Bourbon Bacon Jam Crostini

Lightly toasted crostini is topped with creamy brie cheese and a sweet and savory bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar bacon jam to create the perfect bite. This bourbon bacon jam can be made in advance making it the perfect appetizer for entertaining.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

My Italian in-laws asked me to bring an appetizer to their Christmas Eve dinner a few years ago. I scoured the internet and cookbooks, searching for inspiration for the ultimate appetizer recipe.

I ultimately decided on this Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam Crostini recipe. This bacon jam appetizer was an INSTANT hit! Every year I am asked to make it again and when that happens you know it's absolutely delicious!

Did You Know?

Bacon jam was first created in the United States as a way to use up leftover bacon grease, reduce waste, and add flavor to other dishes. The recipe has since evolved to include onions, brown sugar, and vinegar, creating an insanely delicious sweet and savory spread.

I love making Crostini as an appetizer not only for others but also for myself. Crostini translates in Italian to “little toasts“; therefore, it's only natural that my carb-loving self would enjoy them.

They are so incredibly versatile, and you can make them savory, sweet, or a combination of both. There are no limits to the ingredients used in this bacon jam appetizer recipe. 

Ingredients

Bacon - I prefer thick slices of applewood smoked bacon for this recipe, but you can use any variety of bacon preferred. The oven time may vary slightly based on the thickness, so watch closely as it cooks so it does not burn. Upon rendering the fat, bacon shrinks significantly during cooking. As a result, I use one pound of uncooked bacon in this recipe. Alternatively, I have also used ¾ths of a pound simply because it wouldn't all fit on one baking tray, and it still worked. 

Bourbon - Any bourbon brand will do for this recipe, or you can even choose to leave it out for those who may not drink. Most of the alcohol in the jam evaporates as it cooks. The result is a very slight but delicious bourbon flavor. This bacon jam recipe uses Bulleit Bourbon because that's what I had on hand, and it was a success.

Yellow Onion - A sweet onion works best for this recipe.

Maple Syrup - Use a good quality "grade A" dark maple syrup. Good quality maple syrup will be a little bit more expensive but will give the best flavor for the bourbon bacon marmalade.

Fresh Thyme - Thyme, onions, and bacon are such a wonderful trio of flavors. The fresh thyme balances out the indulgence of the bacon with bright color and flavor.

Dark Brown Sugar - This recipe calls for dark brown sugar however, light brown sugar may work as a substitute.

Sherry Vinegar - Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar are also both suitable alternatives.

Smoked Paprika - Smoked paprika gives the bacon jam mixture a wonderful color and additional smokey flavor.

Baguette - This recipe uses a traditional Italian baguette. However, any long skinny loaf of bread will work. When slicing the baguette, aim for about ½ to ¼th an inch thick.

Brie Cheese - This recipe works best with a soft, creamy, and spreadable brand of brie cheese. Alternatively, goat cheese or even ricotta would work nicely. I recommend taking the cheese out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before assembling the crostini. Allowing the cheese to soften will spread more easily on the crostini.

Oven Baking Crispy Bacon

My favorite way to prepare perfectly crisp smoky bacon is by baking it in the oven. Oven baking bacon is quick, cooks the bacon evenly, and takes the mess entirely out of the equation.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with tin foil and top with an oven proof wire baking rack. Lay the bacon strips in an even single layer on top of the wire rack and bake for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and let cool on a paper towel lined plate. The bacon will be golden brown, crispy and will have shrunk in size considerably once done. Also, most of the fat will have dripped to the bottom of the baking sheet. Blot any excess bacon fat with paper towels. The bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools. Once cool, chop the reserved cooked bacon strips in to small pieces.

How to Make Bourbon Bacon Jam

1. First, combine sherry vinegar, bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Sauté diced onions with olive oil using a wooden spoon in a medium skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the garlic stirring frequently for about 30 seconds just until it becomes fragrant.
4. Next, add the bourbon maple glaze mixture to the skillet with the onions and garlic scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

5. Then reduce to the heat to medium-low and let the brown sugar maple syrup mixture simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally until glaze has thickened into a syrup like consistency.
6. Meanwhile, chop the crispy bacon strips into small pieces.

7. Then add the crispy chopped bacon and fresh thyme to the bourbon maple glaze. Let simmer on low for five more minutes, then take off the heat. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
8. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then transfer the bourbon maple bacon jam to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The bacon jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

Toasting The Crostini

1. Preheat the oven to broil and place the oven rack on the upper third section (about 8 inches from the broiling unit). Slice the baguette into ½ inch slices and brush with olive oil. Place baguette slices oil side up on a large baking sheet.
2. Next, broil the crostini for about two minutes until lightly toasted. Remove immediately once toasted as they will go from lightly browned to burnt very fast.

Assembling The Crostini

1. First, spread a bit of creamy brie on each of the toasted bread slices.
2. Then, top with one tablespoon of the bourbon maple bacon jam and serve at room temperature.

Variations

Turn up the heat. If you like things spicy, add cayenne pepper, a bit of chili powder, or even red pepper flakes.

Use a different cheese. Any creamy, spreadable cheese will work great for this recipe such as ricotta, cream cheese, or even goat cheese.

Let the onions cook longer for a sweeter flavor. Before adding the brown sugar maple syrup mixture, add onions to a skillet and sauté on low for about 30 minutes to create caramelized onions.