Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, set aside until ready to fill. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a 4-cup measuring cup, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix; a few lumps are fine. Gently fold in the cooked, crumbled bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top.
Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, filling each well about ⅔ full. Sprinkle the reserved bacon on top.
Bake in 375°F oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Carefully remove the warm muffins from the pan and set them on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined sheet pan. Then, drizzle maple syrup over the tops of the warm muffins, letting some run down the sides.
Yield 12 muffins