Dessert Bar: Sweet & Salty Bacon Buffet

As far as ingredients go, bacon is universally loved. I recognize that there are a few that can’t have or don’t care for bacon, but in a recent poll in my Facebook foodie group, bacon lovers were in abundance! It might surprise some to see bacon being featured in a dessert bar, but after one bite of your bacon themed dessert bar, they’ll become believers and you’ll be the MVP!

If you’ve never created or seen a dessert bar, you’ve come to the right place because I’m obsessed with them! A dessert bar is a selection of various bite size treats, usually centered around a theme. That theme can be a featured ingredient, a color, the event itself, the season, a hobby, anything! That’s why they are so fun!

When to plan a bacon themed dessert bar….

Because bacon is not associated with a specific season or holiday and is available year round, a sweet and salty dessert bar is a great option for any event. Here’s a few ideas:

• Super Bowl Party
• Game Day Get Together
• Mother’s/Father’s Day Celebration
• 4th of July or Summer BBQ
• Birthday Party
• Engagement Party
• Wedding Reception
• Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
• Retirement Party
• Graduation Party

See how universal a bacon theme is? The great thing about desserts that incorporate bacon is that they aren’t overly rich. Desserts can often be so sweet that no one wants two or three different treats, which totally defeats the purpose of a dessert bar! The salty and smoky flavor of the bacon helps tame down the overall sweetness, making it irresistible to eat just one!

Tips to create and display desserts for a dessert bar…

When I’m planning a dessert bar, I think miniature–small treats that can be popped into my mouth in one or two bites. Avoid something like a whole slice of pie that requires a plate, fork, napkin and a spouse to mop up all the blueberry juice stains from runaway berries. Here’s how I would adapt this week’s recipes for a dessert bar:

1. Bacon-Infused Caramel Dip: Dip is all about how you present it. You can leave it in a bright colored crock or dish like below, or go mini! Get a pack of one ounce plastic condiment cups and put a little dip in each one. (Pipe it in or use a small scoop to avoid making the sides all messy.) This lets the guest grab a cup and a couple dippers and continue socializing while enjoying the dip! This also squashes the double dipping situation!

2. Bacon Studded Chocolate Chip Cookies: Cookies are extremely dessert bar friendly… when they are the right size. To use for a dessert bar, use a small 1 Tbsp scoop rather than the 2 Tbsp. This is just enough cookie to give everyone a try; it’s ok to leave them wanting more! These are fun to display on tiered trays or platters!

3. Boozy Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam: This walks the line between dessert and appetizer. Even though it’s a “jam”, it’s more of an appetizer. There’s so many way to use this spread. It can be portioned out into a condiment cup with a cracker stuck in the middle, scooped into a bowl on a charcuterie board, poured over a brick of brie cheese, or stuffed in a fig. It’s hard to go wrong with this!

4. Browned Butter(scotch) Bacon Bars: I love using my Brownie Pan for bars and brownies because they bake into perfect squares but that might be a little bigger than you want for a dessert bar. One way to fix that is to cut each square diagonally, either once or twice, so you have a triangle or a mini triangle. I like to stand them up on their sides with the points sticking, up for a fun display. You can also bake them in a mini muffin pan for a totally different shape, with or without theme-matching liners. They WILL bake faster, so keep an eye on them!

I hope you’ll consider a bacon dessert bar for your next get together! When you try any of these recipes, please share a comment below and pop over to Rachel’s Kitchen Conversations and share a pic of your sweet and salty goodies!