Prep Time:  10 mins
Cook Time:  25 mins
Total Time:  35 mins
Servings:  4

There’s candied bacon, then there’s smoked bacon, then there’s candied bacon on the smoker. The sweet and smoky combination of this recipe can stand on its own as a snack for the whole family, or you can put the bacon to use in another dessert, like our Maple Bacon Cupcakes. You really can’t go wrong — it’s bacon, after all!

Ingredients

  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1½ tsp coarsely ground mixed peppercorns

Items You'll Need

Instructions

  1. Preheat your smoker to 375°F
  2. While your smoker preheats, arrange the bacon on a wire rack above a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Place your bacon in the smoker and bake until the fat starts rendering, which should take about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the bacon from your oven. Using paper towels, blot the grease from both sides of each bacon slice.
  5. Combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne in a small, microwave-safe bowl.
  6. Microwave for about 30 second to 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
    Candied bacon coming out of the smoker
  7. Brush one side of the bacon with half the syrup mixture, then sprinkle with half the ground peppercorns.
  8. Bake until the bacon browns around the edges (about 15 minutes).
  9. Remove the bacon from your smoker, then flip each slice and blot the grease with paper towels.
  10. Brush the remaining syrup mixture (reheat if necessary) on the bacon slices before sprinkling the remaining peppercorns.
  11. Return the bacon to the smoker and continue baking until the bacon browns and the sugar caramelizes.
  12. Take your finished bacon out of the smoker, and enjoy!