How to Make Candied Bacon Roses

Name: Simple Candied Bacon Roses Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package of bacon (preferably thick cut bacon); ⅓ cup of brown sugar; 6 toothpicks, cut in half

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Once you know how to make candied bacon roses, you’ll be set for every Valentine’s Day or anniversary for life! Well… maybe, not set but you’ll definitely get lots of compliments and admiration from your sweetheart.

It’s a perfect gift for the bacon lover in your life.

Sprinkling brown sugar on bacon for candied bacon roses.

This recipe is also terrific for an adorable side dish to a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day brunch board.

Or it can be added to a Valentines Day Charcuterie Board for a sweet treat alongside cheeses, salami roses, and candies for an evening Galentine’s Day party.

Pressing brown sugar on to bacon slices for a candied bacon roses recipe.

What is Candied Bacon?

Candied bacon is the perfect mix of sweet and savory.

By adding brown sugar to strips of bacon, the sugar will caramelize on the meat.

This creates a sweet exterior on the bacon that is perfect for a sweet brunch spread (like this recipe for Caramel Rolls with Whiskey Pecan Sauce).

Candied bacon roses being placed in a muffin tin.

Equipment Needed for Candied Bacon Roses

All the equipment you need to make candied bacon roses should already be in your kitchen, or easily accessible from your local market.

Toothpicks – You will need a few toothpicks, cut in half, in order to secure the bottom of the bacon rose, so that it can keep its rose shape as it bakes in the oven.
Muffin Pan – A muffin pan or cupcake pan is also a helpful tool in holding the bacon rose in its shape during the cooking process.

Candied bacon roses in a heart shaped box.

How to Display your Candied Bacon Roses

There are lots of recipes that call for you to place the bacon roses on real flower stems for a bacon bouquet.

In our opinion, we do not want to eat off of a real flower stem and risk dirt getting on our beloved bacon roses.

We also don’t want to eat off of non-food safe plastic flower stems from fake roses.

Our solution is to order a large heart shaped box, fill the bottom with tissue paper, then a layer of wax paper or parchment paper.

Use a paper towel to blot off any excess bacon grease and then add the candied bacon roses to the box.

It looks like those really expensive Venus et Fleur blooms or a fancy box of chocolates.

Plus, it’s food safe and a heck of a lot easier than trying to balance heavy bacon on flimsy artificial rose stems.

Talk about a fun way to display the perfect Valentine’s Day gift without breaking the bank.

Variations to this Bacon Rose Recipe

We enjoyed this candied bacon rose recipe as listed, but here are a few fun variations you could consider.

Chocolate Dipped – Once the bacon roses are cooked and cooled, consider dipping the tips of the “flower petals” in melted chocolate for a sweet-meets-savory take on these bacon roses.
Make it Spicy – Mix in a dash of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the brown sugar mixture for a kiss of heat to your bacon roses.
Add a Kiss of Maple – For another unique flavor combination, brush some maple syrup on top of the bacon roses prior to the final sprinkle of brown sugar to add in some extra flavor, perfect for a romantic brunch.

Rolling up bacon for a candied bacon rose recipe.

How to Make Candied Bacon Roses

Follow the attached video tutorial on the recipe card for a step-by-step video guide on how to create the rose shape for these candied bacon roses.

Candied bacon roses Valentines day gift box.

Candied Bacon Roses Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Bake Time: 45-55 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 package of bacon (preferably thick cut bacon)
⅓ cup of brown sugar
6 toothpicks, cut in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Start by lining up your slices of bacon on a large cutting board or baking sheet and covering each piece of bacon with a light layer of brown sugar.
Slice your toothpicks in half.
Starting with one end of the bacon strip, roll the entire piece of raw bacon up into a coil, then secure with one half of the toothpick, then use the second toothpick crosswise to make an X to secure the button of the thick bacon slices.
Continue until all the bacon is rolled into bacon spirals.
Add the bacon flowers, toothpick side down, in the muffin or cupcake tin.
Sprinkle additional 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar on top of the roses.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, discarding excess bacon grease halfway through the bacon process. This helps to ensure the bottom of the bacon rosebuds crisp up instead of staying rubbery.

Note: The cook time will vary based on how thick your bacon is and how crispy you like your bacon. Be sure to remove toothpicks prior to consuming.

Simple Candied Bacon Roses Recipe

Yield: 12 Bacon Roses

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Learn how to make delicious candied bacon roses for a Valentine's Day gift, Galentine's party, or an adorable addition to a charcuterie board.

Ingredients

1 package of bacon (preferably thick cut bacon)
⅓ cup of brown sugar
6 toothpicks, cut in half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Start by lining up your slices of bacon on a large cutting board or baking sheet and covering each piece of bacon with a light layer of brown sugar.
Slice your toothpicks in half.
Starting with one end of the bacon strip, roll the entire piece of raw bacon up into a coil, then secure with one half of the toothpick, then use the second toothpick crosswise to make an X to secure the button of the thick bacon slices.
Continue until all the bacon is rolled into bacon spirals.
Add the bacon flowers, toothpick side down, in the muffin or cupcake tin.
Sprinkle additional 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar on top of the roses.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, discarding excess bacon grease halfway through the bacon process. This helps to ensure the bottom of the bacon rosebuds crisp up instead of staying rubbery.