Arrange 1 pound thick-cut bacon, flat and close together, on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to a small mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture evenly over the bacon on the pan. Set other half of brown sugar mixture aside.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until bacon is cooked through and crispy on the edges.
Allow bacon to cool at room temperature, to touch, before removing from pan and chopping into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
To Make Maple Bacon Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes:
Add 4 sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour 4 teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt on them and turn them until evenly coated.
Arrange potatoes on parchment paper-lined sheet pan, then bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temperature until cool enough to touch.
Cut a slit across the top of each potato, then squeeze the ends toward the center to open the potatoes. Use a spoon to carefully hollow out each potato by removing most of the soft potato inside, leaving the potato skin and around 1/4-1/2 inch of potato intact. Reserve soft potato in mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 cup cream cheese, 4 tablespoons salted butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and remaining brown sugar mixture to the soft potatoes in the mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer (or potato masher) to mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined and fluffy.
Set 1/2 cup of bacon pieces aside. Add remaining bacon pieces to potato mixture, then use a spatula to fold the mixture until combined.
Use a spoon to fill each potato skin shell with potato mixture. Sprinkle with a bit more sea salt, then bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of bacon pieces on the top of the potatoes before serving.