Magnolia’s Secret to the Best Deviled Eggs (It’s a Game Changer)

Whether it’s a potluck, cookout, or brunch gathering, you can reliably find me wherever the deviled eggs are, trying to be inconspicuous as I eat more than my fair share. Over the years, both personally as a deviled egg lover and professionally as a caterer, I have made hundreds of deviled eggs.

I’m always looking for new and innovative ways to make and enjoy them, so when I came across Magnolia’s deviled eggs recipe, which is butter-whipped (yes, butter!) with a sweet and spicy bacon topping, I rolled up my sleeves and got crackin’. 

What Makes Magnolia’s Deviled Eggs So Special?

This recipe, developed by Charles Hunter III, has a few special tricks that separates it from the pack. Chief among them is the fact that there’s a half a stick of softened butter in the egg yolk mixture. I had never heard of this before, though apparently it’s a thing.

Here, the softened butter makes the yolk mixture incredibly luscious and rich, but just as important as the butter is this key step: whip the filling. If you’ve never mixed your deviled egg yolk mixture with an electric mixer, consider this your sign to do so. It creates the perfect smooth texture that pipes beautifully and looks stunning. 

The other element that sets this recipe apart from your typical deviled egg is the sweet and spicy bacon topping. Combining crispy bacon with a bit of honey makes it easy to add a dollop of the garnish to each egg without looking messy. The smoked paprika and cayenne pepper add just enough heat to keep things interesting, and the basil on top brightens everything.

How To Make Magnolia’s Deviled Eggs

Aside from the extra special touches, this is a pretty straightforward deviled egg recipe. Use your preferred method to hard-boil 10 eggs, and then peel, halve, and pop out the yolks. Combine the yolks, softened butter, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), and then whip until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Meanwhile, cook a pound of bacon. (You’ll have extra, but I trust you’ll know what to do with it.) Once it’s crispy, crumble four strips with honey, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt. Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites, and top with the sweet and spicy bacon and a flurry of chopped fresh basil.

Tips for Making Magnolia’s Deviled Eggs

• With a tablespoon of sugar, the filling is a tad on the sweet side. If you prefer less sweetness, consider reducing the amount of sugar or skipping it entirely. I’d also add a pinch of salt to the yolk mixture for some contrast.
• Go ahead and whip those yolks! Let the mixer rip for four to five minutes to get your yolk mixture extra fluffy. 
• You can make these ahead of time, just store the filling in a bowl with a piece of plastic wrap directly on top or in a piping bag in the refrigerator until ready to serve, and then pipe and garnish.
• The sweet and spicy crumbled bacon is the chef’s kiss on this recipe, but you could omit it or use another topping; or use your favorite candied bacon recipe instead.