These Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies are a great cookie recipe incorporating bacon, bourbon and chocolate. It’s unique and delicious!
Whisky for the cookies!
One of the fun things about the house we bought in Oregon is the reverse floor plan. The living area and kitchen are upstairs, so we have an amazing view of the trees around us and Mt. Bachelor in the distance. I took one look at it and said, “I want this house!” We really love to hang out on the huge wrap-around deck with the beautiful views, so it was a big, big draw. We’ve been fixing it up all summer, and we’ve been adding our special personal touches. We had friends over recently, and one of our friends requested a glass of Maker’s Mark Whisky. We’re not typically whisky drinkers in our house, so we had to tell him we didn’t have any. The very next day, I (coincidentally) received an email from the folks at Maker’s Mark, sharing this Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe from their recipe collection.
Well, I had a little back-and-forth chat with them, and they ended up sending me a bottle to sample. We were happy to add it to our bar so future guests can enjoy Maker’s Mark. And I was thrilled to use it to make these Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies! I adapted the recipe slightly, but I’m sure the result was just the same.
Bacon for the cookies:
Thick-cut bacon is what you’ll use for these cookies. Cooking the bacon will render quite a bit of bacon fat in the pan. And you’ll be using that bacon fat in the recipe!
My husband says, “They’re a total score!” You can definitely taste the bacon in there since you use some of the bacon fat as part of the fat in the recipe.
Can you use another kind of whisky for these cookies?
YES. Use any whisky brand that you enjoy. Any whisky will do.
The alcohol pretty much burns out in the baking process. Everyone can eat them! Thanks to Maker’s Mark for the sample whisky. We really enjoyed these Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies! It was my first time making bacon cookies, and you know what?? Bacon cookies are a very good thing indeed!
Here are a few more recipes using whisky that you might like to try:
- Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Pie
- Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur
- Irish Whiskey Brownies
- Whiskey Glazed Little Smokies
- Apple Cider Sangria
- Chocolate Whiskey Cake
- Irish Apple Crisp
Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 ounces center-cut thick bacon, ½-inch diced
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup reserved bacon fat, chilled (see notes below if you don't have enough)
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until the bacon pieces are golden brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan. You'll need 1/2 cup of the bacon fat- spoon it into a 1/2 cup measuring cup and refrigerate it until it has solidified. If you do not have enough bacon fat, add enough shortening to fill the 1/2 cup.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, bacon fat, sugars, bourbon and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Then stir in the bacon and chocolate (hint: if you want your cookies to look really pretty, save a few bacon and chocolate pieces to add to the top of each cookie dough blob before baking). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets- about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let stand on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or store in a covered container or zip bag in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
- *NOTE: If you do not have enough bacon fat, use butter or shortening to fill what's missing.
- *Don't try to use turkey bacon for this recipe- ick.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made a batch to share and my friends absolutely loved them. In my next batch I am going to double the Bourbon. There’s definitely a hint of Maker’s with the written proportions, but all my friends agreed it would be better with a little nudge more. Although that could just imply that all my friends are lushes.
Yes. I added a pound of bacon…wasn’t disappointed lol
The cookies look amazing. We’ll have to try them!
Just made a batch, very good. I chickened out on the bourbon & only put 1/2 the amount ….. Regretting it now. I cut the sugar down ( did 1/2 cup of each ) still sweet enough.
Thinking of using maple bacon & maple bourbon next time.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Do you think you could use regular milk chocolate? I don’t care for dark chocolate (I know, im crazy)
yes.
I still haven`t tried baking cookies with bacon in them! I guess since I`m always in a baking mood, I never want to make the bacon over the stovetop. LOL.
These chocolate chip cookies sound so good!
I made them tonight and wish I had done it sooner! They are quite lovely!!! I thought maybe they could use some pecans so I added a few to the last cookies I baked but they don’t need pecans at all. This one is a definite keeper but I don’t think I’ll make it regularly. It’s a tad expensive considering the price of bacon. In a perfect world though….
I made these yesterday in preparation for for my cooking club – the theme was liquor and everything made had to have liquor. They are addicting, my DIL said they were amazing and she took the recipe to make some for her coworkers. I used a different brand of chocolate, as that was what I had on hand, otherwise, made exactly as recipe calls for. Cooking club is today so we’ll see what the ladies think of my cookies.
Bacon AND booze in cookies?! YES! And that home bar – I’m totally coming over and partying with you, Lori 🙂