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These maple bacon cupcakes are fluffy, decadent, and have just the right amount of savory. Perfect for a special occasion or with a cup of coffee in the morning! With the holidays just around the corner, trust me, you’re going to want to have this recipe in your back pocket. Now let’s get into how to make these Maple Bacon Cupcakes!
- Why You Will Love These Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- How to Make the Cupcakes
- How to Make the Maple Bacon
- Adding the Finishing Touches
Why You Will Love These Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- First of all, bacon. But seriously, bacon makes everything better and these cupcakes have the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
- Easy to make. While these maple bacon cupcakes do require some prep, they are actually super simple to bake and assemble.
- Top notch presentation. These cupcakes make a statement. Perfect for adding some flair to that dessert table.
How to Make the Cupcakes
To make these maple bacon cupcakes, start by preheating the oven and getting all of the equipment and ingredients out and ready (like you’re the host of a cooking show). Refer to the recipe card below for a detailed list of everything that you’ll need. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt). In a separate medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (room temperature buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla). Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined. Add the paper liners to the cupcake tray, and fill until 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes and let cool inside of the tin for 5 minutes before moving to the cooling rack.
How to Make the Maple Bacon
It’s actually super easy to make candied maple bacon! Keep in mind that the thinner the bacon, the crispier it will be when cooked. Start by preheating the oven, if you make the cupcakes first the oven will already be ready! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and on a separate plate spread out brown sugar in an even layer. Place the bacon on the baking sheet and lightly drizzle with maple syrup, flip to coat each side. Place each piece of bacon on the plate with brown sugar, turning to coat each side evenly. Then place the bacon back onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, and continue to check every 3 minutes after to make sure that the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and allow the maple bacon to cool completely.
Adding the Finishing Touches
You’ve made the cupcakes, the maple bacon is cooled, it’s now time to assemble your Maple Bacon Cupcakes! For this recipe I just used store bought cream cheese frosting, but if you’re feeling ambitious you can prepare your frosting from scratch before this step. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes. If you don’t have a piping bag, just fill a zip lock bag with frosting, snip the corner, and voilà! Make sure to wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled so the frosting doesn’t melt. Next, cut the bacon into one or two inch pieces and place on top of each cupcake.
Enjoy!
These maple bacon cupcakes are the perfect treat for any occasion. Not only are they the most delicious balance of sweet and savory, but they really bring the wow factor to the dessert table! I hope you enjoy these maple bacon cupcakes as much as my family does!
Make sure to check out my other recipes and let me know in the comments if you’ve tried this one!
Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 Cupcake tin
- 1 Pack of Cupcake liners
- 2 Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
- 1 Sheet pan
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Candied Bacon
- 6 slices uncooked bacon
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 tub Cream Cheese Frosting (or make from scratch)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line the cupcake tray.
- In a large bowl – whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl – whisk the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined and no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Divide the batter in the paper liners, filling about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. (Let cool in baking tin for 5 minutes before taking out of cupcake tin).
Candied Bacon
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If you make the cupcakes first, the oven will already be ready! Spread out brown sugar on a larch plate. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place bacon on the baking sheet and lightly drizzle maple syrup. Flip to coat evenly.
- Place each piece of bacon on the plate with sugar, turning to coat each side. Place back on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Check every 3 minutes after to make sure that the sugar doesn't burn. The bacon should be golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven, let cool completely, and cut into 1" pieces.
Finishing Touches
- Fill a piping bag with cream cheese frosting. Pipe frosting onto cooked cupcakes and place bacon pieces on top. Enjoy!
