How to make Bacon Roses with a Whiskey Glaze

Love is in the air, and nothing says I love you like a bouquet of bacon! These Bacon Roses with a Whisky Maple Glaze are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, Father’s Day, or Mother’s Day gift for a low-carb bacon lover. They come together in less than an hour and are much easier than they look!

This post was originally published on February 14th, 2020.

I love making food for people, and these bacon roses are some of the more fun things I’ve found to make and give to special people. This is the third time I’ve made these, and my recipe keeps evolving. The first time I made them they were just plain which was fine. Last year I made chili chocolate and maple dipping sauces to go with them and added basil “leaves” to the skewer. This year I skipped the leaves (they were finicky) and made a whisky maple sauce which was added before and during baking. These were definitely the best so far! They came out sweet and crunchy on top and soft on the bottom – absolutely divine! The added maple and whisky during the baking worked out perfectly. My other half loved them!

❤️ Why I can’t stop making these Bacon Roses every year:

• They’re so quick and easy: Would you believe?! It takes just minutes to throw this bouquet of bacon roses together and then all you have to do is bake them in the oven.
• They look amazing: Actually like a beautiful bouquet of roses.
• Delicious: It is bacon, after all.
• Perfect gift for special occasions: It can be hard on low-carb diets to find ways to spoil your loved ones. These bacon flowers are perfect. Make them for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and of course, Valentine’s Day.
• Fits many diets: Suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, and keto diets, with a paleo and Whole30 option.

🗝️ Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bacon: I used 12 strips of bacon and sliced them in half to make 2 dozen roses. So romantic. You can just do 12 if desired.
• Maple Syrup: Grade A maple syrup is the best! Honey is a great alternative.
• Whisky: Really any whisky will work for this recipe. I used what I had on hand which just happened to be a McAllen 12 year.

🥣 How to make Whisky Maple Bacon Roses

Check out my video tutorial in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

1. Test Roll. Roll up one slice of bacon. If it seems too thick, unroll the bacon strip and cut it in half, then re-roll it.

2. Roll the rest. Roll the rest of the slices of bacon up, either whole or halved. I find that I get the best rose shape when the fatty side is at the top. 

3. Squish. Squish the bacon spirals down a bit so they sit.

4. Poke holes. Take 24 mini cupcake wrappers and poke 3-4 holes in the bottom. This aids in draining excess fat.

5. Place in the tray. Place inside a mini muffin tin. A regular tray would also work, but I like the stability of the muffin tray.

6. Add bacon roses. Pop one raw bacon rose into each wrapper.

7. Coat with glaze. In a small bowl whisk the maple syrup and whiskey together. Brush a little onto each rose.

8. Bake! Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C/390 degrees F

9. Re-glaze. Take out and brush more maple whisky sauce onto each rose.

10. Bake again! Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until done.

11. Skewer them. Take 24 wooden skewers and spear the end of the bacon rose.

12. Present! Wrap the candied bacon roses in tin foil, tissue paper, or greaseproof paper, or place them in a jar to imitate a vase. Serve to your boo.

🫙 How to store Bacon Roses

This bacon rose bouquet is best enjoyed right after baking, but if you can’t finish all 24 (!) they store well in the fridge. Wrap them in aluminum, and when you’re ready to eat them you can place the aluminum pack in the oven to reheat or eat them cold. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. I haven’t tried freezing them, they don’t last that long!

🪄 Tips and tricks for a delicious Bacon Bouquet

• Add edible leaves: You can add some basil or spinach leaves to the wooden skewers to make them look even more like roses.
• Fake stems are also an option to make these roses look more realistic. The artificial flowers should be removed from the plastic stems, and then the bacon roses are speared with the fake flower stems.
• Savory? Whole30? Sprinkle some seasoning (cajun is amazing, as is Moroccan) before you bake them, or leave them plain.
• Sweets for my sweet? Melted dark chocolate + chili powder + bacon = heaven. This is best for dipping the bacon roses in at the end and not baking in the oven. Other ideas are various combinations of chocolates, chili powder, cinnamon, and either honey or maple syrup. See below for ideas.

🌹 Flavor Variations

Sweet

• Melted dark chocolate + a pinch of chili powder (either dip and chill or dip and eat)
• Honey + cinnamon
• Melted brown sugar + unsalted butter
• Honey + a pinch of cayenne pepper powder
• Honey + a pinch of ground clove
• honey + a couple of drops of orange flavor extract or zest

Savory

• Cajun seasoning
• Taco seasoning
• Black pepper

🥃 What kind of whisky is best for a maple whisky glaze?

Honestly, I think any will work! I went for a peaty McAllen 12-year because that was on hand and open, but you could probably use a cheaper one. Whatever is in your collection that you can spare a tablespoonful of!

😋 Other recipes featuring bacon:

• Keto Breakfast Casserole
• Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
• Crack Chicken Chili
• Baked Camembert with Honey, Bacon, and Chili Flakes
• Whole30 Breakfast Casserole

Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know <3 Tag me on Facebook and Instagram, Pin it on Pinterest, or leave a star rating review below! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list for sparkly new recipes in your inbox =]