Hello, my loves! I have a really yummy, ridiculously easy Valentine’s Day idea for you, complete with presents: free themed-out printable labels, bacon recipes, and a pretty sweet Valentine’s Day card!
Bippity Boppity BACON!!!! My hubby is addicted to anything that even remotely resembles bacon. I once caught him licking a piggy bank. (Ok, not really, but it’s only a matter of time…)
When I saw this adorable bacon salt recipe from Formal Fringe, I was completely inspired! I decided to expand on her idea & create an entire bacon-themed gift set, because you know what’s better than bacon? MORE BACON.
I scoured the internet & found some delicious recipes for bacon salt, bacon jam and candied bacon. There was only one issue: I’m lazy they all required a lot of work! I decided to create my own super-simple time-saving versions, and they turned out pretty well!
Want to know my secret shortcut ingredients? OF COURSE YOU DO. 
Grab a few bags of REAL bacon bits (brand isn’t important — just make sure you’re not buying fake bacon bits) & you can save a TON of cook time! I also love using this pork rub seasoning in place of the 5 million spices required for certain bacon recipes. It is ridiculously delicious & SO simple!
Recipe Time!
How to Make Bacon Salt
Ok, this one is probably the easiest recipe ever. Brace yourself.
Mix 1 bag of bacon bits & 1/2 cup sea salt in a blender.
Presto! Bacon salt 
Bacon Jam Recipe
There are tons & tons of bacon jam recipes on the internet. I based mine on this Martha Stewart recipe & then simplified the bejeezus out of it.
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
1/2 cup maple syrup
1-2 bags real bacon pieces
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons pork rub seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic (the kind you buy already crushed in a jar, of course!)
Add other spices to taste if desired (you can sprinkle in some onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder — whatever you want!)
Bring to a boil in a small pot or sauce pan, then let it simmer down (Simma down now!) for another 30 min. or so. You can put it in the blender if you want, but we just left it chunky (one less dish to wash) & it’s great!
Bacon Candy
(Original recipe via Food Network)
Heat up that oven to 325.
Slap some aluminum foil down on a baking tray & spray it with a bit of Pam.
Spread out some bacon bits, spray them with Pam, and sprinkle on some coconut sugar (you can also use brown sugar, I just didn’t have any on hand!)
Sprinkle on a little pork rub, salt, or pepper if it sounds yummy.
Bake for 15 minutes.
All done!
Now you can pop your treats into some jars (I just cleaned out a few old salsa jars, but any kind of container will work!)
In the words of Jim Gaffigan, “It’s like a bacon-to-bacon time-space continuum.” Om nom nom!
Printable Valentine’s Day Card & Gift Labels
Download the printable Bacon Gift Labels and let’s get this party started! (P.S. I made the label for the candied bacon smaller because the recipe yields a pretty small batch – you don’t need much!).
I covered my lids with washi tape (you know I love me some Washi!), then printed out these labels on full-page sticker sheets. If you don’t have any adhesive printer paper, you can also use card stock or even regular printer paper & just stick it on with some double-sided tape.
I have one more treat for you! A Valentine’s Day card: “Don’t Go Bacon My Heart” (it’s a play on the classic duet with Elton John & Kiki Dee)
Here’s the printable version: Bacon My Heart Valentine
Haha, it just makes me smile! I’ve been singing, “Don’t Go Bacon My Heart” in my head all day.
Enjoy your new bacon recipes & Valentine’s Day cards! While you’re cooking, try to save a bite to share with the special bacon lover in your life!
Pretty Organized Tip: You can save yourself some stress by making a big batch to save as gifts for upcoming birthdays, Father’s Day, etc. Just keep everything refrigerated & when those important dates roll around, you’ll look like the planning-est person in town!
What are your favorite holiday treats?
P.S. I’m linking up my project on these fabulous blogs: Sew-Licious, Craft-O-Maniac, Ginger Snap Crafts, Someday Crafts, Free Pretty Things, Matt and Whitney Kelly, Skip to my Lou, SNAP!, Lady Behind the Curtain , Not Just a Housewife, The 36th Avenue, The Best Blog Recipes, & Mums Make Lists
UPDATE: Many thanks to Brit.co, Handmade & Craft, and Cupcake Diaries for featuring this project on their lovely blogs!!
Oh my goodness. I’ve heard of bacon salt or bacon candy. This is mind blowing. And I love your graphic! Hilarious.
Aww, thanks Chelsea!! Haha I couldn’t stop eating the bacon candy while I was making it. SO yummy!
This is great! Wanting to use it as stocking stuffers for my husband.
I’m thinking I’ll go with a bacon-themed stocking! What’s the shelf life on these things?
Hey Raegan,
That sounds fun! My best guess would be that it’s the same as whatever the expiration dates on the ingredients are? Hopefully they’ll get gobbled up pretty quickly!
Daaang! This looks awesome! I’ve had bacon jam and bacon candy, but I haven’t seen the bacon salt. Might have to try that soon…
Ooh, Erin, it is SO good! I’ve been sprinkling a little bit on my eggs in the morning (saves a few calories compared to just sprinkling a bunch of bacon bits!). I hope you like it!
Ooh! Didn’t even think about putting it on eggs! YUM
Lol! My husband is the same way. This is a GREAT idea! This would be a perfect surprise gift for the hubs. I love your graphics.
Thanks for sharing!
Kristina
chappelofloveblog.com
Thanks so much!!
LOVE this idea!! Thanks so much for sharing! I featured this on my blog today. Thanks for linking up at the Valentine’s Day Link Up last week!
Aww, thank you SO much!! I really appreciate the feature!!
ooo . i would make the jam but i do not drink coffee. is there a substitute ?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I don’t think the coffee is a huge part of the overall flavor, so maybe you could try replacing it with coffee extract, coffee syrup, or plain water? Here are a few links with other ingredients that could replace the coffee flavor if you want to try them: Coffee Substitutes that Actually Taste Like Coffee . I hope that helps!
Haha!
Got to love bacon! 
Mmmhmm!! Thanks for reading — let me know how they turn out!!
LOVE it! Such a cute idea for the bacon lover
Thanks for sharing at last weekends link party! Hope to see you again this week.
Thanks Shauna!
Thank you for sharing this. My husband will love it! I have never heard of bacon jam. What would I use it on or in?
Sure thing! It’s great on steak, grilled chicken, veggies, breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches — pretty much anything that combines well with bacon!
Any chance of shipping a few jars to Ireland?
Hey Adam! I don’t actually sell these & I’m not really sure if they would stay good during the shipping without any refrigeration. If you don’t want to DIY it, here are a few websites that feature/sell bacon-themed goodies: Perpetual Kid, Bacon Freak, & Royal Bacon Society. I hope that helps!
I think you just shaved a week off my Christmas Crafting, Thank you!
Awesome!!
I love these ideas for Christmas gifts…how far in advance can I make this stuff or how long will it stay good? Thanks for the great ideas.
Thanks, Kim! My best advice on that would be to look at the expiration dates on the syrup, bacon, etc. & see how long they’ll stay good. If you keep it refrigerated, it will probably last for at least a few months! (Unless you’re subbing fresh/organic ingredients) Hope that helps!
This is fabulous. Thanks for the information.
I love the idea but my family is not that big on bacon so I was wondering if it would still taste good if I used beef jerky instead.
It’s worth a try! I would just taste it as you go to make sure the spices in the jerky work well with the rest of the recipe flavors — could be pretty yummy with the right stuff. Something like a Mesquite jerky flavor would probably be pretty good!
I would love to make the jam as gifts! How much does this recipe yield exactly? I’ve got about six different people I’m making this for!
Hey Kerstin! I think the jam makes 12-16 ounces. Enjoy!!
I tried making the bacon jam and multiplied the recipe by 6 and it turned into a soupy mess and never got thick
Did I miss something? I checked my calculation numerous times, and I let it cook for hours thinking that may have been the problem.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Kerstin
I’ve never multiplied the recipe myself — maybe at 6x there was too much coffee to cook it all down? I’m not sure…maybe let it boil more, try a smaller batch, or add some all-purpose flour to thicken it a little bit? Or maybe if you cook it in a crock pot all day or leave it in the fridge it’ll thicken up?
Hi. These are going to great Christmas gifts for the men in my family! 2 questions: What did you print the labels on? A sticker paper? And has anyone tried putting the jam in canning jars and using a water bath? I’m wondering if the bacon you need any extra preservative? Thanks, great idea!
Hey Sarah! I printed mine on sticker paper. The only downside was that ink wasn’t waterproof, so the condensation from the fridge eventually smudged the labels. No clue about the canning process, but maybe someone else around here can help!
Hey Casey! Thanks so much for these recipes, I’m making them for my brother-in-law for Christmas! When you made the jam, did it turn out a little runny and then thicken up? I literally just finished making it and it seems a bit runny? I just don’t know if that’s because it’s still hot and later it will thicken? I just wondered what your experience with it was? Did you let it sit in the pan for a while or transfer it to your jar immediately? Maybe it’s supposed to be a little runny, I don’t know haha I appreciate your help in this! Merry Christmas!
Hey Tiff,
I think it thickened a little bit as it cooled, but I’m not sure how much. I did let it cool a bit before I put it in the jars. I hope it worked out for you!!