If you’re a fan of sweet-and-spicy candied bacon, you’ll love this smoked version served on crispy, Club crackers.
Inspired by Snoop Dogg’s viral Billionaire Bacon, this easy smoked appetizer layers sweet brown sugar, spicy hot honey, savory BBQ rub, and smoky, crisped bacon on top.
They only take a little over an hour to whip up and are perfect to throw on alongside your main cook. Fair warning: once you serve these, your friends will ask for them every time you fire up the pit.
Smoked Bacon Crackers
I make these at least four to five times a year, especially around the holidays. They are super easy to make, and I’ve never once had leftovers when I’ve served them up.
I’ve done a few variations of the recipe, but this version is hands down my favorite. They are the perfect combination of sweetness, smokiness, and spice.
That bacon couldn’t look much crispier!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Club crackers – Buttery and slightly sweet, make these the perfect vessel for your billionaire bacon. I know people use Ritz crackers as well, but I’ve never tried them myself. I would avoid saltine crackers, as the texture won’t turn out quite right.
- Bacon – Thin-cut bacon works best as it renders quickly and crisps up nicely on top of the crackers.
- Hot honey – The bacon is brushed with a thin layer of hot honey to help the seasonings stick and add a sweet-spicy kick. You can use maple syrup instead if you prefer a milder flavor, but I like the extra heat that hot honey brings.
- BBQ rub – Any barbecue rub for pork will work great for this recipe. You want to find something with a bit of sweetness and spice. I used our Homemade Rib Rub.
- Brown sugar – This gives the bacon a sweet flavor, helps caramelize it, and makes it extra crispy. You can substitute raw cane sugar as well, but avoid granulated white sugar.
- Red pepper flakes – These will give your crackers a spicy kick and help balance the sweet flavors of the other ingredients. If you don’t like spice, just omit.
Can I make these in the oven?
You can definitely make these in the oven, though they won’t pick up quite as much smoky flavor. That said, bacon already brings plenty of smoke on its own, so they still turn out delicious. Just preheat your oven to 300°F and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the bacon is crisped to your liking.
How to make smoked billionaire bacon crackers
1. Prep the crackers
Lay out the crackers on the wire rack with about 1” of space between them.
I prefer to use Club crackers. Avoid saltine crackers, as the texture won’t turn out quite right.
I’ve placed them directly on the smoker’s grates before, but it can be a bit of a hassle to get the crackers on and off without them falling through the grates, so I highly recommend using a wire baking rack.
2. Prep the bacon
You’ll need to use about a half pound of thinly sliced or original-cut bacon.
Avoid using thick-cut bacon. It will take longer to render and will not get as crispy as thinner varieties.
Take a knife and slice the bacon into 2” pieces (about the length of your crackers).
Take the pieces of bacon and lay one strip on top of each cracker. You’re looking to cover the surface of the cracker. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do want to ensure you aren’t folding or overlapping the bacon for optimal rendering during the cooking process.
This version is also much quicker to make since we are not wrapping the whole cracker in bacon.
In a previous version of this recipe, we wrapped the entire cracker in bacon, but I’ve found that this makes the cracker too greasy.
3. Season
Once you have your crackers covered in bacon, it’s time to pack in the flavor!
In Snoop Dogg’s recipe, he combines maple syrup, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes to make a sweet and spicy candied bacon, but I’ve found that hot honey works great in place of maple syrup for a balanced flavor with a touch of extra spice.
Pro tip – If you don’t have hot honey or want to dial back the heat, maple syrup works great too. When I’m making these for the whole family, I’ll usually do half with maple syrup and leave off the red pepper flakes so that the kids can enjoy them too.
Place a drop of hot honey on top of each bacon-topped cracker, then use a basting brush to paint it on in a thin, even layer.
I used Melinda’s Hot Honey, but you could always use homemade.
Sprinkle each cracker with a little BBQ rub, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Bacon-topped crackers are seasoned and ready to hit the smoker.
I found that our Ultimate Rib Rub has the perfect flavor for these crackers, but any rub for pork will work.
4. Fire up the smoker
Fire up the smoker to 250°F.
I used my Weber Searwood XL for this recipe. You can use any smoker or pellet grill that you have handy. The key is that it needs to be able to maintain a steady temperature of around 250°F – 300°F for at least an hour.
Pro tip – You can absolutely make this recipe on a gas or charcoal grill, but you do want to keep an eye out for flare-ups as the bacon cooks. Placing the wire rack on a baking sheet will help prevent flare-ups.
Once your smoker is preheated, place the wire rack on a baking sheet and then onto the smoker’s grates. Close the lid and let them smoke for about one hour – or until the bacon is fully rendered and crisped to your liking.
Once that bacon is nice and crisp, pull those crackers off, serve them up, and watch how quickly they disappear!
Smoked billionaire bacon crackers plated up and ready to serve.
These smoked bacon-topped crackers are the ultimate bite-sized snack. They’re sweet, smoky, spicy, and seriously addictive. They’re a winning appetizer for game day or any day. Just be ready to make a double batch, these never last long!
If you do make a batch of these smoked billionaire bacon crackers, please let us know in the comments below and leave a five-star rating.
Everything’s better wrapped in bacon
Print
Smoked Billionaire Bacon Crackers
Buttery Club crackers topped with bacon, hot honey, BBQ rub, and brown sugar are smoked until crisp. Perfect for gameday, parties, or an easy smoker snack.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Calories 193kcal
- 24 Club crackers about one sleeve
- ½ lb bacon thin cut
- 2 tbsp hot honey
- 1 tbsp BBQ rub or pork rub
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tbsp red pepper flakes
Preheat your smoker to 250°F.
Lay out the crackers on a wire rack.
Slice the bacon into 2” pieces (about the size of a cracker).
Lay a piece of bacon on top of each cracker.
Add a drop of hot honey to each cracker, then spread evenly with a basting brush.
Season with the barbecue rub, then sprinkle the brown sugar and red pepper flakes over the top.
Put the wire rack on a baking sheet and place on the grates of the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for one hour, or until the bacon is crisped to your liking.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Crackers: Don’t use saltine crackers, as the texture won’t turn out quite right.
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Avoid thick-cut bacon: It takes too long to render and can make the crackers greasy instead of crisp.
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Hot honey vs. maple syrup: Hot honey gives a spicy kick, but maple syrup is a great option for a milder, kid-friendly version.
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Wire rack: Using a wire rack makes getting the crackers on and off the grates way quicker and easier.
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Baking sheet: Using a baking sheet saves messing up the smoker. Also, if using a gas or charcoal grill, it will catch drips and prevent flare-ups.
- To cook in an oven: They won’t have as much smoke flavor tho. Preheat your oven to 300°F and let them cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the bacon is crisped to your liking.
Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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