Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cowboy cookies are made with candied bacon, corn flake brittle, oats, and chocolate chips for a sweet and savory treat.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric mixer
- 2 or more baking sheets lined with parchment
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
Candied Bacon
- ½ pkg bacon
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Corn Flake Brittle (Optional)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cups Corn Flake cereal
- sea salt optional
Cowboy Cookies
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6-8 ounces large chocolate chips or chocolate chunks plus more for garnish
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
Candied Bacon
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier. Place an oven-safe wire rack on the sheet (optional)
- Lay the bacon strips in a single layer on top of the foil (or rack, if using).½ pkg bacon
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne pepper.3 tablespoons light brown sugar, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top of the bacon.
- Bake at 375℉ for 22-25 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Remove from oven. Use tongs to transfer bacon to paper towels to absorb grease.
- Once totally cool (about 5 minutes) chop bacon into small bits. Discard any large pieces of fat.
Corn Flake Brittle (Optional)
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook it without stirring until it turns to a liquid, about 4-7 minutes. Swirl the saucepan over the heat to gently combine the sugar. Continue heating it until the liquid is a dark brown caramel color.1 cup granulated sugar
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately stir in the cornflakes gently.¾ cups Corn Flake cereal
- Quickly spread the cornflake brittle in a thin layer on the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread it out as thinly as possible. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool while you make the cookie dough.sea salt
Cowboy Cookie Dough
- Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and quick cooking oats in a medium bowl. Set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- In a stand mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using a paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Or, use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer.1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add one egg and beat for 1 minute at medium speed. Then add the other egg and beat for another minute.2 large eggs
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat on low spped until incorporated.1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the oat mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated.
- Add in the chocolate chips and coconut flakes.6-8 ounces large chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- Put the chilled cornflake brittle into a zippered bag. Use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to break the britle into small chunks.
- Add the cornflake brittle and chopped bacon into the cookie dough. Combine at low speed until incorporated.
- Put the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Press a few more chocolate chips into the top of each and press the dough down with palm of your hand to slightly flatten the dough ball.
- (If you wish to freeze the dough, put the baking sheet with the dough balls into the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Then transfer the dough balls to a zippered freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months, until ready to use.)
- Bake at 350℉ for 11-13 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack using a spatula.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- If you are baking frozen cookie dough balls in an oven, bake them for 2 minutes at 350℉. Remove baking sheet from oven and gently press dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass to slightly flatten. Then bake for an additional 11 minutes. Cool as above.
- You can also bake frozen dough balls in an air fryer. Put on a parchment lined pan and air fry at 350℉ for 2 minutes. Press down gently with the bottom of a drinking glass. then air fry for another 5 minutes. Cool as above.
Notes
- You can customize this recipe by adding 1 cup of chopped pecans to either the brittle at the same time you add in the cornflakes, or to the cookie dough when you add in the chocolate chips and coconut.
- The bacon and cornflake brittle are optional. If you are omitting the bacon, sprinkle sea salt on top of the cookie dough balls right before baking.
- If you are freezing the dough balls, label the outside of the zippered freezer bag with the baking directions.
- If your butter is not at room temperature, heat it in the microwave at 30% power for 30 seconds at a time until it is slightly soft, but not melted.
- This recipe is easily doubled if you want to bake a batch now, and make a second batch to freeze and bake at a later time.