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Candied Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon Bites are baked in the oven for a ridiculously easy, insanely addictive Appetizer, Burger Topper, BLT, or Breakfast Treat!
Bacon. Candied. Crispy, Sticky, Sweet, with a little ol’ dollop of Whipped Cream infused with a hint of Horseradish. I mean, come on! It isn’t even possible for this to not whet your taste buds, right? This is the ultimate in a sweet and salty treat!
And EASY!
- Thick cut bacon on a cookie sheet.
- Brush the bacon with a brown sugar and bourbon glaze.
- Bake
- Flip, brush again, bake.
- DONE!
The inspiration for this recipe came from a funky, cool gastro pub that I visited recently in London called the Jugged Hare. We were there for a Sunday Roast and ordered this as an appetizer. Their version was a little different by using Dijon in the whipped cream, but that little dollop of spicy cream on the candied bacon….life changing. Seriously!
Since then, this bacon has made an appearance as an appetizer at trivia night, a get together, crazy good snacking, and BLT bliss. If you choose not to use the Horseradish Whipped Cream, no worries, it’s optional, but I highly recommend it. The cream and horseradish flavors are really subtle, but compliment the sticky, sweet and salty of the bacon in a fantastic way.
And if you like to make Homemade Bacon cured from scratch like I absolutely adore doing, DEFINITELY candy that with this Brown Sugar Bourbon recipe!
How to make Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon Bites
Start by choosing a good quality, meaty and thick-cut bacon. I’ve found that the thicker the bacon, the better the pieces hold up with the candying process. Thin bacon tends to crumble easily, although it still tastes amazing.
Line a cookie/baking sheet with foil. This is a must for easy clean-up. Depending on the size of the baking sheet, you may need two.
Place a wire mesh screen or cooling rack in the baking sheet and place the bacon on it. The edges can touch, but do not overlap.
Place brown sugar, bourbon, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small mixing bowl and microwave for 30 – 45 seconds. This will make the glaze a brush-able consistency, although the brown sugar will not fully dissolve and will remain grainy, which is OK.
Brush the tops of the bacon and bake for 15 minutes.
Flip the bacon and brush the other side with the glaze. Continue to bake the bacon until the bacon becomes crisp, caramelized, and a dark golden color, around 15 more minutes depending on the bacon thickness. The bacon will continue to crisp a bit as it cools.
The optional Whipped Horseradish Cream is simple to prepare. Begin by whipping heavy cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer. When soft peaks begin to form, add horseradish, salt, and pepper. Continue to mix until it becomes the consistently stiff texture of traditional whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
What kind of Horseradish should I use?
Prepared Horseradish and Horseradish Sauce are the two varieties commonly found on a grocery store shelf. Here is a more in depth description, but basically, Prepared Horseradish will have a more potent taste then Horseradish Sauce which has sour cream or mayo added to make it milder. Either can be used in your Whipped Cream, however, be aware that one is much more potent then the other and add the Horseradish in increments if you are not sure on how much intensity you will like.
The Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon Bites can be left as whole strips, halved, or torn into bites depending on if this is a breakfast side, brunch, sandwich topper, or appetizer.
For larger crowds, this recipe is very easy to multiply.
Give this Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon a try with my Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins , Caramel Apple Dutch Baby, or Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast. As an appetizer, this is PERFECT for a unique holiday Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years Eve party treat.
If you have tried this, leave me a review or comment below. I’d LOVE to hear from you!
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Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon Bites
Candied Brown Sugar Bourbon Bacon Bites are baked in the oven for a ridiculously easy, insanely addictive Appetizer, Burger Topper, BLT, or Breakfast Treat!
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon – thick cut
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 green onions – sliced
Whipped Horseradish Cream
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons horseradish Adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a cookie/baking sheet with foil. Depending on the size of the baking sheet, two may be needed.
Place a wire mesh screen or cooling rack in the baking sheet and place the bacon on it. The edges can touch, but do not overlap the bacon strips.
Place brown sugar, bourbon, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small mixing bowl and microwave for 30 – 45 seconds. This will make the glaze a brush-able consistency, although the brown sugar will not fully dissolve and will remain grainy.
Use a pastry or barbecue brush to brush the tops of the bacon with half of the glaze.
Bake the glazed bacon for 15 minutes.
Flip the bacon. Brush on the remaining glaze.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, caramelized and dark gold.
Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with the Whipped Horseradish Cream and green onion slices if desired.
Whipped Horseradish Cream
In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form using a hand or stand mixer. Keep the cream very cold until ready to whip.
Add horseradish, salt, and pepper.
Continue to whip until cream is a consistently firm texture.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Recipe Notes
Prepared Horseradish will have a more potent taste then Horseradish Sauce. Either can be used in your Whipped Cream, however, add the Horseradish in increments if you are not sure on how much intensity you will like.
Cook time may vary depending on the thickness of the bacon.
Nutrition facts are approximate.
Wife, Mother, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!
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