Cracked Bacon Recipe

This Cracked Bacon recipe features delicious center cut bacon that’s oven baked with a sweet and spicy brown sugar cinnamon glaze.

Whether you call it Bacon Crack, Man Candy or Crack Bacon, I should warn you that this bacon is very addictive! You may want to cook a double batch, just to be on the safe side!

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As much as we adore classic bacon, we also love serving different flavored bacons such as Jalapeno Bacon, Million Dollar Bacon, Maple Candied Bacon, Homemade Honey Bacon, and Billionaire Bacon.

All of these bacon varieties are great for breakfast, brunch, potlucks and parties!

What is the Best Bacon to Use?

Regular sliced bacon works best for this recipe, as the strips are thinner than thick-cut bacon.

Thinner slices of bacon will cook crispier and give the cracked bacon its delightful candied “snap” when you bite into it.

We especially like center cut bacon for this recipe, as it’s a bit leaner and doesn’t have the fattier edges.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you need to make this simple recipe:

Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. Make sure you pack it in the cup when measuring.

Cinnamon – We like Vietnamese cinnamon for this recipe, for its pure flavor and rich spiciness.

Cinnamon oil – This is the secret ingredient that elevates this cracked bacon to the next level! We like the flavor of LorAnn Cinnamon Oil, which tastes just like red hot candies. A little bit goes a long way, so use it sparingly.

Bacon – We like center cut bacon for this recipe, because the slices tend to be leaner with less fat. You can also use regular sliced bacon, smoked or unsmoked, cured or uncured.

You’ll also need a little water when making the glaze.

Equipment Needed

You don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment to make cracked bacon:

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Parchment paper
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Paper towels
• Silicone pastry brush
• Metal or plastic spatula

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and top the foil with a sheet of parchment paper.

PRO TIP: The foil makes clean up easy, and the parchment paper keeps the glazed bacon from sticking.

Arrange the bacon strips on the prepared pan.

PRO TIP: It’s okay if the slices of bacon overlap a bit, because they will shrink during baking.

Put the bacon in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

While bacon is cooking, whisk together the brown sugar, water, cinnamon and cinnamon oil in a medium saucepan.

Heat over medium heat and whisk just until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

When bacon is partially cooked, remove from oven.

Blot up all of the grease with paper towels. This will help the glaze adhere to the bacon strips.

Brush each piece of bacon with the glaze, using a silicone pastry brush.

Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven, turn all the bacon slices over, and blot with paper towels again to remove all the excess grease.

PRO TIP: If the glaze has thickened, you can heat it over medium heat for about 1 minute so that it’s easy to brush.

Brush the bacon strips generously with the glaze. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until bacon is crispy and the glaze is candied.

Use a sharp spatula to remove each piece of bacon and transfer to a piece of parchment paper to cool.

PRO TIP: The glaze will harden and the bacon will firm up as it rests.

Once the bacon is cooled, dab any excess grease with paper towels. Serve and enjoy!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Leftover crack bacon may be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To reheat, spread bacon strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and heat in a 350 degree F oven until hot and sizzling, about 5 to 6 minutes.

What to Serve with Crack Bacon

This cinnamon candied bacon is great on a breakfast charcuterie board, served with maple pancakes, or accompanied by our family’s favorite cinnamon cream cheese roll ups.

You can also pair this spicy candy bacon with your breakfast faves like scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, fresh fruit, etc.

Bacon Crack Bites

To make bite sized pieces of this amazing bacon to serve at a party or gathering, cut the cooled bacon strips in squares with kitchen shears or a sharp knife.

Spread the crack bacon bites on a plate or platter for serving.

Printable Recipe

Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help.

If you post your creations on social media, tag #BENSABaconLovers so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza

Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.

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