These maple bacon cupcakes will change the way you look at bacon and cupcakes forever! This sweet and savory treat features moist, tender maple cupcakes topped with creamy maple cream cheese frosting and a final touch of candied maple bacon on top.
When I think of a sweet ending to a meal or a treat for parties, cupcakes always come to mind before anything else. I love to serve delicious cupcakes like my banana cupcakes to family and friends because they always seem to put a smile on their faces.
It occurred to me that another ingredient that makes everyone happy is bacon. I thought it would be an amazing idea to create a sweet cupcake with a savory twist by adding maple and bacon flavors, and I was not disappointed with the outcome. You won't be, either.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Bacon Maple Cupcakes
- Maple Bacon Cupcakes Video
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make This Maple Bacon Cupcakes Recipe
- Hint
- Storage
- What to Serve with Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- Tips for the Best Maple and Bacon Cupcakes
- More Cupcake Recipes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love These Bacon Maple Cupcakes
- Simple Ingredients: The cupcakes, bacon, and frosting are all made with basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. If you don't have something, you'll be able to get it at your grocery store.
- Easy to Make: Every part of this recipe is simple and beginner-friendly.
- Unique Flavor: Maple and bacon are a classic combo, and they pair well with the sweet flavors in the cupcakes to make a dessert that's unexpectedly delicious.
- Versatile: Serve these treats as a weeknight dessert or at any party.
Maple Bacon Cupcakes Video
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Flour: I prefer Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour because it gives my baked goods the best texture and eliminates the need to use other ingredients to get a classic cupcake feel.
- Maple Syrup: Real maple syrup adds deep maple flavor and extra moisture to the cupcakes.
- Maple Extract: I use OliveNation maple extract to add even more maple flavor. OliveNation is my go-to because it's super high quality. Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream makes the cupcakes incredibly moist and tender.
- Apple Cider Vinegar and Almond Milk: I combine these to make homemade plant buttermilk. The acidity of this mixture gives the cupcakes a tender crumb and slight tang.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer Singing Dog vanilla extract for its quality and purity.
Maple Bacon Frosting
- Cream Cheese and Butter: Softened cream cheese and butter make the rich, creamy base for the frosting.
- Maple and Bacon Extracts: OliveNation maple and bacon extracts give this frosting its sweet and savory flavor. I prefer OliveNation for its quality and purity, and I use it in all my recipes. Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar adds sweetness and body to the frosting.
Maple Bacon
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds sweetness and maple flavor to the salty bacon.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds more sweetness and helps caramelize the bacon as it cooks.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Dairy Free: You can use plant-based butter, sour cream, milk, and cream cheese to make a gluten and dairy free version of these cupcakes.
- Crushed Bacon: Try adding crumbled bacon to the cupcake batter for soft, tender cupcakes with a crunchy kick of bacon flavor.
- Maple Buttercream Frosting: Add maple extract to buttercream frosting if you don't like cream cheese frosting.
How to Make This Maple Bacon Cupcakes Recipe
At first glance, you might think these cupcakes are hard to make, but they're actually very easy! It's three simple recipes broken down into equally easy steps. You'll have zero problem making it!
For the Cupcakes
1: Mix the almond milk and vinegar together and set them aside while you link your cupcake pan and preheat the oven.
2: Whisk the dry cupcake ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3: Beat the butter, sugar, and oil in a stand mixture until fully combined. Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix again.
4: Alternate adding half the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition until the cupcake batter is just combined. The batter will be slightly thick. That's normal!
5: Divide your batter evenly in a lined 12-count muffin pan lined with cupcake liners and bake the cupcakes until a toothpick comes out clean.
6: Coll your cupcakes for a few minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Bacon
1: Line the bacon strips in your air fryer basket. Then, brush them with maple syrup and sprinkle them with brown sugar.
2: Cook the bacon until crispy. Then, let them cool and cut each one into 3 pieces.
For the Frosting
1: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
2: Next, add half of the powdered sugar, along with the remaining ingredients except the salt and milk, and mix until combined.
3: Now, add the rest of the powdered sugar, salt, and milk, and mix until you get a rich, creamy cream cheese frosting.
Decorate
1: Using a piping bag with an open tip, frost the tops of the cupcakes, then place a piece of candied bacon on top. Enjoy!
Hint
It's important to give your almond milk and vinegar mixture at least 5 minutes to sit to get the full buttermilk effect.
Storage
Because these cupcakes are made with cream cheese frosting, they have to be refrigerated. You can store them for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.
What to Serve with Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Bacon makes everything better, and maple is a classic fall flavor. Try serving these cupcakes with your other favorite fall treats like pumpkin pie, apple muffins, or gingerbread bundt cake as part of a larger dessert table at parties.
These flavors also make a wonderful dessert after rustic meals like beef stew, chicken bacon mushroom pasta, or chicken garlic parmesan pasta.
Tips for the Best Maple and Bacon Cupcakes
- Fully soften your butter and cream cheese to create the best texture for both your cupcakes and your frosting.
- Bring all your cold cupcake ingredients to room temperature. This helps you mix them more easily and avoid overmixing.
- Mix the cupcake batter until it's just combined. Mixing it too much will make tough cupcakes.
- Always sift your powdered sugar to remove any clumps. Clumpy powdered sugar can lead to grainy frosting, and you don't want that!
More Cupcake Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
On its own, bacon extract tastes more smoky than anything else. However, when paired with other ingredients in a recipe, the flavor does impart a distinctly bacon-like flavor to recipes.
Yes, you do. Unlike buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting MUST be refrigerated for safety.
Always mix your wet and dry ingredients separately and then mix them until just combined. This means that everything is moistened and incorporated but not smooth. Overmixing makes baked goods dense and tough.
Be sure to fully soften your cream cheese and butter. This creates a super smooth base and eliminates any little bits of raw cream cheese or butter in the frosting. In addition, be sure you thoroughly sift your powdered sugar to avoid clumping.
Related
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📖 Recipe
Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Cupcake Ingredients
- ¾ cups sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Singing Dog vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon maple extract
- ½ cup almond milk room temperature
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Bacon Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tbs brown sugar
Maple Bacon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon bacon extract
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Mix the almond milk and vinegar and set aside. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter, sugar, and oil for 90 seconds in a stand mixer.
- Add the maple syrup, sour cream, vanilla extract, maple extract, and maple syrup and mix until combined. Then, add the eggs and mix until just combined.
- Slowly mix half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then repeat, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop. Then, bake the cupcakes for 14 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes and let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Bacon
- Place the bacon in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Then, brush the strips with maple syrup and sprinkle them with brown sugar.
- Air fry the bacon strips at 355 for 12 minutes.
- Remove the candied bacon strips and let them cool. Then, cut them into 3 pieces.
Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add half the powdered sugar, along with the maple syrup, maple extract, and bacon extract and mix on low until the mixture begins to combine. Increase the speed to medium and mix for another 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, salt, and milk and mix for 2 minutes until you achieve a creamy frosting.
Decorate
- Using a piping bag with an open tip, pipe the frosting on top of each fully cooled cupcake. Then, add a slice of candied bacon on top.
Krystle says
The bacon cream cheese icing is to die for! Made these for my BF's birthday and everyone loved them.
Nicole Kendrick says
What a lucky man! Happy Birthday to him!
Jai says
Oh my goodness, Maple Bacon Cupcakes! That flavor combination is genius—the sweet, savory, and smokey notes must be incredible. These look like the ultimate indulgent treat!
Nicole Kendrick says
One of my family's favorites! Thanks for the lovely comment! -NK
Jess says
These maple bacon cupcakes with the unique sweet and savory taste were a hit at our home ,they turned out moist and delicious, it went very well with the cream cheese frosting .
Nicole Kendrick says
I am so glad the whole fam enjoyed! Thank you for stopping by and using our recipe!
Liz says
The sweet and savory combo won me over! These cupcakes are delicious!!
Nicole Kendrick says
Me too, Liz! So glad you enjoyed. Sending love! -NK
Amy says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Swathi says
Maple bacon cupcakes is delicious love the combo of bacon and maple together so yum
Criss says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Oscar says
I never thought bacon and cupcakes would work together, but these are incredible! That candied bacon on top is genius.
Krystle says
LOVE the sweet and salty combo. These were a huge hit at our brunch.
Jacqueline Debono says
I made a batch of these cupcakes over the weekend! OMG so good, I'm hooked on the maple and bacon combo!