Tag: bacon

The King of Chocolate Covered Foods Is Bacon

Did you know there is a map breaking down every state’s favorite thing to dip in chocolate? Most of the picks are exactly what you would expect. A few are questionable. And one of them absolutely should have stayed a secret.

Let’s start with the big headline:

Across the country, the most popular thing to cover in chocolate is bacon. Yes, bacon. Somewhere, a cardiologist just sighed very deeply.

Chocolate covered bacon takes the top spot overall, thanks largely to Middle America really leaning into the sweet and salty chaos. Bacon is the number one choice in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. That is a lot of states agreeing that pork belongs in dessert.

Bananas come in as another big favorite. They are the most popular chocolate covered item in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, and Virginia. Respectable. Classic. Nobody is mad at chocolate bananas.

Chocolate covered nuts also had a strong showing, which feels very on brand. Almonds are number one in Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Pecans take the top spot in Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Peanuts win in South Dakota, while macadamia nuts rule in Hawaii. These states are all nuts, literally.

Strawberries, the romantic overachiever of chocolate foods, are the favorite in Alaska, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming. Meanwhile, cherries win in Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and West Virginia. This feels like something you would order off a menu without questioning it.

Then things start to get weird.

California prefers chocolate covered blueberries. Pennsylvania goes with apples. New Jersey chooses pineapples, which feels aggressively tropical for that state. Kentucky likes chocolate covered grapes, while Illinois and Washington, D.C. prefer raisins, which are just grapes that gave up.

Ohio chooses chocolate covered pickles, which raises several follow-up questions no one wants answered. Florida goes with popcorn. Delaware picks pretzels. North Dakota prefers potato chips. Idaho and Kansas opt for coffee beans, which feels like a cry for caffeine help.

And then there is North Carolina.

North Carolina’s favorite chocolate covered item is crickets. Actual insects. Covered in chocolate. Somebody had to say it, and unfortunately, somebody did.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Just Dropped Bacon-Flavored Cereal

If your breakfast routine feels a little too normal lately, this should weird things up. General Mills and Hormel have joined forces to throw a sizzling curveball our way.

Bacon-flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch is now officially a thing. You can grab a bag at Walmart for a limited time. (I know… it’s tragic this can’t be a permanent fixture in your breakfast rotation.)

Cinnamon + sugar + bacon?

The sweet-and-savory mashup is the latest experiment in cereal innovation that’s raising some eyebrows (and a few stomachs). It still has that classic cinnamon sugar crunch fans know and love, but now with a layer of bacon flavoring added to the mix. Before you get too excited (or horrified), there’s no real bacon in there. Just “artificial bacon flavor,” whatever that is.

Not their first rodeo.

Why thrust pork cereal upon the American public? Because we want it! General Mills claims fans were into last year’s cinnamon-flavored bacon collab between the two brands, and this was the logical next step.

Pizza-flavored cereal too?

The new hog-infused Cinnamon Toast Crunch comes on the heels of an arguably even bolder concoction from earlier in the year. In January, the brand teamed up with Totino’s for a pizza-flavored cereal giveaway. Their excuse that time was the Super Bowl. Their excuse (or potential apology) for pork-flavored cereal is still pending.

So, how’s it taste?

Snackolator got early access and called the taste “not terrible.” So… high praise. But hey, not everyone’s taste buds are ready for porky-sweet cereal fusion at 7 a.m. (I bet the leftover milk at the bottom of your bowl tastes interesting.)

@snackolator

Would you try bacon flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch? This one is wild but it’s fun… definitely worth a try. Huge thanks to @CinnamonToastCrunch for the early taste! #cereal #cinnamontoastcrunch #foodreview #snackreview

♬ original sound – snackolator

You actually want to try this?

If so, get your butt to Sam Walton’s cute lil’ mom-and-pop store down the street. They’re only selling it at Walmart, where six-ounce bags run you $5.84 a pop. That’s a hefty price for something you may only eat on a dare, or serve to guests as a prank.

So, is bacon-flavored cereal a bold new frontier in breakfast? Or just a weird flex we didn’t ask for? Only your spoon can decide. But one thing’s for sure. If you’ve ever wished your cereal tasted more like brunch at a state fair, your moment has arrived.

The Best (and Worst) Ways to Cook Bacon

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Bacon lovers, prepare for a sizzling debate. Whether you prefer it crispy, chewy, smoky, or somewhere in between, how you cook your bacon might be just as important as the kind you buy — and according to the food experts at TheKitchn.com, some of us have been doing it all wrong.

 

Let’s be honest: it’s hard to make bacon bad. But when it comes to getting that perfect balance of crisp, flavor, and (let’s not forget) easy cleanup, some methods clearly outshine the rest.

 

 

🔥 The Top Two Bacon Cooking Methods

Oven-Baked Bacon (The Clear Winner)

Hands down, the best way to cook bacon is in the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay your strips out flat, and bake at 400°F. Go for 18 minutes with regular-cut or up to 24 minutes for thick-cut slices. The result? Evenly cooked, crispy bacon without the splatter — and bonus: parchment paper makes cleanup a breeze.

 

Cast Iron Skillet (For Purists)

Want that traditional sizzle? A cast iron skillet still holds up. Start with a cold pan, place the bacon in, then heat to medium. Flip occasionally and cook for 8–11 minutes, depending on thickness and how crispy you like it. It takes a bit more attention, but it delivers that classic, smoky flavor and gorgeous caramelization.

 

 

🙅‍♂️ The Two Worst Ways to Cook Bacon

The Water Method

 

Yes, it’s a real thing. This technique involves covering the bacon in water, boiling it, and gradually lowering the heat until the water evaporates. Supposedly, it helps render the fat and reduce splatter — but according to testers, it’s messy, inconsistent, and not worth the effort. Stick with dry heat.

 

The Microwave

You probably already know this one’s not ideal. While it can work in a pinch, microwaved bacon tends to come out hot, rubbery, and unevenly cooked. Even with paper towels to soak up grease, you’ll rarely get that satisfying crisp — just a lot of limp disappointment.

 
So, What’s Your Go-To?

 

Everyone has a bacon method they swear by. But if you haven’t tried oven-baking with parchment paper, this might be your sign. It’s cleaner, easier, and arguably more delicious.

 

After all, life’s too short for bad bacon.

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