How to Make Bacon Roses

Crispy, savory, tasty, and beautiful! Learn how to make bacon roses with this easy DIY recipe. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or any special occasion!

For years, I’ve been making bacon roses for Valentine’s Day. They’re quick and easy to make, and they look beautiful. When I ate a more plant-based diet, I paired them with strawberry hearts to make a fun Valentine’s Day salad.

When I realized that many of my health issues stemmed from eating a high-oxalate diet, I tried a more meat-based approach and added them to my Valentine’s Day charcuterie boards.

Some people even add stems to bacon roses and give them away as a tasty bouquet.

It doesn’t matter how you serve them; just give them a try!

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What you’ll need:

• Thick-cut bacon (for sturdy, well-shaped roses)
• Silicone ice cube tray (to hold the shape while cooking the roses)
• Toothpicks (to hold the shape if you don’t have a silicone tray)
• Wire rack or tiny muffin tins (for baking the roses when using toothpicks)

Use thick-cut bacon for the best bacon roses, as it maintains its shape and creates a fuller, more realistic flower. Thin-cut bacon is more difficult to form without breaking. I also prefer fattier bacon as it crisps up more thinly, giving the roses a more delicate look. It’s also easier to form. (The areas with meat are stiffer and more likely to crack or break.)

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Step-by-step instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven or air fryer to 350-75°F (180-190°C). For smaller roses that are easier to eat, cut a slice of bacon lengthwise into two strips before starting.
2. Take each strip of bacon, and roll it from end to end into a rose shape.
3. For a more realistic look, keep the roses slightly loose and allow the edges to fold over. It looks best to keep the fatty edge on the top of the rose.
4. Place the bacon roses into silicone ice cube trays or tiny muffin tins to help them hold their shape as you bake them.

5. When making bacon roses in tiny muffin tins, or anything too large to keep the rose together, use aluminum foil or toothpicks to hold them together while cooking.
6. Keep checking on them to make sure they aren’t falling over or burning.
7. Bake the bacon roses in the oven until they are brown and crisp. If the tops of the roses are browning while the bottoms are uncooked, flip them over to cook the bottoms for a few minutes.
8. Once baked, let the bacon roses cool slightly before carefully removing the toothpicks. This helps them hold their shape.

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Expert Tips

• Choose thick-cut bacon with a lot of fat: Thinly sliced bacon is harder to work with and won’t keep its shape as well.
• Make the bacon roses ahead of time: Store your bacon roses in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them in the oven before serving.
• For added sweetness: Those not on a strict diet can drizzle the roses with maple syrup before baking.
• Chocolate-dipped bacon roses: After cooling, dip the bacon rose bottoms in melted chocolate and place them on parchment paper to harden.
• Themed charcuterie board: Surround with molded cheeses, cut cheeses, and salami roses for a beautiful charcuterie board, perfect for any special occasion!

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