How to Make Bacon Candles

Co-authored by Jun Draper

Last Updated: February 10, 2025 Approved

Sometimes referred jokingly to as the "Man-dle," the bacon candle is made out of the fat left in the pan after cooking bacon. Lasting just as long if not longer as a wax candle, bacon candles with leave your house smelling like sizzling bacon is on the stove.

Steps

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Make a wick. Take a washer and tie a piece of cotton cord to it. Place it in the jar and tie the other end to a pencil to keep some of the string upright. Your wick should be long enough that it is almost taught, but not quite.^{[1]
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Cook bacon on the stove or the oven. Place the bacon on a hot frying pan or a tinfoil-lined baking pan. Lay several strips on the pan so the grease will pool and stop the bacon from burning. The hotter the bacon is, the thinner the grease will be and the easier it is to remove, but you should still be careful.

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Do this once the bacon in the pan has given the bulk of its grease. Simmer the grease on low to medium heat until it stops steaming. This will remove the water from the fat and allow for a better consistency for the candle. This can take several hours, so be patient. However, it may take less, or you can even use it without this step.
While this step is optional, doing so will result in a candle that looks and smells cleaner, and leads to a better burn. Once the grease has finished steaming, filter it through a sieve or paper towel.
To melt the wax, you can either add solid wax to the grease and melt it together while mixing or you could pre-melt the wax in a pan, or add the wax in a jar placed in a pot of water^{[2]
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Filip Kabashi
Candlemaking Expert

Expert Interview} around 100° C or 210°F.^{[3]
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Jun Draper
Candle Maker & Origami Artist

Expert Interview} Add 1 part wax to 2 parts grease.
Mix until it is thoroughly combined. Consider mixing it in a heated stove pan.
Heat your jar in the oven to prevent bubbles in the wax. Pour slowly and smoothly.^{[4]
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Jun Draper
Candle Maker & Origami Artist

Expert Interview}
^{[5]
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Expert Source

Jun Draper
Candle Maker & Origami Artist

Expert Interview} Pour a small amount of grease into the jar, allow that to cool in the freezer, then pour some more until it is completely full
Leave about 0.5 inches (about 1 cm) left over so it is easier to light.
The Man-dle has a shelf life of several months without refrigeration, but storing it in the freezer will increase burn time.
Light your candle using a lighter or matches.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Filip Kabashi
Candlemaking Expert

Expert Interview} Be careful not to burn yourself, and exercise common fire safety. Extinguish when leaving the house or area.

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Tips

Add more wax for a longer burning time, but a less bacon-y scent

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Cut 1/16 of the leftover wick when the candle is complete.

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