Bacon Muffins with Maple Glaze
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Bacon makes everything better, and these Maple-Glazed Bacon Muffins are proof! Soft, fluffy, and topped with sweet maple glaze and crispy bacon, they’re a perfect sweet-savory breakfast treat.
“Sent these with my husband to his band breakfast this morning. They were loved by all — the perfect blend of savory & sweet! ” —Amy
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot for Bacon Muffins
Sweet, smoky, and irresistibly fluffy, these maple-glazed bacon muffins are the kind of treat you’ll want to bake every weekend.
The smell of frying bacon is guaranteed to get my husband out of bed. On weekends, I’m often up early, enjoying coffee and the quiet while making a special breakfast—sometimes ricotta cheese pancakes, or sometimes a breakfast quiche.
I don’t always cook with bacon, but I know when I do, it will definitely be a hit. This past weekend, as these maple-glazed bacon muffins baked, John walked in grinning, asking, “Do I smell bacon?” He had no idea the treat that was coming!
Ingredient Notes for Bacon Muffins with Maple Glaze
- Unsalted butter | Adds richness and a tender crumb.
- Vegetable or canola oil | Keeps the muffins moist, even after a day or two!
- Granulated sugar | Sweetens the batter and also helps it rise in the oven.
- Brown sugar | Brown sugar also adds sweetness that complements the maple syrup.
- Eggs | Provide structure and help the muffins rise.
- Baking powder & baking soda | The leavening duo for a fluffy texture.
- Kosher salt | To balance flavors!
- Vanilla extract | For a lovely depth of flavor.
- All-purpose flour | Classic all-purpose flour works great here.
- Milk | Keeps the batter soft and smooth.
- Bacon | The star of the show! Crisp it well for the best texture.
- Maple syrup | Brings that signature sweet flavor in both the topping and glaze.
- Confectioners’ sugar | Creates a smooth, sweet glaze.
Variations and Substitutions
- Bacon alternatives: Try pancetta for a more delicate, slightly sweet pork flavor, or turkey bacon if you want a leaner option.
- Different sweeteners: Swap pure maple syrup with honey for a floral sweetness, but the flavor will be completely different!
- Add nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts in the batter add crunch and pair beautifully with maple.
- Gluten-free muffins: To make gluten-free bacon maple muffins, use a gluten free all-purpose flour that has a cup to cup ratio!
- Mini muffins: Make these in a mini muffin tin for a bite-sized brunch treat. Just reduce the baking time!
How to Make Maple Bacon Muffins
These muffins come together in no time—just a mixing bowl, a spoon, and a craving for that sweet-salty goodness!
PREHEAT & PREP. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use cooking spray to lightly coat the cups of a standard 12-count muffin pan, then place a paper cupcake liner in each cup.
MIX WET INGREDIENTS TOGETHER. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, cut into small pats, along with the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together until smooth. Add the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix until just combined.
ADD FLOUR & MILK. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, until thoroughly combined.
DIVIDE IN MUFFIN TIN AND TOP WITH BACON & SYRUP. Evenly scoop the batter into the muffin pan. Take 6 slices of the cooked bacon and cut them in half. Cut a half piece of bacon into small strips and gently pile it in the center (it will distribute during baking) of each muffin cup, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
BAKE. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
COOL. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool for a few minutes.
MAKE THE MAPLE GLAZE. In a small bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Add the maple syrup and stir until smooth. If needed, add more maple syrup to make a spreadable glaze.
GLAZE & ENJOY. While the muffins are still slightly warm, spread the glaze over the muffins. Crumble the remaining bacon and sprinkle on top of the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
More Recipe Success Tips
Storage and Reheating Tips
- To Store: Wrap any leftovers loosely in plastic, and store for 1 day at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Freeze the unglazed muffins in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. To serve, allow to come to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Bake and cool the muffins, then store them without glaze. Add glaze and bacon topping right before serving.
Technically you can, but the flavor won’t be as rich as pure maple syrup. I recommend using maple syrup if you can!
They’re not required, but they make cleanup easier and keep the muffins from sticking. These muffins are more likely to stick than other muffins because of the maple syrup!
Looking for More Muffin Recipes?
My chocolate banana muffins recipe and my coffee cake muffins are both family favorites! For something fruity, I have a yummy lemon blueberry muffin recipe!
What to Serve With Bacon Maple Muffins
Bacon muffins with maple glaze are great on their own with a cup of coffee or tea, or served as a larger spread for brunch! I love to serve them with a cream cheese French toast casserole, ham and spinach quiche, and even some chocolate glazed donuts.
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Maple-Glazed Bacon Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
Topping
- 8 slices crisp cooked bacon divided
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
To make the muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use cooking spray to lightly coat the cups of a standard 12-count muffin pan, then place a parchment cupcake liner in each cup.
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, cut into small pats, along with the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Cream together until smooth.
- Add the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, until thoroughly combined.
- Evenly scoop the batter into the muffin pan. Take 6 slices of the cooked bacon and cut them in half. Cut a half piece of bacon into small strips and gently pile it in the center (it will distribute during baking) of each muffin cup, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool for a few minutes.
To make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Add the maple syrup and stir until smooth. If needed, add more maple syrup to make a spreadable glaze.
- While the muffins are still slightly warm, spread the glaze over the muffins. Crumble the remaining bacon and sprinkle on top of the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Crisp your bacon fully.Slightly undercooked bacon will soften in the muffins, so bake or pan-fry it until it’s deep golden and crunchy.
- Don’t overmix the batter.Once the flour is added, mix just until combined to keep your muffins light and tender.
- Careful with the maple glaze! I recommend you be stingy with the glaze unless you have a serious sweet tooth, as we found the muffins to be almost sweet enough even before adding the powdered sugar maple glaze.
- Avoid any maple sticking to the tin!The maple syrup drizzled on top of the unbaked batter can sometimes stick to the muffin pan making them a little difficult to remove. To avoid this, lightly coat the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and insert a paper cupcake liner.
- Cool until warm.The maple powdered sugar glaze is much easier to spread on the muffins if they are still a bit warm, only let them cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before glazing.
- To Store: Wrap any leftovers loosely in plastic, and store for 1 day at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Freeze the unglazed muffins in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. To serve, allow to come to room temperature.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I have never tried sweet and salty together, but this recipe sounds interesting. Gonna save it to try sometime soon, thank you!
I’m going to try these without the maple syrup drizzle. If I use maple flavoring & the maple glaze, that should be enough maple for the muffins., & eliminate the sticking.
Sent these with my husband to his band breakfast this morning. They were loved by all- perfect blend of savory & sweet! My one complaint is the drizzled maple ran over side and muffin foils stuck to pan when baking. Will have to try parchment cups next time or grease the tins and bake direct….or grease the tins and use parchment!!