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This creamy Hot Bacon Dressing makes any salad irresistible, whether you choose to pour it over lettuce or toss it with a spinach salad. It’s warm, smoky, and tangy. But this version of the classic Amish recipe gets a sweet maple twist to make it even more delicious. And it is also gluten free and dairy free!
Maple Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe
Dress up your salads for a special occasion with this warm, creamy dressing. The thick texture gives a sweet and tangy coating to the leafy greens, and the bacon adds just the right amount of smoky, salty flavor.
Creamy Greek Yogurt Maple Dijon Salad Dressing might be my daily go-to, but this hot bacon dressing makes even the simplest salads a truly gourmet addition to any meal. It’s perfect on a basic iceberg wedge, tossed with romaine, used to lightly wilt spinach, and so much more.
What is Hot Bacon Dressing?
Not to be mistaken for warm bacon dressing recipes to use on German potato salads, that are more of a vinaigrette, this is intended for spinach salads or to toss with any of your favorite salad greens.
Based on a traditional Amish recipe that I got from my mother-in-law, it is usually sweetened with sugar and thickened with flour. But I replaced the sugar with maple syrup because the sweet, earthy flavor perfectly accents the smoky bacon. And I’ve added a little more apple cider vinegar because we love that extra bit of tang.
It is a delicious combination of flavors that, once heated, is thickened with cornstarch and egg. This makes is rich and luxurious.
Is Hot Bacon Dressing Gluten Free?
My mother-in-law’s hot bacon dressing recipe calls for flour, but I’ve replaced that with cornstarch. So while not all hot bacon dressing recipes are gluten-free, this one is. Tapioca starch is another alternative for thickening if you want a grain free or paleo option.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled. If you cook it in a skillet on the stove, you can make the dressing right in the same pan – the bacon grease will just add a bit more flavor. Also, turkey bacon works too, if that’s your preference.
- Water
- Maple syrup – Instead of sugar like in traditional bacon dressing, this recipe is sweetened with maple syrup. Bacon and maple are such a natural flavor pairing as each has a different but complementary smoky undertone.
- Cornstarch – As mentioned, to make this a gluten free salad dressing recipe, I use cornstarch for thickening instead of flour. You still get the thick, creamy consistency but without adding wheat. You can substitute tapioca starch.
- Egg
- Salt
- Apple cider vinegar
How to Make Hot Bacon Dressing
Cook the Bacon. You can use any method, and in my resource for how to cook bacon, I provide instructions for five different cooking methods. After it is cooked, drain it on paper towels and crumble it.
Thicken the Dressing. Whisk maple syrup, water, cornstarch, and an egg together in a saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil over low heat. Be sure to whisk almost constantly to avoid scrambling the egg or having it get cooked to the bottom of the pan.
Add the Bacon. Once the dressing is thick enough to coat a spoon, remove it from the heat and let it cool a bit before. Then stir in the apple cider vinegar and crumbled bacon.
Serve with Salad. Pour the dressing over or toss with your favorite salad. Keep reading for some serving ideas.
Storing and Reheating Warm Bacon Dressing.
This recipe makes a big batch of salad dressing, so you might not use it all right away. You can transfer the extra dressing to a jar or another container that you can seal tightly. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
You can then reheat it as you need it. Transfer for some to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until warm. Or place it back into a saucepan and gently warm it over low heat, being careful not to boil it and curdle the egg. It doesn’t have to be very hot. Just warm it enough so that it is a pourable consistency and gives that temperature contrast to the cold salad.
What do you put bacon dressing on?
The most classic way to enjoy hot bacon dressing is on a spinach salad. It’ll slightly wilt baby spinach and adds amazing flavor. This is nice with some Rotisserie Chicken and Gluten Free Breadsticks.
- It’s great on a classic iceberg wedge salad, especially when paired with a grilled flat iron steak.
- Make a batch of Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash and use the leftovers to make Roasted Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Salad. It’s so delicious with a holiday meal like brown sugar glazed ham.
- Or try it as something different to kick up a Cobb-Style Lobster Salad. This makes a great summer meal with foil pack potatoes.
More homemade salad dressing recipes
- Lemon Blueberry Chia Seed Vinaigrette
- Creamy Greek Yogurt Honey Lemon Lime Salad Dressing
- Greek Yogurt Barbecue Ranch Dressing
- Greek Yogurt Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Shake and Pour Mediterranean Salad Dressing from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Old Spaghetti Factory’s Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing from Noble Pig
Maple Hot Bacon Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (use up to 1/3 cup if desired)
- 6 slices bacon, well-cooked, drained, and crumbled bacon (regular pork or turkey bacon)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, syrup, cornstarch, egg, and salt.
- Heat over medium low heat to a simmer, then cook, whisking frequently, until it is hot and starts to thicken.
- Increase the heat and allow to boil slightly to thicken completely.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and crumbled bacon.
- Serve while still warm, or reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Did you make this?
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This is such an awesome dressing. I usually made the oil and vinegar one but this one is the best out of all hot bacon dressings I have had. Another great part is that it is so low in calories. Love the sweetness..
Thank you so much! I am thrilled to hear you enjoy it!
Have you ever tried this as dressing for a pasta or potato salad? I’m not much of a spinach fan…
Hi Dana,
I haven’t used the hot bacon dressing on anything but salad, but I bet it will make a fantastic potato salad dressing! Depending on the number of potatoes you use, you may want to double the recipe to make sure there’s enough.
can this be kept in the refrigerator for a period of time? Can you eat this cold?
Hi Terry,
You can refrigerate it for a few days, but I don’t think it can be eaten cold, straight from the fridge. The bacon fat will solidify. You’ll at least need to bring it to room temperature. Reheating it will definitely taste better.
Do you happen to have the nutritional info on this recipe? I made it and LOVE it, but I’m trying to track macros. Thanks!!
Hi Shannon. If you want to track macros on this recipe, I think the best place to do it is using the nutritional calculator on myfitnesspal.com. Nutritional info can vary depending on what brand of products you use and that calculator will allow you to search by brand and/or scan in the data from the nutritional labels.
Wow sounds great! Yum! Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Twitter! Have a great week!
Kim
YUM!!! Yum-yum-yummy-yum!!! 😀 😀 😀
Yes, all of the above 🙂