Candied Bacon Cornbread

Everything is better with bacon, including cornbread!

Like guacamole, I never particularly liked cornbread until I started making my own.  I think it’s a textural thing.  As I started to taste various types of cornbread, I realized I definitely prefer sweeter recipes over the more savory ones, but few versions were anything I actually craved.  Thankfully, my husband and I are cornbread compatible!  In fact, I owe the success of this recipe to that wonderful man of mine.  I asked him to pick up some cornmeal since I was running low and he came back with ground cornmeal.  Switching the dry mix from a combination of flour and cornmeal to flour, cornmeal, and ground cornmeal finally got me to the exact texture I was looking for.  I frequently make these without the candied bacon, since the bacon addition adds prep work that I don’t always have time for.  But there are times when I just can’t say no to bacon!

Candied Bacon Cornbread

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Everything is better with bacon, including cornbread! If for some reason you don't agree, then feel free to omit it. I've made these both ways with (almost) equally delicious results.

Author: Taylor

Cuisine: Southern

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 5 strips bacon
• Magic Dust
• Ground pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• A dash of ground cloves
• A dash of ground ginger
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup ground cornmeal
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey (it helps to melt this into the butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup frozen corn kernels

Instructions

1. Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners and set aside
2. Line a baking tray with foil and top with a cooling rack
3. Spray the rack with cooking spray

Bacon Prep

1. Arrange bacon strips on the prepared rack
2. Sprinkle bacon with Magic Dust and ground black pepper
3. Place tray on the middle rack of your cold oven (this helps keep the bacon from curling)
4. Heat oven to 425 degrees
5. Bake for about 10 minutes
6. Flip bacon and carefully sprinkle with more seasoning
7. Return to oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown (keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn!)
8. Remove tray from oven and cool completely before chopping or crumbling the bacon
9. Lower oven temp to 400 degrees

Batter Prep

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices
2. Add both the cornmeal and the ground cornmeal, as well as the brown sugar and combine with a fork
3. In a glass bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, honey, eggs, butter, and vanilla
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture
5. Stir to combine
6. Fold in corn kernels and crumbled bacon
7. Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees or just until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean
9. Enjoy warm as is or with a pat of butter
   
   

"Taylor" It!

1. I usually make these with vanilla almond milk, but if you're looking for a little decadence, try equal parts of milk and heavy cream or half and half
2. If you'd like a more traditional, coarser texture or don't have ground cornmeal on hand, increase the flour to 1 cup and the cornmeal to ¾ cup

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