These Bacon Cream Cheese Bites have four ingredients and the plate comes back empty every time. The reason is the bread: when you roll it tight and wrap it in bacon, the fat renders into the bread as it bakes. Both get crispy together, and that combination is what people can't stop eating.
What makes these different:
Here's what most people don't realize about these until they make them: the bread isn't just a vehicle for the bacon. As these bake, the bacon fat renders right into the roll, and the whole thing gets crispy together. That's what makes them so hard to stop eating. I've been making these for years and someone always asks for the recipe. Prep them the morning of your party, refrigerate, and bake when you're ready.
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What I Learned Making This Recipe
The first time I made these, I baked them flat on a foil-lined pan and couldn't figure out why the bottoms were soft and greasy while the tops were crispy. The fix turned out to be a wire rack. The moment I started elevating them so the bacon fat could drip away instead of pooling underneath, everything crisped up the way it was supposed to. It sounds like a small thing, but it's the difference between an appetizer people rave about and one that's just okay.
The other thing I learned over the years is that these hold up at room temperature. You do not need to serve them the second they come out of the oven. I've set them out at parties and people were still reaching for them an hour later with the same crunch. That makes them genuinely useful for entertaining: bake them, set them out, and stop worrying.
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Ingredients
ingredient notes:
- Bread. This is the most important choice in the recipe, and it's worth getting right. You need a soft, thin-sliced white sandwich bread that compresses when you roll it. That tight cylinder is what bakes up crispy. Pepperidge Farm Original White Bread is my first choice. If you can't find it, Sara Lee Classic White or Wonder Bread are both good alternatives. English Muffin Bread also works. What won't work: regular wheat bread, thick-cut sandwich bread, or anything with a lot of texture. Those won't roll tightly enough and the texture will be off.
- Cream cheese. Use whipped or spreadable cream cheese straight from the tub, not the block. Block cream cheese, even softened, is too thick and will tear the bread when you try to spread it. You want a thin, even layer that goes on without a fight.
- Fresh chives. Chop them finely so they stay in place when you roll. Dried chives work in a pinch, but fresh have better flavor and keep the color bright. If you want to cut a step, a tub of chive and onion spreadable cream cheese pulls double duty and you can skip the fresh chives entirely.
- Bacon. Regular-thickness bacon, one pound for a full loaf of bread. Thick-cut bacon is harder to spiral around the rolls and doesn't render as efficiently at this oven temperature. The fat rendering into the bread is most of what makes the texture of these so good, so don't skip it or swap it for something leaner.
Instructions
Step 1
Remove the crusts from all slices of bread.
Step 2
Spread a thin, even layer of cream cheese across each slice and sprinkle with fresh chives.
Step 3
Roll each slice into a tight cylinder starting from one long edge.
Step 4
Spiral one strip of bacon around each roll, covering the full surface.
STEP 5
Cut each roll in half, set on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400°F until the bacon is fully cooked and the bread is deeply golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.
My best tips
Use a wire rack, not a flat pan. This is the most important thing you can do for the texture. When the rolls sit flat in the rendered fat, the bottom of the bread gets soggy instead of crispy. A wire rack elevates them so the fat drips away and everything crisps up evenly.
Use kitchen shears to cut them in half. A knife drags and can squash the roll. Shears give you a clean cut in one motion. I keep a pair in my kitchen specifically for jobs like this.
Roll the bread tight. A loose roll won't hold together in the oven and won't bake up crispy. Keep tension as you roll, starting from the long edge, and press gently to seal it before you wrap the bacon.
Start checking at 20 minutes. Oven temperatures vary enough that the range of 20 to 30 minutes is real. You want the bacon fully cooked and the bread deeply golden, not just lightly browned. Pull one out and check if you're not sure.
Don't crowd the rack. These need airflow on all sides to crisp properly. If they're touching, they'll steam instead of bake.
They taste good at room temperature. These hold their crunch for at least an hour after baking. You don't need to rush them to the table hot from the oven. Set them out, enjoy your party, and trust that people will still be reaching for them.
FAQs
You can. Preheat the grill to 425°F, line a baking pan with foil, and set a wire rack on top of the foil. Place the bites on the rack and grill for 20 minutes, flip them, then grill another 8 to 10 minutes until the bacon is crispy. The rack is just as important on the grill as in the oven.
Yes. Air fry at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, checking at 10. Work in batches so they have enough space to crisp up properly , crowding the basket will result in steamed bacon, not crsipy.
Make ahead and storage
Make ahead: Assemble the rolls, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Pull them out about 10 minutes before they go in the oven, or add a few minutes to the bake time if they're going in cold.
Room temperature: These hold their crunch at room temperature for at least an hour after baking. No need to time them to come out of the oven right as guests arrive.
Storage: Leftover baked bites keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for 5 to 8 minutes to bring the crispiness back. The microwave works but will soften the bread.
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Recipe
Bacon Cream Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 1 loaf white bread Pepperidge Farm Original White Bread, Sara Lee Classic White, or Wonder Bread
- 12 ounces whipped or spreadable cream cheese
- 1½ cup fresh chives chopped
- 1 pound bacon regular thickness
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil and set a wire cooling rack on top
- Remove the crusts from all bread slices.1 loaf white bread
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese across each slice of bread. Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of chopped chives over the cream cheese.12 ounces whipped or spreadable cream cheese, 1½ cup fresh chives
- Starting from one long edge, roll each slice into a tight cylinder.
- Wrap one strip of bacon around each cylinder in a spiral, covering the full surface of the bread1 pound bacon
- Cut each cylinder in half using kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
- Place the bites on the prepared rack. Bake until the bacon is fully cooked and crispy and the bread is deeply golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. and flip over with tongs. Serve warm.
Notes
- Bread matters: use a soft, thin-sliced white bread. Pepperidge Farm Original White, Sara Lee Classic White, and Wonder Bread all work well. English Muffin Bread also works. Regular wheat bread or thick-cut sandwich bread won't roll tightly enough.
- Time-saving swap: replace the plain cream cheese and fresh chives with a tub of chive and onion spreadable cream cheese.
- Make ahead: assemble and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Bake when ready, adding a few minutes if going in cold.
- Grilling: preheat grill to 425°F. Line a pan with foil, set a wire rack on top. Grill 20 minutes, flip, then grill another 8 to 10 minutes until crispy.
- Air fryer: 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Work in batches so they have room to crisp.
- Room temperature: hold their crunch for at least an hour after baking.
- Storage: refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat at 375°F in oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you want the texture back.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Mandy says
I’m not sure if I did something wrong, I tried two batches of these. They are very easy to burn and kind of bland. I even tried turning the oven to 375 and adding cheddar cheese. They are just eh, in my opinion. Maybe a dipping sauce would help? Bacon wrapped tots dipped in sour cream are definitely more delicious.
Hi Mandy,
I'm sorry these didn't work for you. These have been favorites in our families for years and always disappear. Maybe our candied bacon recipe is more up your alley?
Beth Ann Crawford says
At what oven temp do I bake these, please? Also, this recipe mentions using cream cheese, but then also mentions low fat cream cheese. Which one? Thank you!
Hi Beth, These are baked at 400 and you can use spreadable regular cream cheese or low fat, whichever you prefer. Hope this helps, these are delicious!
Corinne says
I always make a double batch, using soft spread chive and onion. These are always gone within the first hour. I’m always told to bring them at gatherings. I’m so happy I came across this recipe and tried it. Excellent appetizer.