I can't get enough of these candied bacon crackers (with cream cheese). Buttery crackers topped with cream cheese, thick cut bacon, jalapeño, and a sweet bbq seasoning make these irresistible.

Not too long ago I shared my candied bacon crackers recipe on social media and they went viral! I had so many positive comments and also some suggestions. One of the biggest was to add cream cheese before the bacon and jalapeños for that sweet and spicy bite. With this recipe I made it happen and I'm so glad I did. This version might be better than the original!

Ingredients you will need to make these:

Club crackers

Thick-cut bacon

Hot honey

A sweet bbq rub or light brown sugar (Could even use both)

Thinly sliced jalapeños

Cream cheese

Adding cream cheese and hot honey.

The addition of cream cheese just adds another level of flavor and texture to this already awesome appetizer. You can use regular cream cheese or switch it up and try a flavored one like strawberry! The balance of sweet and spicy are so good and for me I love drizzling on some hot honey at the end.

Can I make this recipe in my oven?

This is hands down the most common question I get for this recipe. Can I do this in my oven? The answer is always yes. I smoke a lot of my food but remember that the smoker is just a heat source and most of my recipes can be done in the oven. The flavor may be slightly different but they can be done in the oven for sure.

How to make candied bacon crackers with cream cheese.

These are the perfect appetizer and are great for game day, a holiday, or any day! Just make them! They are too easy not to. Check out the video to get a visual on how to make these tasty snacks.

Start out by laying club crackers on a baking sheet. I like to lay some parchment paper down to keep clean up a little easier. Placing them onto a wire rack is also a great idea.

Using cold cream cheese, cut thin slices and carefully top each cracker with the cream cheese. Season each piece of cream cheese lightly with a sweet bbq rub or brown sugar. Just a little sprinkle will do. If you pile it on too heavy the sugars may burn while cooking.

Next top each piece of cream cheese with a slice of bacon.

Then add a thin slice of fresh jalapeño on top of the bacon.

These crackers only take 25-30 minutes and can be done in the oven or the smoker. I use my smoker at 350°F and continue to cook them until the bacon is crispy the way I like it.

Surprisingly the crackers stay crispy. I think the bacon fat gets soaked up by the cracker and as they cool off to room temperature they harden back up. Just trust the process and they will come out great.

To finish I like to drizzle on some hot honey and serve them up by the dozen to my guests. These go fast so you better make extra!

How to store.

You can store these in an airtight container and serve them the next day, but honestly they are best a few minutes after they are cooked. If you are in a rush, prepare the ingredients ahead of time (Cut the bacon, slice the jalapeños) then the day of, assemble everything together.

Variations:

The great thing about this recipe is you can mix and match different ingredients to make them how you like.

Don't like spicy? Remove the jalapeño, use a thinner slice, or try pickled jalapeños. They tend to have less heat.

Don't have a smoker? The oven works great or try it in your air fryer to get that bacon extra crispy. Use the same temp and time as the smoker but just keep an eye on em.

Try it cold: I like to eat them warm but you could also smear some room temp cream cheese on the cracker, a slice of precooked bacon and then add a fresh jalapeño with some honey. No need to heat them up as long as the bacon is cooked. It's great this way too.