Who knew something so delish could be so easy!? Pineapple + bacon = amazing. I first had these bacon wrapped pineapple bites during a charity cooking competition at work, and I knew right away I had to feature them on the blog. These sweet and salty bacon and pineapple bites are perfect for entertaining, they're so simple to make, and so good, they'll be gone before you can get a bite (I speak from experience here). My husband, who isn't a huge bacon fan (I know, he needs serious help), absolutely loves these, that's how good they are! Juicy, fresh pineapple is wrapped with bacon, then coated with brown sugar and baked until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is caramelized. It's seriously out of this world.
Note, I think fresh is always best, and using fresh pineapple for these bacon wrapped pineapple bites is no exception. However, canned pineapple can work in a pinch. Just make sure to squeeze any excess moisture out of the canned pineapple with some paper towels, so it doesn't sog up the bacon.
24 1″ inch chunks of fresh pineapple
8 strips of thick-cut bacon, cut into thirds (or 12 strips regular bacon, cut in half)
1/3 cup brown sugar
24 wooden toothpicks
Have you ever cut up a fresh pineapple? If not, it's easy and once you learn how to you'll be enjoying fresh pineapple every chance you get. For easy instructions on how to carve a fresh pineapple, I found this easy to follow video from Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean up), then place a cooling rack onto the lined baking sheet. This will allow the bacon grease to drip down instead of pooling around the bacon wrapped pineapple bites.
Wrap each piece of pineapple with a piece of bacon. For thick cut bacon, I think 1/3 of a slice is enough. For regular bacon, use 1/2 of a slice for each piece of pineapple. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
Dip each bacon wrapped pineapple bite into some brown sugar, patting it on as needed. This brown sugar crust will caramelize while it's baking, creating a crispy, sweet crust. OMG, so good!
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, until the bacon is slightly crispy and the sugar is caramelized.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Bet you can't eat just one!
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites