The 3-Ingredient Fall Twist That Makes Bacon Twice As Flavorful

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If one scent could be bottled and smelled forever, it'd have to be bacon sizzling on a pan and warm maple syrup on pancakes for breakfast. Nothing compares to bacon with pancakes, eggs, and a strong cup of coffee in the morning. While bacon can be cooked many ways, few are better than candied. In fact, Tasting Table has a candied bacon recipe with just three ingredients for a fall-inspired twist.

Our Maple-Cinnamon Candied Bacon Recipe tastes like fall on a plate. In this recipe, bacon is smothered in a maple syrup, black pepper, and ground cinnamon mixture, then baked for 10 to 15 minutes until sizzling, brown, and crispy. As it bakes, the maple syrup crystallizes and hardens around the bacon, creating a thick, candied exterior and a sweet, syrupy taste. When it's done, sprinkle black pepper on top for a sweet-savory combination. The cinnamon, maple, and pepper all work together to give the bacon a warm, spicy-yet-sugary flavor.

Maple and cinnamon are quintessential fall flavors, but you could truly use both year-round to make this delectable side dish. Make sure you use high-quality ingredients like Crown Maple Syrup, which won first place in our ranking of 10 popular maple syrup brands. You can also find good ground cinnamon in the spice aisle at the grocery store.

Candied bacon is one of Tasting Table's 11 best recipes for a taste of fall. It's comforting, warm, and has the sweet-and-salty notes many folks crave. But you don't have to stop there: You can add candied bacon to many recipes to kick them up a notch. Try chopping up candied bacon into small pieces and mixing it with roasted Brussels sprouts in Tasting Table's Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts Recipe. Sprinkle some candied pecans, chopped walnuts, pepitas, or crumbled goat cheese for pops of texture and flavor.

Another delicious way to use this bacon? Add pieces of it to a bowl of mac n' cheese. In fact, it's one of many pro tips celebrity chefs use for next-level mac n' cheese. Typically, bacon adds a smoky kick to mac n' cheese, but the sweetness of maple bacon pairs nicely with the rich creaminess of mozzarella, gouda, or cheddar cheese. Of course, you can't really go wrong with adding maple bacon to burgers, salads, or a bowl of hearty fall-inspired soup.