Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies get an irresistible sweet-savory twist with crispy bacon pieces and rich maple syrup, creating the perfect balance of flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 slices bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- Sea salt for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Start by cooking bacon until it’s really crispy – you want it to crumble easily and add a nice crunch to the cookies. I like to lay the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for about 15-20 minutes, until they’re deep brown but not burnt.
- While the bacon’s cooking, let your butter come to room temperature – it should be soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when you press it, but not so soft it’s melting. This usually takes about an hour on the counter.
- Position your oven racks in the middle and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (this prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. This helps distribute the leavening evenly – nobody wants to bite into a clump of baking soda!
- In a large bowl (or your stand mixer), cream the softened butter with both sugars and maple syrup until it’s light and fluffy – this usually takes about 3-4 minutes. You’ll notice the color change to a lighter beige and the texture will be almost like whipped cream.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first is fully incorporated before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula – there’s always some butter mixture hiding there! Add the vanilla and beat until just combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains. Over-mixing here will make your cookies tough, so take it easy.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and crumbled bacon by hand using a spatula. Make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie – they’ll spread as they bake. If you want prettier cookies, roll them into balls with your hands.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. You’re looking for golden brown edges while the centers still look slightly underbaked – they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you take them out. If you’re using sea salt, sprinkle it on right when they come out of the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes – they’ll be too soft to move at first. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.