Spiced Bacon Twists (Printable version)

Crispy bacon strips coated in cinnamon and brown sugar, baked until caramelized. Ideal for brunch or entertaining.

# Needed ingredients:

→ Bacon

01 - 12 slices thick-cut bacon

→ Spiced Sugar Mixture

02 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for a touch of heat)

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set a wire rack on top.
02 - In a shallow dish, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper (if using).
03 - Dredge each bacon slice in the sugar mixture, coating both sides evenly.
04 - Twist each bacon slice several times to form a spiral, then lay them on the wire rack, spacing them apart.
05 - Sprinkle any leftover spiced sugar mixture over the twists.
06 - Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and caramelized, rotating the tray halfway through baking for even cooking.
07 - Let cool for 5 minutes to allow the caramelized coating to set before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They taste like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent about 10 minutes prepping.
  • The contrast between crispy bacon and that caramelized spiced coating is genuinely addictive and hard to stop eating.
  • They work equally well at a fancy brunch, a casual game night, or crumbled over a salad for unexpected flavor.
02 -
  • The wire rack is non-negotiable because bacon baked directly on a sheet will steam on the bottom and never get properly crispy, which defeats the entire purpose of these twists.
  • Your oven temperature matters more than you'd think because even 25 degrees too hot will char the sugar before the bacon fat renders, turning them bitter instead of caramelized.
03 -
  • Buy bacon from a butcher if you can because the thickness is more consistent than grocery store packages, and consistent thickness means even baking.
  • Don't skip rotating the tray halfway through because your oven has hot spots, and this simple step is what separates unevenly cooked bacon from perfectly caramelized twists.
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