These delicious muffins deliver the taste of a pancake breakfast in one bite: maple syrup, bacon, and fluffy buttermilk flapjacks. I'll show you how to make them two ways: (1) from scratch or (2) with a pancake mix.
Cleo Coyle’s
Maple Bacon Pancake Muffins
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Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
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Next I folded in caramelized bacon bits, made from a recipe that I first shared in my 9th Coffeehouse Mystery, Roast Mortem, a tribute to firefighters (with firehouse recipes). Finally, before baking these muffins, I topped them with a sprinkling of more candied bacon bits and a light drizzle of maple syrup.
The muffin itself is a bonus recipe from A Brew to a Kill, which takes readers on a culinary odyssey through New York City after a food truck war between a “Kupcake Kween” and a coffeehouse manager turns deadly. My husband (and partner in crime writing) flipped for these muffins.
May you eat them with joy!
~ Cleo
☕
To download a PDF version
of this recipe that you can
print, save, or share, click here.
Cleo's Maple Bacon
Pancake Muffins
From Scratch Version...
Makes 6 regular-size muffins (or 12 mini muffins)
Ingredients:
For the bacon:
Caramelized bacon bits will consist of…
6 slices of bacon, smoked or maple
+ 6 teaspoons of light brown sugar
For the batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt (if using table salt, use only a pinch)
1 egg, lightly beaten with fork
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup + 1½ teaspoons pure maple syrup (not “pancake syrup," see note)*
1/2 cup buttermilk (I use light)
*Note: “Pancake syrup” is not maple syrup. It consists of corn syrup flavored with maple extract. If you use pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup in this recipe, be warned that your muffins will be dry. Use pure maple syrup for best results.
Directions:
Step 1 – Make caramelized bacon bits: First preheat oven to 375° F. Muffins need a very hot oven to rise properly, so give the oven a good 20 minutes of pre-heating. Meanwhile, cut 6 slices of bacon into small pieces. (Tip: I use kitchen shears.)
Sauté over medium-high heat until half-cooked—still soft and flexible with fat just beginning to change color. Drain fat. Add your 6 teaspoons of light brown sugar. (This measure is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons; you want 1 teaspoon of brown sugar for each slice of bacon.)
Stir and continue stirring over heat until bacon bits are cooked through but still flexible (do not cook until crisp and brittle). Transfer bacon bits to a plate, break up any clumps into a single layer. Set aside to cool.
Sauté over medium-high heat until half-cooked—still soft and flexible with fat just beginning to change color. Drain fat. Add your 6 teaspoons of light brown sugar. (This measure is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons; you want 1 teaspoon of brown sugar for each slice of bacon.)
Stir and continue stirring over heat until bacon bits are cooked through but still flexible (do not cook until crisp and brittle). Transfer bacon bits to a plate, break up any clumps into a single layer. Set aside to cool.
Step 3 – Sprinkle and Drizzle: Coat 6 muffin cups and top of muffin pan with non-stick spray. If using paper liners, coat the papers as well as the top of the pan. Divide batter among the 6 sprayed or lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved caramelized bacon bits over the top of each cup’s batter and drizzle a small amount (¼ teaspoon, no more) of maple syrup on top of the bacon bits and batter.
Step 4 – Bake: If baking standard muffins, check them in 15 minutes for doneness. If baking mini-muffins check them in 8 minutes. Muffins may need a few more minutes than stated, depending on your oven. They’re done when a toothpick inserted comes out with no wet batter clinging to it.
NOTE: The maple syrup drizzle will cause the muffin tops to stick a bit to the pan. Simply use a butter knife to gently free it before removing muffins from cups. FYI - I use the toothpick method to remove baked muffins from their pans. Stick two toothpicks into the muffin from opposite ends and gently lift.
"Pancake Mix" Version
For fun, I included this “pancake mix” option for making the batter in this recipe. The difference between the scratch recipe and this one is mainly texture. The scratch version has a more cake-like crumb while the texture of the pancake mix version is more like a cornmeal muffin, but it’s very good too, and worth a try if you’re curious—and have some pancake mix handy in your pantry! ~ Cleo
Makes 6 regular-size muffins (or 12 mini muffins)
Ingredients:
For bacon:
Caramelized bacon bits consisting of…
6 slices of bacon, smoked or maple
+ 6 teaspoons of light brown sugar
For batter:
1-½ cup dry buttermilk flavor pancake mix (What brand? See my note below.)
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten with fork
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (and not “pancake syrup”)
½ cup whole milk (1% or 2% will work; but do not use skim milk)
*Note on pancake mix: Do not use Bisquick. Do not use a “just add water” mix. Use a mix that requires the addition of milk, eggs, and oil or melted butter. (I use Aunt Jemima Buttermilk flavor.) No matter what brand you choose, a buttermilk flavored mix will give you the best results.
Directions: Follow the directions in the previous recipe with this exception. In Step 2, use this batter instead: Whisk together the pancake mix, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, baking powder, fork-beaten egg, oil, maple syrup, and milk until well blended. Do not over-mix. Fold in the caramelized bacon bits, reserving enough to decorate each muffin top before baking. The batter will be loose. (Now move to Step 3 in the "from scratch" recipe.)
☕
Eat (and read) with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
Our bestselling hardcover is
now a bestseller in paperback...
🍴
Eat (and read) with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
☕
Our NEW Coffeehouse Mystery!
Mystery Pick of the Month! --Library Journal
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Amazon * B&N
IndieBound * BAM
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"A gripping and entertaining mystery"
--Library Journal (Starred Review)
--Library Journal (Starred Review)
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"Penetrating insights" --Kirkus Reviews
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* "Sure to delight" --Publishers Weekly
*
* "Sure to delight" --Publishers Weekly
🍴
This culinary mystery includes
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.
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| Click for Free Recipe Guide to Shot in the Dark. |
☕
Our bestselling hardcover is
now a bestseller in paperback...
3 Best of Year Lists
Top 10 Mysteries for Book Clubs 2017
Mystery Guild "Most Wanted" Selection
Mystery Guild "Most Wanted" Selection
🍴
This culinary mystery includes
more than 25 delicious recipes!
To get the Free Recipe Guide:
Click Here.
more than 25 delicious recipes!
To get the Free Recipe Guide:
Click Here.
* * *
Clare goes to Washington!
Join amateur sleuth Clare Cosi
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
Join amateur sleuth Clare Cosi
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
* * *
A fairy tale murder in Central Park...
"Wicked good" --Library Journal
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"Fresh and fun...clever" --Booklist
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When Clare saves the life of a young
billionaire, she may lose her own...*
*