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Mouthwatering Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies blend tantalizing sweet and smoky tastes into bite-size party treats. These crowd-pleasers wrap juicy cocktail wieners in crispy, caramelized bacon coated with melted brown sugar, making an appetizer that guests grab faster than you can cook them.
The first batch I took to a football watch party didn't even last ten minutes. Now I always cook twice as many because everyone hangs around the tray waiting for them to cool just enough to snatch one.
Key Ingredients
- Little Smokies: go for premium cocktail wieners for tastier results
- Bacon: standard thickness beats thick-cut versions
- Brown sugar: either light or dark varieties work wonderfully
- Toothpicks: stick with wooden ones for best holding power
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1:
- Slice bacon into thirds. They should wrap a Little Smokie with just a bit of overlap. Too much bacon creates soft patches instead of crispiness all around.
- Step 2:
- Put a toothpick through each wrapped sausage, grabbing both bacon ends. Set them on a lined tray with the seam facing down.
- Step 3:
- Cover each piece with plenty of brown sugar. As it melts, it'll turn into a sweet coating that pairs perfectly with the bacon's saltiness.
- Step 4:
- Cook at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway. Keep an eye on them toward the end since the sugar can burn quickly after caramelizing.
- Step 5:
- Cool for 5 minutes before moving to your serving dish. This gives the sugar glaze time to firm up a bit.
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My husband's mom showed me how to gently press the sugar onto each wrapped sausage before cooking. This easy trick helps the sugar stick better and creates that gorgeous caramelized finish.
Getting The Heat Right
Stick with 350°F throughout cooking - any hotter and your sugar will burn, any cooler and your bacon won't get crispy enough.
Prep Them Early
You can wrap and sugar-coat everything up to 24 hours before. Just cover them in the fridge and pop in the oven right before your guests arrive.
Serving For Crowds
Cook in smaller batches when feeding lots of people. Hot, fresh rounds keep everyone coming back for more.
Tasty Twists
Sprinkle in some cayenne for a spicy kick or add cracked black pepper for extra zing.
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These tasty little treats have become my go-to party snack. They nail that perfect balance between sweet and savory flavors, and they always wow my guests while being surprisingly easy to throw together.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How to get crispy bacon?
- Turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end to crisp the bacon.
- → Can these be prepped before cooking?
- Wrap smokies in bacon in advance, refrigerate them, and sugar-coat and bake later.
- → Why bother drying the little sausages?
- Dry sausages help the bacon stick well and brown nicely.
- → Can thick bacon work instead of thin-cut?
- Stick with thin bacon—it wraps easily and cooks more evenly.
- → Do toothpicks matter?
- Definitely—use them to keep the bacon secure while it bakes.