other brunch classic recipe: Walnut Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Icing | Old Fashioned Pancakes | Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake | How to Make a Mimosa Bar | Coffee Cake Muffins
Looking for other breakfast or brunch recipes? Head on over to my Morning Food Recipe Index for some ideas!
What you need to make this Candied Bacon recipe:
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- Baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat)
- Wire cooling rack (to bake the bacon on)
- Food processor
- Pastry brush
- Tongs
In addition to these tools, you’re going to need some ingredients for this brunch recipe, too.
- Thick-cut bacon—while a thinner cut bacon will work in a pinch, I really like thicker cut bacon in this recipe because it holds up to the praline topping without collapsing
- Pecans—you can get any pecan halves or even pieces because we’re going to grind them up even more. If you don’t like pecans, consider using walnuts.
- Brown sugar—light or dark works
- Molasses or real maple syrup—this will ensure the praline mixture sticks to the bacon
- Ground cayenne pepper—for a hint of heat! If you’re worried this might be too spicy, you can skip it altogether, though I like a little bit of kick with my praline bacon.
How to make Candied Bacon
Preheat the oven, and toast the pecans until they’re fragrant and golden brown. Do not overcook the pecans because they will roast again before this dish is completed.
Make the praline mixture. Combine the cooled, toasted pecans with the brown sugar in the food processor. Chop and mix them together.
Prepare the bacon. Place the bacon on a wire baking rack atop your baking sheet, and bake until partially cooked through. We want the bacon to be about 3/4 of the way done at this point, but we don’t want it to be crisping up just yet.
Make the praline bacon. Remove the bacon from the oven. Push the bacon close together on the rack using tongs and brush the slices with the molasses or pure maple syrup. It will mix with the fat on the top of the slices, so it may look a little funny.
Use a spoon or your fingers to sprinkle the sugar-pecan topping onto the bacon. Pat it down slightly, then sprinkle on the cayenne pepper.
Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the topping is bubbly, and the bacon is brown and cooked through. Keep an eye on your bacon because you do NOT want the topping to burn!
Let it cool off once out of the oven, and then enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Once it’s been baked, this lasts 1-2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll become more chewy as it sits in the cold, but it will still be delicious!
No. Bacteria begins to grow on foods as they sit at room temperature. If your bacon sits out for 2 hours or more, you should throw it out.
In an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat it, place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 5-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to burn as you reheat it.
Delicious! Praline is a traditional candy that involves brown sugar and pecans, and we’re using that base here on this candied bacon recipe.
Quick tips and tricks to the best Praline Bacon
- Feeding a crowd? Double the recipe to ensure everyone gets a bite of this decadent brunch side dish.
- Make ahead magic: Toast the pecans and make the praline mixture in advance. Keep them in an airtight container until time to use.
- Store any leftover Candied Bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. To reheat it, place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 5-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it because you don’t want it to burn as it reheats.
Spicy Praline Bacon
Ingredients
- ½ lb. thick-cut bacon
- 3 tablespoons pecans
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses or maple syrup
- A dash of cayenne pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Toast the pecans for about 8 minutes or until just golden brown. Do not overcook the pecans here, as they will be in the oven roasting again before this dish is completed.
- Once the pecans are toasted and cooled, combine with the brown sugar in a food processor, chopping and mixing the ingredients together.
- Place the bacon on a wire baking rack atop your baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is partially cooked through. (You want the bacon to be about 3/4 of the way done at this point, but you don’t want it to be browning already.)
- Push the bacon close together on the rack using tongs and brush the slices with the molasses or maple syrup. This is going to mix with the fat that has bubbled on the top of the slices, so this may look a little funny. Just brush it onto each strip until every one is coated.
- Using a spoon or your fingers, sprinkle the sugar-pecan topping onto the slices of bacon, patting them down slightly.
- Sprinkle the cayenne pepper on top of each slice. This should be a light dusting and will add a little kick to the bacon.
- Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the topping is bubbly, and the bacon is brown and cooked through. Keep an eye on your bacon for this, as you do NOT want the topping to burn! I’d start it out at 5 minutes and check, then add additional time if necessary. (I baked mine for around 20 because my oven is sad and slow… and I really like crispy, unburnt bacon, so I took the risk.)
- Let cool, then enjoy these chewy breakfast treats!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you ever tried Praline Bacon? Are you as crazy about it as I am? Would you try it now?
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Wow..that looks amazing!
Not gonna lie: It’s pretty darn delicious, Holly!
Oh my what. I’ve heard about this before (I believe it’s served at Elizabeth’s and a few other NOLA restaurants) but had never actually seen a photo of it. And now I understand. Thanks for sharing this, Erin. I will definitely have to try it out the next time I make a special brunch!
I’m glad you could see your first photo of Praline Bacon here, lady. 🙂 And I believe that the dish was started at Elizabeth’s, if my internet research is correct. Please let me know if you give this a shot and what you think of the final product! I thought it was delightful… in a decadent, ‘I’m only going to have one slice because OH MY GOODNESS’ kind of way.
Love praline bacon! And I’ve made it before… Pretty much the same concept you described, but we were making SIX pounds of praline bacon for a food competition. My friend’s house (she was the master chef; I just followed orders) smelled like bacon for a week!
You and me both, girl! And I love that you’ve made it before except y’all were making SIX POUNDS of the decadent breakfast side! I cannot even imagine how bacon-y your friend’s house smelled after that! Not that it’s a bad thing… but I bet it was pretty overwhelming sometimes. Wow. How did y’all do in the competition?
We did fabulously, actually finishing third overall. We made 250 mini pain perdue cupcakes with a strawberry/triple sec compote and buttercream frosting and a bit of praline bacon for the 2011 Food Experiments competition in New Orleans ). Such a cool experience.
I am pretty sure you just blew my mind.
You’re welcome? 😉
Where has this been all my life?? This looks like actual CANDY and I would likely eat so much of it that I would end up feeling very sick afterwards lol Such a unique recipe and easy too. I am going to make this for my parents as they will go bonkers over it, sweet and salty is the best.
Haha. Better late than never, right? And it really is like candy… except it’s candy on top of bacon, which makes it even better than regular candy! Please let me know what y’all think of the recipe when you make it! And indulge selectively. I had a few slices of it for lunch the day I made it — because why NOT have it for lunch, right? — and had a stomachache afterward. It’s super decadent, so you only need a slice or two to fit the bill. Sadly, I learned this lesson the hard way.
Lady, this is crazy. Why did you have to make bacon even more irresistible than they already are?
It really is crazy… but I am SO thankful for the soul who decided to put a praline atop a slice of bacon. It’s a little slice of heaven… and it a lot ridiculous. 🙂
Hmmm I would taste test it but I’ll be honest and say I’m apprehensive. (you’re judging me aren’t you?!)
I’m not judging you. 😉 Like you, I was a bit skeptical the first time I tried this dish… but I ended up LOVING it. Should you ever see it on a menu, I suggest trying a bite to see what you think! It might surprise you.
I don’t let my BF cook real bacon in the house (as I don’t eat it and the smell somehow makes me feel like I’m dying) but I feel like he might straight up kill me for some of this bacon! Don’t let him see this recipe! [or maybe I’ll just try it out with veggie bacon :)]
Oh. Goodness. I hate that the smell of bacon somehow makes you feel like you’re dying… but I kind of get it. (We don’t make bacon here often because I hate the “bacon halo” that follows me around and encompasses my house for the day.) I’d love to hear what you think of this with veggie bacon and how it turned out!
I posted this on Facebook last night as something I needed to make and my Mom emailed me a recipe that she picked up yesterday from a pecan company with the same basic ingredients!
I love that you and your mom were on the same wavelength as far as this bacon goes! Have y’all tried either recipe yet? I’d love to know what you think! It’s just such a fun and decadent brunch side dish.