Banana and peanut butter turn thick-cut bacon pieces into a rich sweet-savory snack. This source-inspired version uses both fruit and fruit powder, with a separate full cooking step before drying.

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Video by Jerky · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Starting batch: 2 lb raw thick-cut bacon ends and pieces; yield varies with rendering and drying.

• 2 lb thick-cut bacon ends and pieces, sorted for similar thickness
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tbsp banana powder
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbsp peanut flour or peanut butter powder
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ cup water

Equipment: sharp knife, cutting board, blender, covered nonreactive container, oven, rimmed baking pan, oven-safe rack, thin-tip thermometer, clean tongs, paper towels, and an adjustable-temperature dehydrator.

Allergens: Contains peanuts; soy sauce commonly contains soy and wheat. Check banana powder, peanut powder, sauces and other ingredient labels.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Separate the bacon pieces

Separate the thick-cut bacon ends and pieces and sort them into groups of similar thickness. Cut unusually large pieces into manageable portions. Keep raw bacon cold while preparing the coating.

Step 2: Build the flavored coating

Blend peeled bananas, banana powder, peanut butter, peanut flour, brown sugar, soy and water until smooth. Scrape the sides so no flour or banana chunks remain.

Step 3: Blend until uniform

Blend the coating once more until completely uniform. Cool any ingredients that were warmed to loosen the spread before adding raw bacon. A thick but pourable coating will be easier to distribute.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Turn the bacon pieces through the coating in a nonreactive covered container. Work between folded pieces so all surfaces are covered. Refrigerate at 40°F or below for 12 hours; keep raw bacon chilled until cooking.

Step 5: Fully cook before drying

Drain the bacon pieces and discard raw marinade. Arrange on an oven-safe rack over a rimmed pan without overlapping. Bake at 325°F until fully cooked and each piece reaches 160°F on a thin-tip thermometer, checking several of the thickest pieces. Blot rendered fat with clean paper towels and transfer using clean tongs to clean drying racks. Dry at 145–155°F until a cooled sample has a chewy texture; check often and blot surface fat. Source drying photos do not show this added full oven-cooking step.

Step 6: Cool and keep refrigerated

Cool fully and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below in a clean covered container. Treat this as cooked bacon: use within 4 days or freeze. Drying does not make this fatty snack shelf-stable; keep portions chilled between servings.

Why this flavor works

Banana and banana powder give two layers of fruit flavor. Peanut butter and peanut flour make a rich savory-sweet coating. Similar piece thickness makes cooking and drying easier to control.

Serving and storage

Serve small refrigerated portions as a rich snack. Use within 4 days or freeze; keep chilled between servings.

Keep the finished jerky refrigerated. Pack only fully cooled strips, keep hands and containers clean, and freeze portions you will not eat promptly. Moisture, thickness, and handling affect keeping quality; this home method does not establish commercial shelf stability.

A ready-to-eat option between batches

For a convenient jerky snack when you are not making a batch, explore BULK Texas Style Original Beef Jerky. Its seasoning and production process differ from this homemade adaptation.

Browse every published BULK jerky recipe.

Sources and further reading

• USDA: bacon cooking and refrigerated storage
• Peanut Butter & Banana Bacon Jerky Recipe (For Beginners) — Jerky
• USDA: how to make meat or poultry jerky at home
• National Center for Home Food Preservation: jerky

Original BULK adaptation after reviewing the source video’s automatic captions and ingredient discussion. Source footage and creator credit belong to Jerky. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

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