Maple Bacon Cupcake Recipe Baked on a Pellet Smoker

There are adventurous grillers, and then there are people who put homemade cupcakes in a smoker. Grill Master Randy falls into the latter group, and his ambitious dessert idea didn’t disappoint! For being such an out-there dessert, this cupcake recipe with homemade candied bacon is surprisingly easy to make and calls for only basic ingredients.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your smoker to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. While the smoker preheats, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl, fold together the butter and brown sugar.
4. Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, blending each well.
5. Add ¼ of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir, then pour in a bit of milk. Continue alternating ¼ of the flour mixture and milk, stirring until the batter is well incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until each is about ¾ full.
7. Bake cupcakes in the smoker for 20–25 minutes. You can check their doneness by sticking a toothpick into a cupcake. If any wet batter is on the toothpick when you pull it out, you’ll know the cupcakes aren’t done. When the toothpick is free of batter, the cupcakes are ready to be removed from the smoker and allowed to cool for 10 minutes.
8. While the cupcakes cool, it’s time to whip up the icing. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend together softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
9. Begin mixing in the powdered sugar ⅓ cup at a time so the icing forms evenly. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so every bit of sugar becomes incorporated.
10. Once the mixture is completely smooth, add maple syrup and fold in the bacon bits until they’re well incorporated.
11. After your cupcakes have cooled for at least 10 minutes, ice them and top with leftover candied bacon. Now all that’s left is to enjoy!