These Maple Bacon Cupcakes are an extraordinarily sweet and salty treat. Soft maple cupcakes with a hint of bacon topped with maple buttercream frosting, crispy bacon bits and a touch of maple syrup.
MAPLE BACON CUPCAKES
Desserts with bacon started sweeping the food scene a few years ago. It was such a craze that people tried adding bacon to just about every sweet treat. Maple/bacon and chocolate/bacon seemed to be the most popular combinations. Although, maple and bacon has been together for a long long time already.
I used to see people pour maple syrup over bacon strips all the time when I worked at the Cracker Barrel. I honestly thought it was the strangest thing until one day, curiosity took over and I tried it. Not gonna lie, it was interesting and tasty! It could have been just a southern thing but it was tasty nevertheless.
So I can definitely see how maple/bacon desserts became so popular. It’s not just cupcakes that feature that flavor combination, I’ve seen in in doughnuts, muffins, waffles, pancakes and cookies. Maple bacon doughnuts are still on my list to try.
These cupcakes were actually my very first expedience with bacon in dessert. My best friend’s son got married last weekend and his bride asked if I could contribute to their dessert table with some cupcakes. Of course I said “yes!”
They had a sweet, small wedding and everything was fun and non-traditional. So she wanted some kind of unusual cupcakes and decided on maple-bacon. You know the rules, what the bride wants, the bride gets! So I whipped up like five batches of cupcakes to get three perfect ones for them. By the end, I could make these cupcakes with my eyes closed.
I was so nervous to find out how everyone liked them since it was a whole lot of strangers trying my cupcakes. I was very happy to find out the next day that everyone loved them. Very happy!
**UPDATED**
TIPS FOR MAKING THE CUPCAKES
**First and foremost, I want to THANK all of you for your patience in waiting on this recipe to be updated! It’s been quite a long wait and I’m so sorry for taking so long. It was a couple of trial and errors but I went a whole different route with these cupcakes.
The technique using beaten butter and sugar is usually hit and miss for me. It seemed like it was a hit and mix for some of my readers too. I truly apologize for that and not being able to figure out what went wrong with the old recipe.
So I remade these cupcakes using a recipe that I completely trust, that has not failed me yet. I’ve made these cupcakes a couple of times and sent them to work with my husband, for “taste testing.” The report came back very positive each time. No deflating, soft texture, and taste is right on point! I hope you will forgive the length or time it took for me to update this recipe.**
SOME MORE RECIPES TO TRY
Strawberry Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes from Life In The Lofthouse
Nutella Stuffed Raspberry Cupcakes from Handle The Heat
If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!
Connect with Will Cook For Smiles!
Be sure to click below and follow me on my social media, so you never miss a recipe.
Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.
Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Cupcakes:
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup of white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup bacon grease grease from cooking bacon in the oven
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- Optional: 1 tsp maple extract
- Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powder sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- Topping:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup for topping cupcakes
- 6-8 crispy bacon strips
- 1/4 cup maple syrup for topping frosting
Instructions
- UPDATED recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. (I recommend parchment paper liners but you can use any your prefer.)
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together and set aside.
- Combine vegetable oil, bacon grease, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. (And maple extract if using.)
- Make sure your other ingredients are ready.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer (use paddle attachment), beat egg whites for about 30 seconds and slowly start pouring in sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until white and fluffy.
- Start pouring in oil mixture, slowly, as the eggs are still beating on medium-high.
- Lower the speed to low.
- Alternating, add flour mixture and buttermilk in two parts. Mix until just combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and low mix a couple more seconds until incorporated.
- Divide batter among the cupcake cups, filling them about ⅔ of the day. (I recommend using an ice cream scoop so all the cupcakes are even.) Tap the cupcake pan on the counter a couple of times to help air bubbles come up.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.Take out of the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Gently take the cupcakes out onto the wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle about a teaspoon of maple syrup on to of each cupcake.
- Cool completely before frosting!
- Frosting:
- Beat softened butter in the electric mixer, on medium-high speed, for about 2 minutes.
- Lower speed to low and carefully mix in powder sugar, salt and maple syrup. Once sugar is incorporated, scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and raise speed to medium. Beat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer frosting into a piping bag with desired tip attached. Pipe cooled cupcakes.
- Crumble crispy bacon and divide it on top of piped cupcakes.
- Drizzle each cupcake with some maple syrup.
Notes
Liana says
I am definitely going to try these! They sound delicious!
Liana says
I am definitely going to try these! They sound delicious!
lyuba says
I hope you will and let me know how you liked it 😉
Thank you, Liana!
Tami says
I, too, have a bride that wants a breakfast cupcake. The only difference is she wants minis. I picked 8 different recipes to try. This one was first on the list because I liked the ingredients. I am happy to say I don’t need to try the other recipes! This is delicious. I didn’t think I would like a breakfast cupcake, but I couldn’t stop eating these. It’s like something that would come out of Willy Wonka’s factory or Jane Jetsons food machine. It’s little, but you feel like you are eating a pancake and bacon breakfast!! Thank you sooo much for all the hard work you put into perfecting this recipe. It’s absolutely delicious!
lyuba says
Awe, you made me so happy, Tami!!
Thank you so much for letting me know and I wish your bride a lifetime of happiness!
Eunice says
Question some of the comments say 2 tsp of baking powder but your recipe says 1 tsp, what is the correct amount to use?
lyuba says
Hi Eunice!
This recipe has actually been re-worked and updated so some of the comments are old. The recipe itself is updated, so it’s 1 tsp.
I hope you like the cupcakes 🙂
Alexi says
Hello! Will this work with pure egg whites from a carton?
lyuba says
Hi Alexi!
So sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner!
The jury is still out of using egg white from a carton in baking and whipping. So brands do work and some do not .Some brands even say right on the carton that it can not be used in meringue or other baking recipes.
I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried a specific brand.
If you’re worried about wasting egg yolks, I often plan a custard or chocolate mousse or something similar that specifically uses egg yolks at the same time. That way, I use both parts of the egg 🙂
Daren says
These cupcakes are AMAZING. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. The cupcakes are moist and the frosting is light. They look just a great as they taste.
LyubaB says
Daren, I am so happy you liked them!!
Brenda says
Made these for the 4th. They were a hit! Thank you for sharing!
LyubaB says
Yay! I am so glad, Brenda!
Susann says
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for this for over a year. And these were absolutely great. I had to change the recipe
in to gram as I am Norwegian, so was a little more work.
But these were absolutely amazing and will definitely be baked again 🙂
LyubaB says
Hi, Susan! Yay! I am so glad you liked them!!! 🙂
Kate says
Hi there, I’ve made your maple bacon cupcakes before and they were a great hit. I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried baking them as a cake instead? Really want to make a maple bacon cake for my husband’s birthday this year.
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Kate
LyubaB says
Hi, Kate! So glad you liked these cupcakes! I haven’t tried it in a cake but I think it would be just as tasty!
Katelyn says
If I don’t want to use bacon grease in the cupcakes is there another ingredient I can substitute for it? Perhaps more vegetable oil?
Jenny Pedersen says
Did you use the maple extract? Wondering what most people do?
LyubaB says
Hi, Jenny! I did use maple extract! I
Elizabeth says
Hi! This sounds like a great recipe! Can I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil or will it deflate the egg whites?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
LyubaB says
Hi Elizabeth,
For this recipe, it is best to use oil. You could use vegetable or canola oil, both have almost no flavor. I hope you like them! 🙂
Susan says
This recipe is amazing! I make them every chance I get because everyone loves them. They are not overly sweet which is a huge plus in my book. I love to add a couple of crumbles if bacon to the cupcakes before baking for even more flavor!
Shweta says
These look so perfect for our Friday night’s dessert after Family Movie Night.
LyubaB says
Thanks, I hope you try them!
Zach G says
I’ve been trying several cupcake recipes this year and this was a slam dunk! I work in a bakery and shared the batch I made with my coworkers and they were well-received, especially by my boss. The only change I made was in the buttercream, to which I added a little vanilla extract (because every buttercream needs vanilla, right?) and maple extract for a more classic, artificial maple flavor. I used grade B maple syrup, so that may be why the buttercream didn’t taste maple-y enough to me. Definitely saving this recipe!
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it, Zach! Best of luck with your cupcake adventures! 🙂
Emma Westberg says
Amazing Recipe! I thought it would be gross, but it turned out to be delicious!
LyubaB says
It does sound a little weird huh? But the flavors do work together, I am glad you liked it!