Maple Bacon Cookies

If you love the salty bite of a great piece of bacon, but you’re also in the mood for the maple-sweetness of a great cookie, this recipe is the one for you! 

What is Maple Syrup?

This recipe starts with one of my all-time favorites, maple syrup. At the bottom of this post you’re going to find a list of some of my favorite maple recipes, but let’s start with a quick explanation about where maple syrup comes from, so you know where these cookies get their delicious flavor. 

Maple syrup is a sweet, tasty syrup that come from the sap of sugar maple trees. 

Now, I’m from Texas, and we aren’t known for our maple trees. They’re more a product of north-eastern states like Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and others in that region. 

I’v’e always loved the idea of tapping trees to find sap, (which is boiled down to reduce water content and concentrate sugars). And this recipe has me wising I could make a trip to Vermont to do just that! 

Maple syrup is a popular sweetener and condiment. It’s most often used on pancakes and waffles. But I love to use it in my baking, as I mentioned above. There’s just something about that rich flavor that makes me feel like fall is in the air. 

But don’t be limited by the season! These cookies are perfect, all year ‘round. 

Can I Add Bacon to Sweets? 

This was the question on my mind as I pondered this recipe, which I discovered at Yummly. Would it really work, to add bacon to a sweet recipe? 

Sure, I’d heard of candied bacon before. And I could imagine bacon in a variety of other sweet treats. But mostly I was intrigued by the idea of merging bacon and maple together. That combination sounded absolutely amazing. 

So, I decided to give these cookies a try. And boy, was I ever glad I did! 

From now on I’m going to start adding bacon to all kinds of things. (I’m already dreaming up new ways to use it in my baking.) 

I should add that I made a couple of tweaks to the online recipe. For one thing, I used salted butter, my go-to. Also, I added pecans, and lots of ‘em. I just knew the nuts would be great with the bacon. 

Maple Bacon Cookie Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make these delicious cookies. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your pantry or refrigerator. 

• bacon bits (or sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces)
• pure maple syrup 
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• salt (if you don’t use salted butter)
• room temperature butter (salted or unsalted butter, your choice)
• brown sugar (light or dark, your choice)
• large room temperature egg
• pure vanilla extract
• maple extract
• chopped pecans

How to Make Maple Bacon Cookies

These delicious cookies were so simple to make. They came together in minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

I used packaged bacon bits, but if you’re using real bacon (which I plan to do next time), cook seven slices and set on paper towels to drain. 

Place butter in a large mixing bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Cream the butter at medium speed. 

Add sugars and extracts and mix well. 

Now add the egg and continue to beat until creamy. 

Slowly work in the dry ingredients (flour and soda), mixing on low speed until it comes together. 

Add the chopped pecans and bacon crumbles. Mix well. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl.

Scoop balls of dough and place on lined cookie sheet. 

Place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 

Remove baking sheet from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for ten minutes. 

Transfer cookies directly to the rack. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Store cookies in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap. They will stay good at room temperature for 4 – 5 days. If you choose to freeze them, it’s better to freeze the balls of dough and bake them when you’re ready for fresh-from-the-oven cookies.

What to Expect from these Maple Bacon Cookies

I have to tell you guys, I loved these! I’ve always been a fan of maple flavoring—in pancakes, fudge, and a variety of other sweet treats. 

But never (to my knowledge) have I ever baked anything both with bacon and maple syrup. I can assure you, this won’t be my last time! 

I loved the maple flavor, loved the crunch of the pecans, and the sweet saltiness of the bacon was amazing. 

As I mentioned above, I’ll be using real bacon next time. The “bits” were a “bit” too small for my liking. But the saltiness was perfections. And talk about a great way to use up leftover bacon!

Sometimes you really have to give something a try to know for sure if you’re going to like it. I’m so glad I did! 

Variations on this Recipe

This is such a great recipe and I think it would be even better with a few fun additions. Here are some things that come to mind: 

Walnuts in place of pecans: This is an obvious choice. Maple and walnut? The perfect combination.

Pistachios: I think pistachios would be lovely in this recipe. 

Caramel drizzle: Maple and caramel are perfect together. I’m thinking about drizzling the top of the cookies with caramel after they’ve cooled. A bit of sea salt would be lovely, too.

Coconut: Half a cup would add even more delicious texture to these perfect cookies. 

Chocolate chips: Talk about an obvious choice! Chocolate chips would be yummy in this recipe. Maple bacon chocolate chip cookies sounds delightful, don’t they?!

Other Maple Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

• Four Ingredient Maple Shortbread
• Maple Walnut Coffee Cake from Scratch
• Flaky Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
• Luscious Brown Butter Walnut Cake
• Creamy Maple Walnut Fudge

---

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday 

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.