Bourbon Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies

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 think bacon, bourbon, and cookies sound like a great combo but aren’t sure about the peanut butter, trust me—it works.

Peanut butter and bacon are incredible together (some very smart people even turn them into sandwiches or burgers), but I think cookies are where they really shine. Sweet and salty always wins. These cookies are made with both butter and bacon fat (aka liquid gold), with crispy bacon bits mixed right into the dough and even more sprinkled on top. The result? Cookies that are sweet and soft, subtly salty and smoky, lightly crunchy on top, and completely irresistible.

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

Storage

Storage: These cookies are made with very crispy bacon. Bacteria need moisture to grow, and there is very little moisture in this bacon. It is also cured with nitrates, which prevent bacterial 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 they are in a container or bag that seals tightly so they don’t dry out.

Freezing: These cookies freeze excellently. You can either freeze cookie dough into balls for later baking or freeze baked cookies. Either way, they will last for up to three months in a well-sealed container in your freezer.

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Bourbon Bacon Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

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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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 109kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 15g (5%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 4g (6%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg (3%), Sodium: 105mg (5%), Potassium: 62mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 10g (11%), Vitamin A: 13IU, Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 13mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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