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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!

Skewers of Bacon Roses are arranged in a bouquet-like manner with fresh green basil leaves at the base. The bacon is crispy and golden brown, providing a visually appealing contrast to the vibrant green leaves.

This post was originally published on February 14th, 2020, and has been updated with extra tips and new photos.

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 and 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 bacon bouquet recipe. I used what I had on hand which just happened to be a McAllen 12 year.

🥣 How to make 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.
  1. Poke holes. Take 24 mini cupcake wrappers and poke 3-4 holes in the bottom. This aids in draining excess fat.
  2. 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.
  3. Add bacon roses. Pop one raw bacon rose into each wrapper.
  4. Coat with glaze. In a small bowl whisk the maple syrup and whiskey together. Brush a little onto each rose.
  1. Bake! Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C/390 degrees F
  2. Re-glaze. Take out and brush more maple whisky sauce onto each rose.
  3. Bake again! Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until done.
  4. Skewer them. Take 24 wooden skewers and spear the end of the bacon rose.

  1. 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.

🫙 Storage instructions

  • Cool: This bacon rose bouquet is best enjoyed right after baking, but if you can’t finish all 24 (!) they store well in the fridge. Make sure they have cooled to room temperature first.
  • Refrigerate: 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. 

🪄 Recipe notes and tips

  • 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. 

🌹 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

🥃 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!

A white vase with a burlap bow holds skewers topped with bacon roses, resembling a bouquet of bacon roses. Fresh basil leaves are arranged at the base of the skewers. Near the vase is a clear bowl containing a honey-like liquid and a wooden brush.

😋 Other recipes featuring bacon

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📖 Recipe

Bacon Roses on skewers, garnished with fresh green basil leaves. The bacon is cooked to a golden brown, tightly rolled to resemble rosebuds, and arranged artfully. The background is a subtle, light surface that complements the dish perfectly.

Bacon Roses Recipe

Bethany Galloway
This Bacon Roses Bouquet is the perfect Valentine's Day or anytime gift for bacon lovers! Allergy-free and ideal for low carb, keto, paleo, and Whole 30 diets.
5 from 32 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizers, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 282 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 or 24 strips of bacon see note 1
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp whisky

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
  • (Optional) Slice 12 streaky bacon rashers in half.
    12 or 24 strips of bacon
  • Roll the slices of bacon up, and place them so the fatty side is at the top.
  • Gently squish them down a bit so they sit.
  • Take 24 mini cupcake wrappers and poke 3-4 holes in the bottom.
  • Place inside a mini muffin tray. A regular tray would also work.
  • Place one raw bacon rose into each wrapper.
  • Mix maple syrup and whisky in a small bowl.
    2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp whisky
  • Brush maple whisky concoction onto each rose.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Take out and brush more maple whisky sauce onto each rose.
  • Bake for another 10 minutes, or until done.
  • When slightly cooled (5 minutes), take 24 wooden skewers and place each rose onto the pointy end.
  • Wrap in Aluminium, or greaseproof paper, or arrange them in a jar (imitating a small vase).
  • Serve to your boo.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  1. If your bacon is long, cut it in half and use 12 bacon rashers instead of 24. I've made them with both longer, thicker bacon and shorter, thinner bacon, and found the longer/thicker too large to be the perfect bite so halved them.
  2. Add edible leaves: You can add some basil or spinach leaves to the wooden skewers to make them look even more like roses.
  3. 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.
  4. Savory? Whole30? Sprinkle some seasoning (cajun is amazing, as is Moroccan) before you bake them, or leave them plain.
  5. 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 the post for more flavor variations.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 8gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 437mgPotassium: 136mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 24IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword allergy free, appetizer, bacon, bacon bouquet, bacon roses, dairy free, gluten free, keto, low carb, paleo, snack, whole30
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
5 from 32 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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