Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon : A Bizarre Symphony Of Cinnamon And Salt

What's better than a thick crispy slice of bacon, you ask? One doused in cinnamon and sugar ... or at least that's the reasoning from bacon brand Hormel. The pork giant is introducing a very bold and a bit of an oddball flavored bacon this fall. This time, the bacon comes seasoned with the flavor of the breakfast bowl favorite, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Hormel explains that the bacon is rubbed with "Cinnadust" and then left overnight to allow each thick slice to become fully infused with its flavor. This eccentric new flavor is designed to be enjoyed around the clock, no matter the time of day.

The release of Hormel's new Thick Cut Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon left me reeling as my emotions hovered somewhere between hesitancy and excitement. Is Hormel's Thick Cut Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon everything readers might expect? Keep reading, as I'm offering up the sizzling details on this fascinating new release, including when and where you'll find it, how much it costs, how healthy it is, and of course, how it tastes.

Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon comes "coated in cinnamon sugar rub" — according to the manufacturer. I went into it thinking these bacon slices would be coated with visible cinnamon and sugar, but instead, these bacon strips were completely bare and looked just like regular bacon slices. According to the package, this bacon is cured with water, sugar, salt, sodium phosphates, dextrose, sodium erythorbate, flavoring, and sodium nitrate. The rub itself contains sugar, cinnamon, dextrose, and natural flavoring.

While most people wouldn't bat an eyelash at these ingredients, I don't love them. I'm a stickler when it comes to ingredients, and there are stark differences between the lowest and highest quality bacon brands. Because Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon is full of additives, I'm not too keen on the ingredients in this product. Still, most of these additives are commonly used in regular bacon, so it is really no surprise that Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon contains them.

Because Hormel's original Thick Cut Black Label bacon costs around $5.98 for a 16-ounce pack, I'd assumed Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon would cost roughly the same. There are other Hormel Black Label varieties available, including the microwave-ready version sold at $ 8.97 for 4 ounces and the fully cooked variety, which is sold at $4.48 for 2.25 ounces at the time of publication.

Of course, I knew there was a chance that Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon would cost more than the company's other bacon types since, after all, there's cinnamon and sugar impressed upon every slice. Sure enough, on its release day, I spotted Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon on Walmart's website priced at $5.98, just like the original Hormel bacon variety. Even so, a closer look at the fine print revealed that you'll only get 12 ounces of bacon here instead of the typical 16 ounces. So, while you'll still pay the same price for this sugary-sweet version of Hormel's thick cut bacon that you normally would, you'll end up with less bacon in the pack.

Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon is a limited-time only grab, and, as usual, it isn't clear when this "limited time" will end. The bacon hit store shelves at Walmart starting September 16, 2024, and then eventually make its way to Kroger while supplies last. I'd assume that the new Hormel Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon will get housed next to the regular Hormel Black Label bacon varieties, though it might not be available at every Walmart and Kroger store you frequent. 

Unfortunately, only select locations will receive packs of this unique take on bacon, meaning not everyone will be lucky enough to sample it. Thankfully, like the Kelce Bros Cereal (which proved to be a breakfast fumble, in my opinion), there is a clever way to make your own rendition of this bacon at home, though you'll need "Cinnadust" to do it. According to the Cinnamon Toast Crunch website, 12 strips of bacon and 3 tablespoons of Cinnadust (sold in stores) will get you that much closer to replicating the new Hormel Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon at home. 

Also, like the Cinnadust-rubbed bacon, it's also fairly easy to make your own crispy brown sugar bacon at home. Thus, if you're unable to get your hands on Hormel's Cinnamon Toast Crunch bacon, you've still got plenty of options. 

I'll be transparent here and say I'm not one of those people who regularly purchases sweet-tasting breakfast meat. To me, bacon is meant to be savory and then possibly paired with something sweet, like a pancake, for example. With that said, I'm not totally against the idea. And though you might not always find as many sweetly flavored bacon options out there as you would flavored sausage options, Hormel does carry other flavored bacon brands, including the Hormel Thick Cut Pecanwood Bacon, Cherrywood Bacon, and Applewood Bacon. Considering the rave reviews these varieties have, I'm guessing these Hormel flavors are pretty fantastic.

As far as looks go, the Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon looks just like any other Hormel thick cut bacon variety. (Don't bother looking visible sugar or cinnamon, you wont' find it.) And while I've never sampled any of the other Hormel flavored bacon varieties, I'm willing to bet that none of them are quite as sweet as this Cinnamon Toast Crunch variety turned out to be.

Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon isn't very healthy.; it is bacon, after all. In each slice, you'll get 60 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 290 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbs, only 2 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein per slice.

By the way, if you're looking to make bacon a little healthier, the healthiest way to cook bacon is to use a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the fat to drip through while your slices are baking. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, the least healthy way to cook bacon is to cook it over a short period of time without draining the excess oil. No matter which way you slice it, Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon still isn't going to be particularly healthy, regardless of how you cook it.

Eager for a taste, I pulled out my skillet and fried Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon over medium heat. I was surprised at how well the bacon cooked up; there was no unpleasant char like I thought there would be. What really caught me off guard, though, was the smell. My kitchen smelt like I was frying bacon and baking cinnamon rolls at the same time. And though it was a pleasing scent, I wasn't so sure how it would translate on my taste buds.

I drained the Hormel Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon on a paper towel and took a bite. I'm not sure how Hormel did it, but the bacon tasted EXACTLY like Cinnamon Toast Crunch ... and that's not a compliment. The taste of cinnamon and sugar layered over salted pork isn't great. Would I eat another slice if it was on my breakfast plate? I suppose so. Would I go out and buy another pack of it? Definitely not. I'd rather have a pack of naturally flavored bacon lying around anyway — with all of the amazing ways to use bacon out there, this oddly flavored bacon variety won't work well in many traditional recipes, making it less versatile than your typical savory bacon grab. 

All in all, this bacon is really for breakfast fans who want a sweeter bacon. If salted cinnamon roll-flavored bacon sounds good to you, you'll probably love it. If not, I'd steer clear.

I received Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon in exchange for my honest review. Receiving the bacon did not impact my thoughts about how the bacon tasted or performed. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Hormel's Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon is a limited-time-only item available at Walmart and Kroger in select locations.