Maple Bacon Cookies are made with bacon grease and maple syrup and are topped with maple icing and crumbled bacon. These cookies are the perfect combination of savory and sweet!

Most cookies are just sweet, but these cookies have a strong savory bacon flavor that is delicious, especially when paired with the maple flavor.

MAPLE BACON COOKIES

Maple Bacon Cookies are made with brown sugar, bacon grease, maple syrup, and maple extract. A simple maple syrup glaze is drizzled on top of the cookies before they are topped with chopped nuts and crumbled bacon. These cookies are simple to make and have such a unique flavor to them!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST COOKIES

Three kitchen items really help you make the best cookies ever! I actually use these items in nearly every cookie recipe I make, as well as several other types of recipes, so they’re quite versatile.

First, I line my cookie sheets with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. They’re sold in sizes that fit a 12×16 cookie sheet perfectly and enable cookies to bake well without sticking- and no mess from spraying oil on the cookie sheets!

The second item is a KitchenAid mixer. I love mine! I have a Bosch as well but I find I use my KitchenAid for cookies. There is a cookie paddle that comes with every mixer that you attach to the top of the mixer. They’re easy to use and help you mix the ingredients uniformly. Add this to your wish list because it’s one of my all-time used small appliances ever!

The third item is a cookie scoop! Years and years ago I used to use 2 spoons to measure and scrape cookie dough onto the pans. It wasn’t a perfect process and I often ended up with oblong cookies in various sizes. A friend of mine brought cookies to a party and I noticed each and every one of her cookies looked PERFECT. Her secret? A cookie scoop! They come in three sizes- 1/2 tablespoon, 1.5 tablespoon, and 3 tablespoon scoops. I use the medium-sized scoop for most cookies.

Ingredients in Maple Bacon Cookies

COOKIE DOUGH:

Flour – All-purpose flour works best in this cookie recipe.

Baking soda – The baking soda acts as the leavening agent in the cookie recipe, so for best results, make sure it isn’t old or expired.

Bacon grease – The fat (and a lot of the flavor) in the cookies comes from using bacon grease. You can purchase bacon grease from the grocery store (like John Gordon’s Bacon Up) or you can use homemade bacon grease. If using homemade bacon grease, make sure to strain it before using.

Dark brown sugar – You can use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar gives a more rich and intense flavor to the cookies. Make sure the brown sugar is soft and fresh.

Egg – One large egg will bind all of the other ingredients together.

Maple syrup – The rest of the liquid in the cookies comes from maple syrup. Make sure to use real maple syrup for the best results.

Vanilla extract and maple extract – Both extracts add a ton of flavor to the cookie recipe. The maple extract adds a lot of extra flavor, so don’t leave it out!

MAPLE ICING (Optional)

Butter – For best results, use real butter.

Maple syrup – The main flavor in the icing comes from using maple syrup. Again, use real maple syrup for best results.

Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar adds sweetness to the icing while making it smooth and creamy.

TOPPING

½ cup (65g) chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

¼ cup crumbled crispy bacon or store-bought real bacon pieces (optional)

HOW TO MAKE MAPLE BACON COOKIES

MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the bacon grease and brown sugar together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl on the sides and bottom. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Beat on high speed until well combined.

Add flour and baking soda mix to wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 3 days.

BAKE THE COOKIES

If you have chilled the dough for longer than 2 hours, set it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before working with it. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out balls of cookie dough. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges and soft in the center.

Remove cookie sheets from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

MAKE THE ICING

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and syrup together, whisking occasionally. When butter has melted, remove from heat and add confectioners’ sugar, stirring until combined and smooth.

Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and nuts if desired. Allow the icing to cool completely and set up before serving (about an hour).

Print

Maple Bacon Cookies

Maple Bacon Cookies are made with bacon grease and maple syrup and are topped with maple icing and crumbled bacon. These cookies are the perfect combination of savory and sweet!

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword Maple Bacon Cookies

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Servings 18 cookies

Calories 214kcal

Author Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

COOKIE DOUGH:

• 2⅓ all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup bacon grease like John Gordon’s Bacon Up or homemade bacon grease
• 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple extract (or use more vanilla extract)

MAPLE ICING:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup 112g confectioners’ sugar

TOPPING:

• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• ¼ cup crumbled crispy bacon or store-bought real bacon pieces optional

Instructions

• MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the bacon grease and brown sugar together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl on the sides and bottom. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Beat on high speed until well combined.
• Add flour and baking soda mix to wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 3 days.
• BAKE THE COOKIES: If you have chilled the dough for longer than 2 hours, set it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before working with it.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out balls of cookie dough. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges and soft in the center.
• Remove cookie sheets from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
• MAKE THE ICING: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and syrup together, whisking occasionally. When butter has melted, remove from heat and add confectioners’ sugar, stirring until combined and smooth.
• Drizzle over cookies and then sprinkle crumbled bacon on top. Allow the icing to cool completely and set up before serving (about an hour).

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.2mg

How to store Maple Bacon Cookies?

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. 

Store in an airtight container in the freezer (with or without glaze) for 3-6 months.

Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. If baking from frozen, bake for an additional 1-2 minutes.

What variations can be made to these Maple Bacon Cookies?

The base cookies alone without any additions or glazing are phenomenal! However, if you prefer a sweeter cookie, add the glaze. If you prefer more texture, you can add the nuts and/or bacon pieces to the cookie dough OR on top of the glazing. 

Dark brown sugar can be replaced with light brown sugar for similar, yet lighter results.

If you don’t have maple extract or wish not to use it, you can replace it with vanilla extract. The maple flavor in the cookies will be much more subtle.

WHY DO MY COOKIES BURN ON THE BOTTOM BUT AREN’T DONE IN THE MIDDLE?

It is probably a cookie sheet issue if your cookies are always burning on the bottom! If you are using dark cookie sheets, the bottoms of your baked goods will tend to burn before they are cooked all the way through. If you use a lot of cooking spray, the same result can happen. I prefer to use lighter colored non-stick pans so that I don’t have to use cooking spray at all. As mentioned above, I have been converted to silicone baking mats over the last couple of years and I love how easy it is for cookies to come off the tray – no sticking ever!

MORE UNIQUE COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:

• BUTTERSCOTCH PRETZEL COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE MALT COOKIES
• CHEESECAKE STUFFED FUNFETTI COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE CHIP SCOOKIES
• GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE ORANGE SLICE COOKIES
• CHOCOLATE TURTLE COOKIES
• TOASTED PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
• CHEWY COCONUT COOKIES
• LEMON BLUEBERRY COOKIES
• COCONUT CREAM COOKIES
• CARAMEL BANANA COOKIES
• ICE CREAM CONE COOKIES
• EASY APRICOT COOKIES

Maple Bacon Cookies are made with bacon grease and maple syrup and are topped with maple icing and crumbled bacon. These cookies are the perfect combination of savory and sweet!

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