Bacon Crackers Recipe: An Easy & Irresistible Snack 🥓

If you’re looking for an easy, tasty snack or party appetizer that will fly off the platter, this bacon crackers recipe needs fewer than five ingredients and will make every bacon-lover ecstatic!  🥓

Snappy, sweet, and savory all at once, this simple bacon crackers recipe has flavor built into every bite. 

When planning out a meal or simply snacks for a get-together, it is nice to have a little something sweet and a little something savory to serve.  

Have you ever had “Millionaire bacon”? 

It’s basically candied bacon, served up on the side of a meal. 

Sweet, salty, smoky, and rich. 

Get it? Imagine these flavors in an easy snack.

What if that “something” could have both those flavors in a single bite? 

I wondered that too. 

So I set to work figuring out what I could create fill that need. 

A single item to prepare is unassuming in presentation but might knock the socks off everyone who tried it. 

Of course, I started with bacon. 

Always bacon. 

But bacon can be messy, so it needs to have a vehicle for its deliciousness.

Hm. How about a cracker?  

A salty cracker that can stand up while cooking for a while with bacon on top. 

Also, how about a bit of brown sugar to sweeten the bite. 

Oh, and it could have a little kick if we added a light dusting of cayenne pepper. 

With those ideas, I set to work. 

The persistence paid off, and the result was amazing! 

They are crisp-chewy, sweet, spicy, and rich all in one bite. 

Now I am ready to share this creation with the world in hopes that other bacon lovers out there will enjoy this delicate candied bacon cracker too!

What kind of crackers should I use? 

The best crackers to use for this bacon crackers recipe would be buttery and unflavored yet sturdy.  

A rectangle shape or long oval would be preferable so you can maximize the real estate since bacon is easily cut into rectangle pieces. 

Town House has one, as do pretty much every grocery store generic brand. Pepperidge Farm has several types, as does Carr’s. 

Wheat Thins BIG! might work, but the smaller “regular-sized” ones would mean smaller amounts of toppings and cuts of bacon. 

But hey, if you love them, the effort won’t bother you, so give it a try!

What kind of bacon should I use?

My only recommendation is NOT to use thick-cut bacon as it may take too long to cook and the cracker may not hold up.

Otherwise, I do not think which kind of bacon you use matters much. 

Turkey, organic, name brand, center-cut, maple, applewood, cured, generic, smoked, nitrate-free, uncured, pasture-raised. 

You could even try it with prosciutto if you’re fancy. 

They will ALL work. 

Use your favorite. 

Ingredients

• 24 sturdy, buttery, unflavored crackers like Club or TownHouse
• 6 slices of raw, uncooked bacon (not thick-cut)
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• Optional:  Cayenne pepper

Recipe variation ideas

• Eat as is, or dip into a mix of cream cheese with a sweet edge: fig preserves, raspberry chipotle sauce, or sweet red pepper or onion relish. Pile into a dish on the side and let guests spoon on top of the bacon cracker. See the recipe card for more info.
• If you have plenty of leftover bacon cracker snacks, crush and toss onto crisp, cold side salads — a crouton and savory topping combo!

Kitchen supplies to gather

1. Baking sheet
2. Foil
3. Wire baking rack
4. Non-stick cooking spray
5. Teaspoon 
6. Measuring cup
7. Serving platter
8. Tongs
9. Kitchen shears (We love these come-apart scissors from Wusthof.)

How to make homemade candied Bacon Crackers

1. Preheat a conventional or toaster oven to 300F.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Spray a wire baking rack with baking spray. 
4. Place the wire baking rack on top of the baking sheet.
5. Cut the bacon into fourths. 
6. Arrange the crackers on the baking rack.

7. Using a teaspoon, place a scoop of brown sugar on each cracker.

8. Spread out the brown sugar and sprinkle a tiny dash of cayenne pepper on top of the sugar (if desired).

9. Place the bacon on top of the brown sugar.

10. Dust a fine layer of brown sugar on top of the bacon.

11. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the bacon is done. (Baking times will vary by oven, so start checking at the 45-minute mark. You may need another 10 minutes if the bacon isn’t looking crisp and bubbly yet.)

12. Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on a paper towel-lined plate initially and then once cooled, then move them to a serving dish.

13. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips and Tricks

• Consider cutting the bacon with kitchen shears. It makes the job a lot easier and faster. 
• Depending on actual oven temperatures, these tasty morsels can be ready in as few as 40 minutes.  Watch them closely the first time, and from then on, you will know exactly how long they need to cook in your oven. 

How to store bacon crackers

While it’s rare to have leftovers, you can store any bacon crackers that haven’t been snapped up in an airtight container. 

It’s safest to store the container in the refrigerator; keep it for up to five days. 

How to reheat bacon crackers

Pull your airtight container out of the fridge and remove only the number of bacon crackers that you will eat. . Set them on a plate to bring up to room temperature, about 20 minutes. 

Eat at room temperature or place in a preheated air fryer set at 375F and heat for two or three minutes. 

Gently remove with tongs or tip out the basket, so the crackers slide out onto the plate.