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Sweet and Savory Bacon Crackers
Sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy, these candied Bacon Crackers are the perfect appetizer. Made with just 5 ingredients that are more than the sum of their parts, this easy appetizer recipe is sure to become a staple in your household.
Once you make a batch of bacon crackers for yourself, you’ll see why — they’re addictively delicious, take just 10 minutes to prep, and the recipe is easy enough to memorize.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
Bacon crackers might sound like a wacky idea, but hear me out. Crunchy, buttery club crackers are topped with bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper, then baked to golden perfection.
The bacon fat and sugar create a caramel that melts onto the crackers for a tray of irresistible bite-sized treats. In other words, they’re basically heaven.
Aside from being extraordinarily tasty, this brown sugar bacon crackers recipe:
- Is Made With Just 5 Ingredients. I’d bet you already have over half of what you need on hand.
- Takes Just 10 Minutes Of Prep Time. Even on my busiest days, I can eke out a measly 10 minutes. They’re my go-to recipe whenever I’m put in charge of bringing snacks during the school year because they’re so quick & easy! Plus, they’re built to be made ahead of time.
- Is Budget-Friendly. A box of crackers, a pound of bacon, and a few pantry staples are all you need. One batch only costs about $7 to make!
Ingredients For Candied Bacon Crackers
As promised, you don’t need much to make these easy crackers with bacon. Here’s your list:
- Club Crackers – I prefer the rectangular shape of club crackers because it matches up perfectly with the bacon strips. Feel free to swap in any buttery cracker you prefer like Ritz or Townhouse, just be sure to cut your bacon to fit.
- Bacon – Regular thin-cut bacon is all you need. Feel free to swap in turkey bacon if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Cayenne Pepper – For some sneaky heat. Feel free to swap in hot paprika, red pepper flakes, or any other spicy red chili powder you have on hand.
- Black Pepper – Freshly ground is best.
How To Make Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
This simply delicious bacon crackers appetizer comes together in a flash. Here’s how it’s done:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Assemble. Arrange crackers in a single layer, then top each with a piece of bacon. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly on top, then a pinch of cayenne pepper and black pepper.
- Bake until sugar begins to melt and bacon is crisp; about 30-40 minutes.
- Cool completely and allow to harden before serving.
FAQs
Can you make this bacon cracker appetizer ahead of time?
You sure can! In fact, I recommend that you do. Once made, they should keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. To serve, let come to room temperature.
Can I use turkey bacon?
Absolutely! They won’t be quite as rich as if you use regular bacon, but they’ll still be darn tasty.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Sure! Just swap in your favorite gluten-free butter cracker brand.
How To Serve
These delicious nuggets of crispy, crunchy candied bacon cracker goodness are a delight to eat all on their own. They also make for a spectacular addition to any cheese or charcuterie board.
They’re a lovely pairing for just about any kind of dip like my sour cream and onion dip, creamy herb veggie dip, or garlic whipped feta. I also like to serve them alongside soup.
Variations
I’m not gonna lie: this recipe for crackers with candied bacon is spectacular. That said, there’s always room for customization, even with simple recipes like this one! Here are a few to try:
- Turkey Bacon. If pork is off the menu, try swapping in turkey bacon.
- Kid-Friendly. Omit the cayenne to keep these crackers suitable for the littles.
Storage
Once baked and cooled, the crackers can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. To preserve them longer, pop them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to a month.
Expert Tips
- Use scissors to cut bacon. Trust me, it makes life so much easier.
- If there’s any leftover bacon fat, scoop it into a container and keep it in the fridge for later. I like to use it to add flavor to cornbread or for cooking breakfast items like pancakes or waffles.
- Thin bacon is better for this recipe. If bacon makes everything better, then logic would follow that MORE bacon is even better, right? Well, not exactly. I don’t suggest using thick-cut bacon here because it’ll take too long to candy and your crackers will burn.
Love Bacon? Try These Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- Creamy Bacon Jalapeno Pizza
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below.
Bacon Crackers
Sweet, salty and crunchy, these candied Bacon Crackers are made with just 5 ingredients for an easy appetizer that everyone will love.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Ingredients
- 1 box Club crackers about 36 crackers
- 1 pound bacon cut into thirds
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- cayenne pepper
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Arrange crackers in an even layer on the baking rack. Top each cracker with a piece of bacon and sprinkle about a teaspoon of brown sugar evenly on top, then a pinch of cayenne pepper and black pepper.
- Bake until sugar begins to melt and bacon is crisp; about 30-40 minutes.
- Cool completely and allow to harden before serving.
Notes
Once baked and cooled, the crackers can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. To preserve them longer, pop them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to a month.
Nutrition
Calories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 140mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.4mg
