Bacon Cornbread is a southern-style cornbread sweetened with maple syrup, dotted with chopped bacon throughout, covered with a sticky maple bacon topping, and baked in an iron skillet. An easy cornbread recipe is made even better by the salty sweet combination of maple and bacon.
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How Do You Make Cornbread Even Better?
By adding the food that makes everything better – bacon.
Bacon is like the magic fairy dust of cooking. Adding it to recipes gives food that “wow” factor and takes it to the next level. If only you could get your hands on that much bacon to transform all your recipes…
Making Oven Bacon
I love making it in the oven because a bunch can be made at one time and it’s virtually mess free! Since this recipe uses eight slices of bacon, making it in the oven is the easiest and quickest method.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Either lay the bacon slices directly on the foil or on a rack that fits inside the baking sheet. This allows for the bacon to become crispier.
- Bake in a 400º oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of bacon and desired crispiness.
- Transfer cooked bacon to paper-towel lined plate. Let bacon grease on foil cool and solidify. Then crumple up foil to throw away.
How to Make Bacon Cornbread
- Whisk together dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and add liquid ingredients to well. Stir to combine.
- Add chopped bacon and stir to combine.
- Grease iron skillet with bacon drippings.
- Pour Bacon Maple Cornbread into iron skillet and add chopped bacon on top.
Tips / Tricks / Variations
- Use an 8X8 baking dish instead of an iron skillet. Grease with cooking spray or bacon grease.
- To make Bacon Maple Cornbread Muffins: Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 fill. Top with chopped bacon and bake 400ºF for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle muffins with maple syrup for serving.
- Give Bacon Cornbread a kick by adding fresh minced jalapeño.
- To add more maple flavor add 1 teaspoon of maple extract.
- Substitute equal amount of sugar or brown sugar for maple syrup
- Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to the cornbread mixture when stirring in bacon. Top cornbread with additional 1/2 cheddar cheese before baking.
- For a gluten free, lightly sweet, southern-style cornbread try Gluten Free Cornbread recipe!
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Bacon Cornbread
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, regular or gluten free
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
optional: more maple syrup for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lay bacon either directly on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy clean up) or fit a metal rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon on the rack.8 slices bacon
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until bacon is to desired crispiness. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease for greasing iron skillet. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Push dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl, so you have a well in the middle. Add maple syrup, eggs, milk, and butter. Stir to combine.1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 3 tablespoons butter
- Chop 4 slices of Smithfield Bacon and add to cornbread mixture. Stir to combine. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Use reserved bacon grease to grease iron skillet. Alternatively grease an 8X8 baking dish. Pour cornbread batter into prepared pan.
- Chop remaining 4 slices of bacon and sprinkle on top of batter. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out without wet batter. Cut into wedges and serve with additional maple syrup for drizzling on top.
Notes
- Use an 8X8 baking dish instead of an iron skillet. Grease with cooking spray or bacon grease.
- To make Bacon Maple Cornbread Muffins: Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each cup 2/3 fill. Top with chopped bacon and bake 400ºF for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle muffins with maple syrup for serving.
- Give Bacon Cornbread a kick by adding fresh minced jalapeño.
- To add more maple flavor add 1 teaspoon of maple extract.
- Substitute equal amount of sugar or brown sugar for maple syrup
- Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese to the cornbread mixture when stirring in bacon. Top cornbread with additional 1/2 cheddar cheese before baking.
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