These Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies are what would happen if Ron Swanson ever created a cookie recipe.
These cookies are rich brown butter cookies, loaded with plenty of bourbon, studded with bittersweet chocolate chunks, and finished with crispy bacon crumbles.
They’re sweet, salty, smoky, and a little bit ridiculous in the best way possible.
When I was brainstorming Father’s Day cookies, I thought of bourbon. I already have Kentucky Derby Cookies, so I used the same base cookie here – but thinking about my Parks & Recreation Cookies inspired me to add a Ron Swanson-worthy bacon crust to the top of each cookie here.
The smoky crunch of bacon balances the sweetness of the cookie dough, while bourbon brings warm notes that make these feel so cozy, with delightful depths of flavor. And, because the bacon is on top of the cookies, it won’t get squishy and sad like it can if it’s inside the dough itself.
Whether you’re baking for Dad, celebrating a fellow Ron Swanson enthusiast, or simply believe bacon belongs in more desserts, these cookies definitely deliver!
Why You’ll Love These Bacon Bourbon Cookies
- Brown butter adds deep caramel flavors throughout
- You can actually taste the bourbon!
- Crispy bacon crumbles add smoky, salty contrast
- Chopped bittersweet chocolate balances everything out
- Perfect for Father’s Day, summer gatherings, or a cozy night in
- Easy to make ahead since the dough requires chilling
Why Brown Butter?
When butter browns, the milk proteins undergo a process known as the Maillard reaction, creating a ton of new flavor compounds. It adds a delightful depth of flavor that plays so nicely with everything else in these cookies!
Browning the butter also drives off the excess water that’s in commercial butters, so it allows us to add more liquid to our dough … in this case, bourbon! It’s thanks to the browned butter that we’re able to add so much bourbon here, and actually taste it in the final cookies.
It’s worth the extra step, I promise.
The Best Bourbon for Baking Cookies
Bourbon adds warmth and complexity with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. When baking, use a bourbon you enjoy drinking – but save the ultra-expensive bottle for sipping.
I’ve used Castle & Key, Noah’s Mill, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses, all of which have worked perfectly and tasted wonderful.
Do I Have to Use Dark Brown Sugar?
Dark brown sugar brings moisture, chewiness, and a deep molasses flavor that complements the smoky bacon so well. Feel free to use light brown sugar instead (1:1 ratio) if that’s all you have, but note that your cookies won’t be quite as rich or soft.
The Chocolate
I love using chopped baking chocolate in cookies, to create both flecks and puddles of melted chocolate throughout each cookie.
I find it gives them a bakery-style finish that’s far superior to standard chocolate chips – but feel free to use chocolate chips if that’s all you have or you just don’t feel like chopping chocolate!
I love using bittersweet chocolate here, to perfectly balance all the flavors going on in these cookies. Note that using semi-sweet chocolate will make your cookies a bit sweeter.
The Bacon
The bacon should be cooked until deeply crisp, then allowed to cool completely on top of paper towels, to dry out any excess grease, before being processed into crumbs. This matters!
If your bacon is too soft, it won’t form nice crumbles in the food processor and will instead form basically a bacon butter – and as delicious as that sounds, it’s not quite what we need here.
Super crisp bacon will form nice crumbles that sit perfectly atop each cookie, for salty-sweet smoky cookie goodness.
The Science Behind These Cookies
Why Chilling the Dough Matters
An overnight chilled rest allows the cookie dough’s flour to fully hydrate, and gives all the flavors time to develop. It also re-solidifies the butter, which helps control spreading in the oven.
Basically, you’ll get thicker Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies with better texture and more developed flavor, so do not skip the chill time!
And no, unfortunately, freezing the cookies isn’t a shortcut. Time is the key factor here.
Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Measure flour using a digital kitchen scale if possible. It’s the simplest and best way to improve your baking forever!
- Use large eggs (about 55-60 grams in shell). Don’t skip the extra yolk! More on Eggs in Baking here.
- Chill the dough for at least 24 hours for the best flavor and texture.
- Cook the bacon until truly crisp – crispier than you might generally prefer to eat. Don’t totally burn it, but get it ULTRA crisp!
How to Store Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Store baked, completely-cooled Bacon Bourbon Cookies inside an airtight container at room temp for about 4 days. Learn How to Freeze Cookie Dough (and bake from frozen!) here.
Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Really Have to Chill the Dough?
Absolutely. If you skip it, your cookies won’t be nearly as good, they’ll be be really flat, and won’t have much bourbon flavor. This also cannot be rushed by placing the dough in the freezer. The dough needs time to become hydrated and flavorful.
Can You Actually Taste the Bourbon?
Yes – but the mandatory chill time is so vital here for this reason (as well as the textural benefits explained above). Time in the fridge ensures the bourbon flavor is prominent.
Want extra bourbon flavor? In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and just enough bourbon to make a thick yet pourable icing. Drizzle over completely-cooled cookies, for a deliciously bourbon-forward cookie.
What Type of Bourbon Should I Use in Cookies?
Use any bourbon you like drinking! I’ve used Castle & Key, Noah’s Mill, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, and Four Roses, all of which have worked perfectly and tasted wonderful.
Does the Alcohol Bake Off?
This is a common misconception. As noted in this article, alcohol won’t fully bake off, especially with such a short bake time. So basically, let anyone you’re feeding these cookies to know that there’s a decent amount of bourbon in there!
Can I Omit the Bourbon?
I don’t recommend that here, as these cookies were developed to include and highlight bourbon.
Don’t want to use bourbon? Try my Easter Cookie Recipe and use bittersweet chocolate chunks in place of the mini eggs. Feel free to still top with bacon crumbles, as directed in this recipe.
Can I Skip the Bacon?
Yes! You’ll still have a fantastic brown butter bourbon cookie.
Alternatively, try blitzing potato chips in a food processor, and top the cookies with the chip dust instead 😉
More Father’s Day Recipes Dad Will Love:
- Chocolate Stout Cupcakes – if Dad is a beer lover!
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies – for the nostalgic dad
- Lemon Tarts – if Dad’s more of a lemon guy
- Homemade Banoffee Pie – for the classic banana cream pie guy, but elevated
- Vanilla Cake with Real Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream – for the classic cake and buttercream guy
Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) bacon, regular, not thick-cut
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 ¼ cup (250 grams) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs PLUS 1 extra yolk, at a cool room temperature (separate the egg yolk while still cold)
- 4 Tablespoons bourbon, any brand you like drinking
- 2 ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons (375 grams) all-purpose flour, measured accurately
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (226 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus more to decorate, if desired
Instructions
- Note before you begin: This cookie dough needs to be chilled for at least 24 hours prior to baking. Skipping this step will result in flat cookies that lack flavor. Please do not skip this step!
Prepare the Bacon:
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Place bacon strips in single layers on large baking pans covered in parchment paper or non-stick foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip each strip of bacon. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until bacon is very, very crisp. Transfer bacon to a few paper towels to drain excess fat well. Allow to cool completely.
- Place cooled bacon in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Brown the Butter:
- Place cubed butter in a medium stainless steel saucepan or skillet. Over a medium heat, melt the butter, and allow it to brown. This will take approximately 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally. The butter will foam and become a bit hard to see the bottom – that's okay. Keep a close eye on it until the butter is a deep golden brown.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large heatproof mixing bowl. Be sure to scrape out all those little brown bits at the bottom of the pan for maximum flavor!
Make the Cookie Dough:
- Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the hot browned butter. Whisk vigorously to combine well and set aside to cool until almost room temperature.
- Once the butter/sugar mixture has cooled, add the eggs, egg yolk, and bourbon. Whisk well until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until almost incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chunks and fold until just combined.
- Using a large 3-Tablespoon sized spring-loaded cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough into balls. If the dough is too soft to scoop, cover and chill for about 20 minutes before shaping.
- Place the bacon crumbles on a plate and press the top of each cookie dough ball in the bacon. Use your fingers to spread the bacon out evenly, if needed. Repeat until each ball is topped with bacon crumbles.
Chill the Dough:
- Place the bacon-topped cookie dough balls inside an airtight container or place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover well with plastic wrap. Chill for 24-48 hours.
Bake the Cookies:
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line light-colored rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake cookies on prepared pans, spaced at least 2 inches apart, for 9 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown at the edges and just slightly damp looking in the middle. Dot the tops of each cookies with additional chocolate chunks, if desired.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on pans before serving or storing inside an airtight container for up to 4 days. The bourbon flavor will be even more prominent the next day.
