Skip the drive-thru and make your favorite McDonald’s breakfast item at home! These Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles are the perfect sweet and savory combo, complete with homemade maple griddle cakes, folded egg, crispy bacon and melty cheese. They’re even better than the real deal, and freezer-friendly for meal prep!
A sweet and savory pancake combo is truly unbeatable! When we were in Portugal a few weeks ago, they had savory pancakes on a bunch of breakfast menus so of course I had to order them. And I was reminded why I’m so obsessed. So naturally, one of the first recipes I had to test when I got back to the US was a homemade bacon egg and cheese McGriddle!
In case you’re living under a rock and have never heard of it, McGriddles are a popular McDonald’s breakfast menu item. It features two maple-infused griddle cakes which are sandwiched with bacon (or sausage), a folded egg and American cheese. This style of breakfast sandwich, with sweet & salty flavors, beats out one that’s made on an English muffin any day!
Now while I don’t frequent McDonald’s often at all, and have only tried the real McGriddles a a few times, I can almost say for certain that my homemade version is way better! Not only are the ingredients simple and recognizable, but it’s also refined sugar free, cheaper, and easier to make than you’d expect! They’re the perfect handheld meal for weekend brunch, or a freezer-friendly meal prep option. Hope you love!
Why You’ll Love these Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles
- This homemade version is healthier and cheaper than McDonalds!
- These McGriddles taste just as good as the classic, but are super easy to make.
- They are the perfect balance of sweet & salty flavors.
- The griddle cakes can easily be made gluten free, with one small swap.
- Homemade McGriddles are freezer-friendly and a great meal prep breakfast.
What You Need to Make these Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles
For the Griddle Cakes:
- All Purpose Flour: If you’re gluten free, you can substitute an equal amount of gluten free 1-to-1 flour (my favorite brands are King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill).
- Baking Powder: The leavening agent we’re using to help make our pancakes fluffy.
- Kosher Salt: Even sweet things need a little salt to enhance the flavor.
- Eggs: 1 large egg.
- Milk: I personally use 2%, but this will work with pretty much any milk you prefer.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter is the fat source for these pancakes. Make sure to let it cool slightly after melting.
- Maple Syrup: We are infusing the griddle cakes with maple syrup, instead of cane sugar, for that true McGriddle flavor!
- Vanilla Extract: Just a splash.
For the Breakfast Sandwich:
- Bacon: Each sandwich gets 1.5 slices of bacon, which I prefer to bake in the oven for a mess- and stress-free approach.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Feel free to substitute slices of mild cheddar cheese or american cheese if you prefer.
- Eggs: Each breakfast sandwich needs 1 egg, which is folded just like they do at McDonald’s.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: For seasoning the eggs.
How To Make these Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles
Cook Bacon:
You can cook the bacon however you please, but my preferred method is the oven because it’s low-maintenance and mess-free! To do so, preheat your oven to 400F. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add bacon slices. Transfer to the oven to bake for ~15 minutes, or until they’ve reached your desired crispiness. Place on a paper towel lined plate and blot off excess grease. Then, break each slice of bacon in half.
Prepare Griddle Cake Batter & Let Rest:
While the bacon is cooking, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, 2 tbsp of the maple syrup, butter and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Switch to a spatula and stir until the flour is just incorporated – it’s okay if there are lumps, over-mixing will make the pancakes dense. Set aside batter to rest for 10 minutes, which will help make the pancakes more fluffy.
Add Batter to Piping Bag (Optional):
This step is optional — if you’d like to add the “M” logo to the griddle cakes for the true McGriddle feel, transfer a small amount of the batter to a squeeze bottle, piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
Preheat Pan & Add Batter to Rounds:
Preheat your griddle pan or electric griddle to medium heat. Once hot, reduce the heat down to medium-low. Then, add your cookie cutters (or mason jar bands) to the pan and grease with cooking spray. Optionally, pipe an “M” in the middle of the cookie cutter and let it cook for 30 seconds. Then, add about 3 tbsp of batter on top. Drizzle some of the remaining 1 tbsp of maple syrup on top of each pancake.
Cover & Cook Griddle Cakes:
Cover with a heat-safe bowl (or lid) and let cook for ~4 minutes. Then, gently flip with a spatula and continue cooking, uncovered, for 2 more minutes. Remove the cookie cutter/mason jar bands and place griddle cakes on a wire rack.
Cook Egg, Add Bacon & Cheese:
To prepare the sandwiches, I prefer to cook each egg separately to achieve the perfect fold. Whisk egg, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Then, add to your griddle pan and let cook until mostly set, about 1 minute. Fold it up, top with 3 half-slices of bacon and a slice of cheese, then cover with a heat-safe bowl (or lid) and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
Assemble Homemade McGriddles:
Finally, assemble McGriddles with 2 griddle cakes, the folded egg, cheese & bacon. If you prefer an even sweeter breakfast sandwich, you can drizzle more maple syrup on the pancake before assembling. Enjoy!
Equipment Recommendations:
You can certainly use whatever you have on hand but here are a few products that I used to make these bacon egg and cheese McGriddles!
- Mixing Bowl: This one from Farmhouse Pottery is my pride and joy. It’s stunning, sturdy and gets used multiple times per day. Life hack is to buy a “second” to save some money!
- Griddle Pan: This double burner griddle fits a lot so you can make these Homemade McGriddles more efficiently! It also has great, even heat distribution and a nonstick surface.
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar Bands: These are the perfect size for making griddle cakes! You can also use 3.5″ round cookie cutters.
Can I Make these Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles Gluten Free?
Yup! To make these Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles gluten free all you have to do is swap in an equal amount of gluten free 1-to-1 flour. It’s important to use a brand that contains xanthan gum, such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour, almond flour or oat flour.
Can I Freeze these Homemade McGriddles?
Yes! If you’re planning to freeze these homemade McGriddles, you can skip the step of melting the cheese on top of the egg and instead just assemble the sandwich. Then, once fully cooled down, wrap each McGriddle in parchment paper and transfer to a freezer- safe bag (I love Stasher bags for this). To enjoy from frozen, remove the parchment paper and microwave for about 2 minutes.
How Should I Store Leftover Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles?
Allow the Homemade McGriddles to cool down, and then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, you can re-heat in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warmed through. See section above for tips & tricks on how to freeze and reheat these bacon egg and cheese McGriddles.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for More Breakfast Recipes?
- Almond Croissant Pancakes
- High Protein Baked Oatmeal (Apple Chai)
- Tuscan Cottage Cheese and Egg Bake
- Meal Prep Chipotle Egg Bake
- Chocolate Protein Pancakes
- Brownie Baked Oatmeal
Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese McGriddles
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- large plate
- paper towels
- medium bowl
- whisk
- 3.5" circle cookie cutter or bands from large mason jar lids
- squeeze bottle or ziplock bag (optional)
- griddle pan or electric griddle
- heat-safe bowl or lid
- spatula
Ingredients
For the Griddle Cakes:
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour or gluten free 1-to-1 flour (150g)*
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup milk of choice at room temperature (I used 2%, 177ml)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup divided, at room temperature (60g)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted & cooled (28g)
- vanilla extract
For the Breakfast Sandwich:
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese or american cheese
- 4 large eggs
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add bacon slices. Transfer to the oven to bake for ~15 minutes, or until they've reached your desired crispiness. Place on a paper towel lined plate and blot off excess grease. Then, break each slice of bacon in half.6 slices bacon
- While the bacon is cooking, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and 2 tbsp of the maple syrup, butter and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Switch to a spatula and stir until the flour is just incorporated – it's okay if there are lumps, over-mixing will make the pancakes dense. Set aside batter to rest for 10 minutes, which will help make the pancakes more fluffy.1 ¼ cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp kosher salt, 1 large egg, ¾ cup milk of choice, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, vanilla extract
- Optional: If you'd like to add the "M" logo to the griddle cakes for the true McGriddle feel, transfer a small amount of the batter to a squeeze bottle, piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
- Preheat your griddle pan or electric griddle to medium heat. Once hot, reduce the heat down to medium-low. Then, add your cookie cutters (or mason jar bands) to the pan and grease with cooking spray. Optionally, pipe an "M" in the middle of the cookie cutter and let it cook for 30 seconds. Then, add about 3 tbsp of batter on top. Drizzle some of the remaining 1 tbsp of maple syrup on top of each pancake.3 tbsp maple syrup
- Cover with a heat-safe bowl (or lid) and let cook for ~4 minutes. Then, gently flip with a spatula and continue cooking, uncovered, for 2 more minutes. Remove the cookie cutter/mason jar bands and place griddle cakes on a wire rack.
- To prepare the sandwiches, I prefer to cook each egg separately to achieve the perfect fold. Whisk egg, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Then, add to your griddle pan and let cook until mostly set, about 1 minute. Fold it up, top with 3 half-slices of bacon and a slice of cheese, then cover with a heat-safe bowl (or lid) and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.4 slices sharp cheddar cheese, 4 large eggs, kosher salt & black pepper
- Assemble McGriddles with 2 griddle cakes, the folded egg, cheese & bacon. If you prefer an even sweeter breakfast sandwich, you can drizzle more maple syrup on the pancake before assembling. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.