Praline Bacon
I first tried Praline Bacon in New Orleans and instantly became obsessed! It’s sweet, salty, and meaty, with a subtle pecan flavor as well. It’s good stuff and only takes about a half hour to make in the oven.
Have you ever heard (weird) people say “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?”
Well those people have OBVIOUSLY never had praline bacon.
I remember a few months ago I came across a fitness blog written by this lady who had all sorts of crazy ab action going on, and right on her website was that very statement. Then she wrote that all she eats is chicken and vegetables every day, with salt and pepper. EVERY. DAY. Seriously, can you imagine eating that every day? Give me the option between her chiseled body and the option to eat good food…and well…the choice is pretty obvious (there ain’t no chiseled abs ’round these parts…well, there may be, I just can’t see them if there are, hehe).
Don’t get me wrong, I do love chicken and veggies, but sometimes you want something dang good…that’s oh so bad…something you know is going to cost you some extra time at the gym.
Cue the praline bacon.
But hold on…what is praline bacon?
Until a year ago, I didn’t know what it was either. I first saw it on a menu of a New Orleans diner named Elizabeth’s Restaurant and practically screamed at the waitress when she asked what I wanted, “…PRALINE BACON!!!! What is that??? I WANT IT!!!”
It’s bacon that’s roasted with a pulverized pecan brown sugar until it has caramelized, and yes, it is reminiscent of Pecan Praline Candy…but with bacon.
In other words, it’s sweet salty smoky nutty delicious. It’s bacon at a whole new level.
Praline bacon is quite simple to make.
First start with some toasted pecans:
Throw those pecans into a food processor with some dark brown sugar and pulse until it forms a crumb that looks like this:
Now it’s time to marry the brown sugar mixture with the bacon.
What Bacon to Use
This is the time and the place to use good bacon. I like Neuske’s, Niman Ranch, and pasture-raised bacons.
Though I tend to like thinner and crispier bacon overall, I actually think thick cut bacon works nicely here too. Use thick slices of bacon if you want a meatier bite, and use thinner bacon if you prefer a crispier experience.
Press the bacon slices into the brown sugar pecan crumb and lay them on a wire rack set atop a sheet pan in a single layer. You may line the sheet pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup of the bacon grease, if desired.
Sprinkle any remaining praline topping over the top, so none goes to waste.
Place the rimmed baking sheet into a 350F preheated oven until caramelized, and the bacon browns:
It’s like candied bacon, but nutty!
Let the bacon cool on the wire rack for a moment, then lay each slice of bacon on paper towels to drain, and enjoy. It is perfect with Basted Eggs and a side of Hash Browns.
Also try Bananas Foster French Toast, Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, and Carrot Cake Pancakes for more great brunch recipes. Enjoy!
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Praline Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz center-cut bacon*
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a wire rack above a sheet pan.
- Pulse the pecans until they are chopped up into itty bitty pieces, but don’t pulse them so far that they turn into nut butter. Add the brown sugar and pulse a couple times to combine.
- Press each bacon slice into the brown sugar pecan crumb, making sure to get both sides and shaking off the excess. Then place the prepped bacon slices on the wire rack.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until the brown sugar has caramelized. Let the bacon cool slightly, about a minute, on the wire rack. Then place on paper towels to drain. Enjoy while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
37 Comments on “Praline Bacon”
No one in my house appreciates the versatility of bacon like I do. Everyone left to go eat wings and I’m making praline bacon. All for me!
haha! I’d definitely rather be making praline bacon with you than out eating wings. They don’t know what they’re missing!
It was so good! I will be making this for my “Secret Santa Baconpalooza White Elephant Ugly Christmas Sweater Christmas Party.” I think my friends can appreciate this dessert.
I believe it was actually the model Kate Moss who originally made that statement about nothing tasting as good as skinny feels. But what does that skinny, unhappy bitch know, anyway?! I, personally, have a perfectly chiseled body that I keep well protected under several layers of cookie fat. And, apparently, I’m going to be adding some praline bacon fat to that as well.
HAHA! You crack me up Anita. Kate Moss doesn’t know what she’s missing! I don’t think she eats very much…
Wow this is such a cool idea!!
ohhh yes! This is grown up candied bacon. wow.
Yes to all of this!
Chicken and veggies , everyday ?! With that kind of chiseled bods for sure she can eat some of this wonderfully awesome praline bacon ! 😀 I’m sure can and I’m such a couch potato ! lol
Oh, my. Totally irresistible. Never knew there was a way to make bacon even better!
Chicken and veggies everyday, no way! What the heck does she have to write about? Lol! 900 ways to cook chicken…lol! This bacon looks to die for…omg!! My abs are hungry now! 😉
Yummo! I’ve been making Candy Bacon with Brown sugar, cayanne, chili powder, and curry powder for oh the last year or so… And I sometimes even share it 🙂 But I didn’t think to add the pecans! I’m excited to try this addition. Thanks!
Oh that’s a great idea, too! I’ve made this very recipe for praline bacon and everyone in the house loved it. We’d made chocolate covered strawberries with chili powder this summer and that was too good so I’m going to try this addition to the bacon recipe. Maybe the curry, too.
Oh yeah, chicken and veggies every day for chisled abs – NO! I will take a little balance to enjoy life, and not have the 6 pack.
Oh. My. God. I need this in my life! And I agree. While I would love to be fit and chiseled…I love cookies more. 🙂
OMG! My hubby will think he’s died and gone to heaven! I always have to cook 2 pounds of bacon to make sure there’s some left over for salads and sandwiches, next time I make it, I’m going to hold a few slices back to make this! And we always cook bacon in the oven, so this is just kicking it up a notch!
I had no idea this was such a thing. I love bacon in my sweets…and now you’ve made sweets in my bacon! YUM
Oh my goodness I actually guffawed at the first line of this post! LOL does not express the noise I made- too funny! They’re obviously not eating the same food I am, because in my opinion soooo many things taste way better than I imagine skinny feels (I like food too much to know how skinny feels)! I’m adding praline bacon to this list of things 🙂
hahaha! That is hilarious. I totally agree with you =)
I’ve been wanting to make praline bacon for a long time. Looks so good!!!!
Ombacon! That looks awesome.how could anyone go wrong with bacon &praline yumminess.