Brown Sugar Bacon
Posted Mar 11, 2026
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This 2-ingredient brown sugar bacon recipe is a sweet and salty side or snack that is easy to make and even easier to eat!
Brown sugar bacon is the easiest, most delicious sweet and salty breakfast side dish. Once you make it, you wont be able to stop (just like this maple bacon)!
Bacon is topped with brown sugar and baked until perfectly crisp and caramelized. The result is the most irresistible sweet and salty snack that is impossible to stop eating.
This recipe only takes 5 minutes to prep, and it’s very easy to scale to feed a crowd. Since we have 8 people in our family, I often will double or triple the recipe and it’s so simple!
Brown Sugar Bacon: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Light brown sugar. for a bolder molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar.
- 12 ounces bacon. I suggest a medium to thick sliced bacon for the best results. Choose your favorite!
How to Make Brown Sugar Bacon
This recipe is so easy, but I have a few tips and tricks for you to ensure your success.
The first is to bake the bacon on a wire rack on a baking sheet. This will ensure that as the bacon releases fat, it doesn’t soak in it and get soggy or lose any of the delicious brown sugar coating. I suggest this baking sheet with a wire rack made to fit inside.
Then, coat the bacon with brown sugar on both sides. I prefer to put the brown sugar in a shallow bowl and press the bacon into the sugar, flip and repeat on the second side.
You could also just sprinkle the brown sugar onto the bacon and gently press it on so it sticks.
Then, put the coated bacon on a wire rack on a baking sheet (I love this one because the rack is made to fit inside the sheet). Make sure it’s in a single layer and does not overlap.
Then, bake the bacon in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s crispy and done to your liking (baking times varies based on how thick your bacon is – for very thick bacon baking time will be longer than 30 minutes).
Serve
You can serve this brown sugar bacon recipe as a snack, as part of a charcuterie board, or with your favorite breakfast recipes.
We love serving it as a side to sweet breakfasts like pancakes, waffles and cinnamon rolls.
Or, you can crumble it on top of salads, like this spinach salad or roasted beet salad. It also adds a little pizzaz to these breakfast egg sandwiches or even a BLT!
Store
I suggest storing this bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the oven set to warm. I don’t recommend freezing.
Brown Sugar Bacon Recipe FAQS
Medium to thick-cut bacon works best. We love a smoked bacon to add a little depth of flavor.
Yes you can, just coat it with brown sugar and heat in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked. However, baking is the best choice for sure.
Its’ crispy and chewy. You can adjust the crispiness by baking it longer or shorter depending on your preferences.
Yes absolutely. Some paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, etc. all would be amazing.
It’s a perfect side dish to serve with breakfast recipes like egg casserole and pancakes. It’s also amazing crumbled over salads, on burgers, etc.
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Brown Sugar Bacon
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon (10 slices)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Put a wire cooling rack on a large baking sheet.
- Put brown sugar in a cup – “fluff” it and break it apart so it’s loose.
- Press bacon into the brown sugar until it’s coated on both sides.
- Lay bacon on the rack on a baking sheet, evenly spaced.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s crispy and done to your liking (baking times varies based on how thick your bacon is – for very thick bacon baking time will be longer than 30 minutes).
Notes
- Light brown sugar. for a bolder molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar.
- 12 ounces bacon. I suggest a medium to thick sliced bacon for the best results. Choose your favorite!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
