Baked Brown Sugar Bacon

Brown Sugar Bacon features crispy bacon caramelized in brown sugar. Crispy, savory, and sweet, it's the perfect brunch side or addition for salads, burgers, fried rice, and more.

Brown sugar bacon takes bacon to a whole new level. The brown sugar coating creates a sticky rich glaze that balances the savory bacon. All you need to do is sprinkle the brown sugar, bake, then enjoy!

Looking for other tasty meat recipes? Check out our crispy pancetta and fried spam.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love Baked Brown Sugar Bacon
• Key Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• Instructions
• Other Baking Tips
• What to Serve with Caramelized Bacon
• Related Recipes
• Did You Like This Recipe?
• 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love Baked Brown Sugar Bacon

• Taste - Brown sugar adds a unique sweetness and depth to complement bacon's natural savoriness.
• Texture - The bacon is perfectly crispy with a little extra crunch from the caramelized brown sugar.
• Time - It takes about 5 minutes to prep and coat the bacon, 15 minutes to bake, then a few minutes to cool.

Key Ingredients

• Bacon - We buy our bacon from our regular grocery store, like Sprouts and Trader Joe's. We prefer thick-cut uncured bacon. Sometimes we get bacon from the butcher for an even thicker, higher-quality slice.
• Brown sugar - We love the molasses sweetness and caramel flavor that brown sugar adds.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Seasoning - Sprinkle a little cajun seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, or chili powder for a little spice.
• Nuts - Sprinkle the bacon with chopped maple pecans, walnuts, or almonds a crunchy accent.

Instructions

• Heat oven - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Prepare bacon - Arrange bacon in a single layer with space between each slice. Then evenly sprinkle brown sugar and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently press the sugar into the bacon.
• Bake bacon - Place the bacon in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches the desired crispiness. Then remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Pro Tip: Figure out what you want to make with the bacon ahead of time. You can prepare the other dish components while the bacon bakes.

Other Baking Tips

• Keep a close eye on the bacon to ensure it doesn't burn.
• Don't overcrowd the baking sheet or the bacon slices won't get crispy because there is too much moisture.

What to Serve with Caramelized Bacon

This bacon is great as a decadent snack or as part of a tasty brunch with Sourdough French Toast, Fried Eggs, or Belgian Waffles. We also love it crumbled on our prosciutto salad or even mac and cheese!