Bacon peanut butter cookies are THE BEST cookies ever. They're soft and chewy and packed with an incredible salty/smoky/sweet flavor from the bacon, bourbon, and peanut butter. It's the perfect combination and makes for one amazing cookie!

If you love peanut butter cookies as much as we do, also make sure to try our chewy peanut butter cookies and our gluten-free peanut butter cookies!

A stack of peanut butter cookies with bacon.

This recipe was originally published in 2012. We've updated the post with some new photos, more information, and an easier-to-follow recipe. But the delicious cookies remain exactly the same.

Bacon peanut butter cookies

If you're thinking that bacon, bourbon, and cookies obviously sound like a great combo, but aren't sure about the peanut butter? Trust us, it works.

Peanut butter and bacon go incredibly well together (some smart people have even been known to combine the two into sandwiches or burgers). But we think that making them into cookies is the best way to go. Sweet and salty always wins!

These cookies are made with both butter and bacon fat (AKA liquid gold) to give the cookies the best flavor. Then we mix crispy bacon bits right into the batter AND decorate the tops with even more bacon. The result is cookies that are sweet, soft, subtly salty and smoky, crunchy on the top, and absolutely heavenly.

Bourbon Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies lined up on a marble counter.

How to make bacon peanut butter cookies

Making bacon peanut butter cookies is much like making regular homemade peanut butter cookies, only with the extra step of cooking the bacon.

  1. Cook the bacon until VERY crispy. You don't want any chewy bits of bacon. It's best to cook the bacon on medium to medium-low heat so that all the fat renders out and the bacon becomes incredibly crispy. Once the bacon is cool, try to crumble it; if it doesn't crumble easily or you feel chew parts, put the bacon back into the pan for a few more minutes.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. We're looking at you flour, salt, leveners, and spice.
  3. Use electric beaters or a stand mixer to beat the wet ingredients together – butter, bacon oil, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and bourbon.
  4. Now mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, but make sure to stop as soon as they come together. You don't want to overmix them.
  5. Use a spatula to mix in the crispy bacon pieces and some chocolate chips then form the cookies and top them with more bacon.
  6. Once they come out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before digging in.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

A hand holding a bacon peanut butter cookie.

Recipe FAQs

Can these cookies be frozen?

Yes! These cookies freeze excellently. You can either freeze frozen cookie dough in balls to bake later or freeze the cooked cookies. Either way, they will last for up to three months in a well-sealed container in your freezer.

How do I store bacon peanut butter cookies?

These cookies are made with bacon that is cooked very crispy. Bacteria needs moisture to grow, and there is very little moisture in this bacon. It is also cured with nitrates, which prevent bacteria growth. Because of these things, we keep the cookies on the counter and eat them within 2-3 days.

But the safest way to store these cookies is in your fridge. If you choose to store them in your fridge, make sure that they are in a container or bag that seals very well so they don't dry out.

Do I need to use bourbon?

The bourbon adds a wonderful flavor to these cookies. Spiced rum makes an excellent substitute. You can also use 1 tablespoon of vanilla instead, although it will change the flavor of the cookies.

A close up of Bourbon Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies.
A stack of peanut butter cookies with bacon.

Bourbon Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 27 cookies
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
These bourbon bacon peanut butter cookies combine three of our favorite flavors into one delicious cookie. It doesn't get better than this!

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Ingredients

  • 8 strips bacon
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon, or 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until very crispy, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the pan and, once cool, crumble into small pieces. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the crispy bacon bits to use to top with cookies. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon oil and let it cool. (Put it into a small bowl in your fridge to speed up this step.)
    8 strips bacon
  • Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
    1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • In a large bowl, use electric beaters to mix the butter and reserved bacon oil. Add the peanut butter and beat for 1 minute. Add the granulated and light brown sugar and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Then add the egg and bourbon and beat until light and fluffy, about two more minutes.
    4 tablespoons butter, ½ cup natural peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the crumbled bacon and chocolate chips.
    ½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
  • Use a medium-sized cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons) and arrange the cookies 2-inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently press down the cookies then top with the 2 tablespoons of crispy bacon.
  • Bake for about 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 12 minutes for crispier cookies.
  • Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

These cookies freeze well. Roll into balls and freeze on a tray in your freezer. Once the balls are frozen, you can put them together in a ziploc bag. Bake from frozen but leave in oven for about two extra minutes.
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 109kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 105mg, Potassium: 62mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 13IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
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A stack of peanut butter cookies with bacon and the recipe title on top of the picture.