Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

That's right. I said bacon. In fact, when I went to the store to pick up the stuff I needed, I'm sure it looked weird to the cashier that I was buying 1 gallon of milk, a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips and 3 lbs of bacon. No, this recipe doesn't call for 3 lbs of bacon, but I feel like I should always buy in bulk. I guess it's that mom mentality. Anyway, I know you're probably thinking bacon in cookies is weird. Trust me, at first I thought it was weird. But who doesn't like that salty and sweet combo? Plus, you know what they say, "Bacon makes everything better!" I personally, think Nutella does, but that's an argument for another day.
In fact, as much as I'd like to take credit for the idea, I didn't come up with bacon cookies on my own. I actually saw it on a Christmas episode of Ace of Cakes. It seemed weird, but I like to try new things, so I did. And people at work loved them. Not everyone, I'll admit. And for some people, it was just too crazy to accept - even though they admitted they were awesome beforehand. (You know who you are.)  So, without further ado:

Ingredients:

1 lb. bacon (preferably as lean as possible)
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz. package chocolate chips. (I like the dark chocolate. The bitter-sweet taste is like magic with the salty bacon.)

Chop the uncooked bacon into small chunks. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. (It is critical that you cook the bacon crispy. If you need to, drain some of the bacon fat off and cook longer. The first time I made these, cooked the bacon first and then chopped it and the cookies ended up being runny when baked. This time I chopped it first and made sure to cook it extra crispy. I also added a bit more flour to the recipe and they came out perfect, in my opinion.)

Bacon cooking process

Getting more tasty...

Not Quite Done...

Nice and crispy!

It's not burnt, it's crispy!

Pour the bacon bits onto a paper towel and dab out as much of the grease as possible. (The bacon should be crunchy and dry, ideally.) Allow to cool completely.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between.

Gradually pour in the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the bacon bits and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon full onto ungreased baking sheet. (You may want to try just baking a couple at first to be sure they come out right. If they appear runny when baking, try adding a bit more flour to the mixture.) Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan and place on wire racks to cool completely.




Take a bite of one. At first taste, it tastes like a regular chocolate chip cookie. Then there is a delicious flavor that you can't quite place, but still love. That's the bacon. Delicious, salty bacon.

Aiden lovin' the Bacon Cookies

Next time you go to a potluck and want to make something a little different, try bringing these. Guests will be raving about how great they are and want to know what's in them. It's your decision on whether or not to give away the "secret ingredient."