Caramelized Maple Baked Bacon

• Slices of bacon
• light brown sugar
• pure maple syrup
• black pepper and salt
• Optional: Dark chocolate chips (melted), chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400° F and ensure that your oven shelf is in the center of your oven (not too high or too low). Place bacon slices in a single layer directly on the rack, ensuring that slices do not overlap each other. They can be spaced very closely together. Brush each side of the bacon with maple syrup. Sprinkle brown sugar lightly on the top side of each bacon slice and sprinkle with black pepper and salt. Add more or less brown sugar, pepper, and salt depending on your taste preference. For chewy bacon, bake 10-12 minutes or until desired level of cooking is achieved. Crispier bacon can take 15-17 minutes. Watch your bacon carefully to ensure it doesn’t overcook. Once the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness, remove immediately.

Optional: Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over bacon or add chopped pecans