If you had told me a year ago that I'd be putting bacon in my cookies, I would have laughed you right out of my Manhattan kitchen. But here we are, and these maple bacon chocolate chip cookies have become the most requested treat in our apartment. Sweet chocolate, salty crispy bacon, and a warm hint of maple all baked into one chewy cookie.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Ingredients For Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How To Make Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Storage And Reheating
- Tips And Variations For Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ
- Recipes You May Like
- Final Thoughts
The first time I made these, Donald gave me his classic skeptical software engineer look. Bacon? In cookies? Then he ate four in a row and asked when I was making more. That's when I knew this recipe was a keeper.
Honestly, the sweet and salty combination just works. It reminds me of Sunday mornings when the pancake syrup sneaks over to the bacon side of the plate. If you already love my chewy chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth, think of these as their fun weekend cousin.
Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Simple ingredients you probably have at home, plus bacon (which, let's be real, is never a bad thing to buy)
- Ready in about an hour, and most of that is hands off chill time
- Sweet and salty in every bite, with melty chocolate and crispy bacon bits
- Chewy centers and golden edges, just how a homemade cookie should be
- Kid approved, because Alex has personally quality tested every batch
- Great for parties, since nobody else will show up with bacon cookies
Ingredients For Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here's everything you need for 24 cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or 1 teaspoon maple extract)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle Tollhouse)
- 1 cup crispy bacon, crumbled (about 8 slices)
- Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans for extra crunch
A quick note on the bacon. Go for regular cut, not thick cut. I've found that thinner bacon gets crispier, and crispy is exactly what you want here. Soft bacon in a cookie is a texture nobody asked for (I learned this the hard way on batch number two).
Print
Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour (includes 30 minutes chill time)
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
If you had told me a year ago that I'd be putting bacon in my cookies, I would have laughed you right out of my Manhattan kitchen. But sweet chocolate, salty crispy bacon, and a warm hint of maple all baked into one chewy cookie? These have become the most requested treat in our apartment.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or 1 teaspoon maple extract)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup crispy bacon, crumbled (about 8 slices, regular cut)
- Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans for extra crunch
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until truly crispy, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then let it cool completely before crumbling into small pieces.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and maple syrup, then mix until combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture just until you don't see dry streaks anymore. Don't overmix.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips, crumbled bacon, and pecans if you're using them.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Notes
Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, or swap in 1 teaspoon of maple extract for a stronger maple taste. Don't skip the 30 minute chill time, it's the difference between good cookies and great ones. Cook the bacon until very crispy and drain it well so it stays crunchy in the dough. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5, or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
How To Make Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cook The Bacon First
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it's truly crispy. Transfer it to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then let it cool completely before crumbling it into small pieces.
Don't rush this step! Warm bacon can melt your dough and turn greasy. I usually cook mine while I'm cleaning up breakfast, so it's cool by baking time.
Mix The Dough
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes, and it's worth every second. Add the vanilla and maple syrup, then mix until combined.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then gradually stir in the flour mixture just until you don't see dry streaks anymore. Overmixing makes tough cookies, and we're not doing that today.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips, crumbled bacon, and pecans if you're using them. Sarah loves this part because she gets to sneak a few chocolate chips while stirring.
Chill, Shape, And Bake
Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. I know waiting is hard, but chilled dough spreads less and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.
Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly soft.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They finish setting up during this time, so hands off (yes, Alex, I'm talking to you).
Storage And Reheating
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Because of the bacon, I don't push it past that. If your kitchen runs warm, keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days instead.
Want to freeze them? Both the baked cookies and the raw dough freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. I freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then bag them up so I can bake 4 cookies whenever the mood strikes.
To warm a cookie back up, give it 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave. The chocolate gets melty again and it tastes fresh from the oven. Pair one with a mug of homemade caramel apple spice on a chilly afternoon and thank me later.
Tips And Variations For Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The flavor is deeper and it bakes better. If you want a stronger maple taste, go with maple extract instead.
- Sprinkle a little flaky salt on top right after baking. It makes the sweet and salty thing sing.
- Try candied bacon. Toss your bacon with a spoonful of brown sugar before cooking for an extra sweet crunch.
- Drizzle something fun on top. A thin drizzle of my cookie butter syrup over the cooled cookies is dangerously good.
- Swap the chips. Dark chocolate works great here, and milk chocolate makes them extra sweet for the kids.
- Watch your bake time. Every oven is different, so check at 10 minutes. Pale centers are fine, they set as they cool.
Can you skip the chill time if you're in a hurry? You can, but your cookies will spread thin and flat. Trust me, those 30 minutes are the difference between good cookies and great ones. I use the wait to prep something easy for the week, like a batch of cherry banana muffins.
Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQ
Can You Use Maple Extract Instead Of Maple Syrup In Cookies?
Yes! Use 1 teaspoon of maple extract in place of the 2 tablespoons of syrup. The extract actually gives a stronger maple flavor since syrup mellows out during baking. I've made these both ways, and when I want that maple taste front and center, extract wins.
Why Should You Chill Maple Bacon Cookie Dough Before Baking?
Chilling firms up the butter so the cookies don't spread too much in the oven. It also gives the flour time to soak up moisture, which means chewier centers. My first unrefrigerated batch came out thin as pancakes, so now I never skip the 30 minutes.
How Do You Keep Bacon Crispy In Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Two things matter here. Cook the bacon until it's very crispy (a little past your breakfast preference), and drain it really well on paper towels. Excess grease softens the bacon inside the dough. Regular cut bacon crisps better than thick cut, too.
How Should Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies Be Stored?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. Since they contain bacon, I wouldn't leave them out longer than that. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature.
Recipes You May Like
- Decadent chocolate caramel cookies: If you loved the sweet and rich side of these, gooey caramel centers are your next stop.
- Biscoff stuffed snickerdoodles: A cozy cinnamon cookie with a warm, creamy surprise inside.
- Gooey rolo pretzel bites: Another sweet and salty treat that disappears fast at every party we bring them to.
Final Thoughts
These maple bacon chocolate chip cookies are proof that a little kitchen bravery pays off. Crispy bacon, real maple syrup, and plenty of chocolate chips come together in a cookie that's chewy, sweet, salty, and completely homemade.
Cook your bacon until crispy, don't skip the chill time, and pull the cookies out while the centers still look soft. That's really all there is to it.
I hope your family loves these as much as mine does. Alex now requests them for every school bake sale, and Donald claims a stack every time they come out of the oven. Give them a try, and let me know how they turn out for you!
