Maple Bacon Cupcakes
I’m obsessed with these maple bacon cupcakes! They taste like breakfast and dessert had the most delicious baby ever.
The fluffy maple cake pairs SO well with crispy candied bacon on top. And that browned butter frosting? Pure heaven. Sweet meets salty in every single bite. My friends go crazy for these at brunch parties.
They look fancy, but honestly, aren’t hard to make. Once you try them, regular cupcakes just won’t hit the same. Trust me on this one!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Grab these items before you start baking. The recipe card down below has all the exact amounts you need.
For the Cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour: This builds the base and gives your cupcakes that soft, tender bite.
- Cornstarch: Mix this in to make your cupcakes extra light and fluffy inside.
- Baking soda: This helps your batter rise up fast and stay super airy.
- Baking powder: The oven heat kicks this in for an extra lift while baking.
- Butter: Adds that rich taste and keeps everything moist and delicious throughout.
- Granulated sugar: Makes them sweet while keeping the texture soft and perfect.
- Vegetable oil: This is the secret to keeping cupcakes from getting dry later.
- Pure vanilla extract: Brings warmth and depth to the overall flavor of your cupcakes.
- Pure maple extract: This punches up that breakfast maple taste we’re going for here.
- Eggs: These hold everything together and add color plus richness to the batter.
- Buttermilk: Creates a tender crumb with a slight tang that’s just right.
- Pure maple syrup: Get the real deal here—no fake stuff! It makes all the difference.
For the Frosting: You’ll brown butter with cream cheese, then mix in powdered sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, vanilla, maple extract, and a pinch of salt. The result? Silky frosting with incredible caramel notes.
For the Candied Bacon: Thick-cut bacon gets coated with brown sugar, maple syrup, and black pepper, then baked until crispy. The sweet-salty combo on top is AMAZING and totally makes these cupcakes special.
How to Make Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Let me walk you through this step by step. It’s easier than you think!
Step 1: Prepare the Browned Butter
Start here because the butter needs time to cool down before you make frosting with it.
- Brown the butter: Toss ¾ cup cold, cubed butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes. Stir it around so it doesn’t burn on you.
- Watch for color change: It’ll melt first, then foam up like crazy. Under that foam, you’re looking for a golden brown color and a nutty smell. So good!
- Cool completely: Pull it off the heat right when it gets darker. Wait 5-10 minutes, then pour it into another container. Let it sit until it’s room temp again.
Step 2: Make the Candied Bacon
While that butter chills out, let’s make the star of the show—this bacon topping is unreal.
- Prepare oven and bacon: Crank your oven to 375°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lay out 10 bacon slices so they don’t touch each other.
- Make maple glaze: Whisk together ¼ cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Coat and bake: Brush that sweet mixture all over the bacon tops. Pop the sheet on the top oven rack for 18-22 minutes until everything’s crispy and caramelized.
- Cool and chop: Move the bacon to a greased plate—NOT paper towels or it’ll stick like glue. Once cool, chop it into little pieces for topping later.
Step 3: Prepare the Cupcake Batter
Time to mix up that maple goodness! Your kitchen’s about to smell incredible.
- Combine dry ingredients: Heat the oven to 350°F now. Whisk 1¾ cups flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set that aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: Beat ½ cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 teaspoons maple extract for 3-4 minutes. You want it light and fluffy looking.
- Add eggs: Drop in 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk one by one. Mix well after each one and scrape the bowl sides with your spatula.
- Alternate additions: Mix ½ cup buttermilk with ½ cup maple syrup in a measuring cup. Now add your dry stuff and buttermilk mixture to the batter, switching back and forth three times. Start with dry, end with dry.
Step 4: Bake the Cupcakes
Fill those liners and get these babies in the oven. Almost there!
- Fill and bake: Put 12 liners in your cupcake tin. Fill each one about ⅔ full—don’t overfill or they’ll overflow! Bake for 18-20 minutes. Poke one with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, you’re done.
- Cool completely: Let them sit in the pan for 10 minutes first. Then move them to a cooling rack. They need to be totally cool before frosting, or everything will melt. Patience, friend!
Step 5: Make the Frosting
This frosting is what dreams are made of. The browned butter takes it to another level entirely.
- Cream butter and cheese: Beat your room-temp browned butter with 12 ounces softened cream cheese until it’s smooth with no lumps at all.
- Add sugar: Toss in 6 cups powdered sugar a little at a time—I do 2 cups at once. Beat it really well and scrape the bowl between additions.
- Finish frosting: Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon maple extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix until it’s creamy and gorgeous.
Step 6: Assemble the Cupcakes
The grand finale! This is where everything comes together beautifully.
- Frost cupcakes: Pipe or spread that luscious frosting on each cupcake once they’re completely cool. Go generous here—don’t be shy with it!
- Add toppings: Sprinkle those candied bacon pieces all over the frosting. Want to go wild? Drizzle extra maple syrup on top. YUM!
Tips for the Best Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Want perfection? Keep these tips in mind while you bake.
- Use quality bacon: Thick-cut, good bacon makes all the difference here. I love True Story Kurobuta.
- Room temperature ingredients: Let your butter, eggs, and buttermilk sit out first for smoother mixing.
- Pure maple syrup only: Don’t use the fake pancake syrup. Real maple syrup tastes way better.
- Watch the butter closely: Brown butter turns from perfect to burnt super fast, so don’t walk away.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off for best results.
- Don’t overmix batter: Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together, or you’ll get tough cupcakes.
Variations and Substitutions
Feel free to switch things up based on what you have or what you like!
- Omit maple extract: Just use the syrup if you want a gentler maple flavor throughout.
- Regular cream cheese frosting: Swap the browned butter for regular butter if you want something simpler.
- Different bacon: Turkey bacon or veggie bacon work if you want a lighter option here.
- Oil substitutions: Try melted coconut oil, melted butter, or even applesauce instead of vegetable oil.
- Dark brown sugar: Use this instead of light brown sugar for a deeper flavor in the bacon.
- Vanilla cupcakes: Skip the maple stuff and add extra vanilla for classic cupcakes with bacon.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
You can prep parts ahead to make life easier. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to two months in airtight containers. Make the brown butter a week early and keep it in the fridge covered.
Candied bacon lasts two days wrapped in foil with pieces separated. Assembled cupcakes stay good in the fridge for 3 days in airtight containers.
Just let chilled cupcakes warm up at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before eating so the frosting softens.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup?
Nope, stick with 100% real maple syrup for the best taste in these cupcakes.
How do I know when the butter is properly browned?
Look for a golden brown color and smell that nutty aroma, then pull it immediately.
Can I make these cupcakes without maple extract?
Sure! The maple syrup alone tastes good, just not quite as strong and punchy.
Why are my cupcakes dense instead of fluffy?
You probably packed your flour too much or overmixed the batter when combining everything.
How do I prevent candied bacon from sticking?
Use a greased plate, never paper towels or parchment paper, for cooling the bacon.
Can I make the frosting ahead of time?
Yep! Refrigerate it for two days, then bring to room temp and whip it again.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
Mix one tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into one cup milk and wait five minutes.
Can I use salted or unsalted butter?
This recipe calls for salted, but unsalted works if you tweak the salt amounts.
How long do these cupcakes stay fresh?
They’re good for three days in the fridge in an airtight container, maybe longer.
Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pure maple extract
- 2 whole eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
For the Candied Bacon:
- 10 slices bacon thick-cut preferred
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
For the Frosting:
- ¾ cup salted butter cold and cubed
- 12 oz cream cheese softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp heavy cream room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure maple extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Make the Browned Butter:
- Brown the butter: Put ¾ cup cold butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir often for 5-7 minutes till golden brown and nutty smelling.
- Cool it down: Pull off heat when darkened. Wait 5-10 minutes, pour into container, let cool to room temp before making frosting.
Make the Candied Bacon:
- Prep bacon: Heat oven to 375°F, cover baking sheet with foil, and lay 10 bacon slices flat without overlapping.
- Coat with glaze: Mix ¼ cup maple syrup, 3 tbsp brown sugar, and ¼ tsp black pepper, then brush all over bacon tops.
- Bake it: Put the sheet on the top oven rack, bake 18-22 minutes till crispy and caramelized. Move to a greased plate to cool.
- Chop for topping: After cooling, chop bacon into small bits for sprinkling on cupcakes, or wrap and refrigerate till needed.
Make the Cupcakes:
- Mix dry stuff: Turn oven to 350°F. Whisk 1¾ cups flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.
- Beat wet base: Beat ½ cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp maple extract for 3-4 minutes till fluffy.
- Add eggs: Beat in 2 eggs and 1 yolk one at a time, mixing well after each and scraping the bowl.
- Alternate ingredients: Mix ½ cup buttermilk with ½ cup maple syrup. On low speed, add dry mix in three parts, switching with buttermilk mixture.
- Fill and bake: Line tin with 12 liners, fill each ⅔ full. Bake 18-20 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool down: Let sit in tin 10 minutes, move to wire rack, cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- Cream together: Beat room-temperature browned butter and 12 oz softened cream cheese till smooth with no lumps.
- Add sugar: Mix in 6 cups powdered sugar, adding 2 cups at a time. Beat well between additions, scrape bowl.
- Finish it: Add 2 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp maple extract, pinch salt. Mix till smooth.
Assemble the Cupcakes:
- Frost them: Once cool, pipe or spread frosting on each cupcake. Use a piping bag for swirls or spread with a knife.
- Top with bacon: Sprinkle chopped candied bacon over frosting. Drizzle extra maple syrup on top if you want more sweetness.
Notes
- Bring cold ingredients to room temp before mixing for a smoother batter and lighter, fluffier cupcakes with better texture.
- Use 100% real maple syrup instead of pancake syrup for true maple flavor and way better results overall.
- Make brown butter up to one week early, keep covered in fridge, warm to room temp before using.
- Don’t cool candied bacon on paper towels or parchment—the sugar sticks and makes a mess later.
- Store assembled cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge up to three days, warm 15-20 minutes before eating.
