Bacon and Butterscotch Chip Cookies
The flavor of these tender butterscotch chip cookies is enhanced with salty, smoky chopped bacon. The combo is addictive and you won’t be able to eat just one.
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You are hearing it here first folks. Classic chocolate chip cookies are officially no longer my favorite cookie. They’ve been replaced by these sweet and salty butterscotch chip cookies laced with crispy, smoky bacon pieces.
Does bacon really make everything better? Yes, yes it does. This recipe only confirms that theory. The salty bacon enhances the flavor of the sweet butterscotch chips, making them the perfect combination of sweet and salty. You won’t be able to eat just one. Don’t believe me? Try it. They really are that addictive.
What is butterscotch anyway?
It’s a question my husband asked me while lingering over my shoulder as I poured a bag of butterscotch chips into the cookie dough. It’s comparable in color and taste to caramel. Butterscotch is made from melted butter and brown sugar, while caramel is made with white sugar. In my opinion, butterscotch is just a little bit sweeter than caramel.
Ingredients and tools you will need
If you are a baker, you will likely have most of these ingredients already in your kitchen. To make these chewy butterscotch cookies, you will need:
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked and coarsely chopped bacon – check out this video on how to cook bacon in the oven.
- 1 bag (11 ounces) butterscotch chips
- Cookie scoop – You don’t have to have one of these. But it does help to ensure that every cookie is the same size and shape.
- Cookie sheets – I prefer light-colored cookie sheets. Darker baking sheets absorb more heat and can cause you to overbake your cookies.
- Electric mixer – you can use either hand mixer or stand mixer.
Use real butter. Butter has a high-fat content, which gives the cookies its chewy texture. Margarine contains less fat and more water. This could cause the cookies to spread during baking and increase the likelihood of overbaking or burning.
Bring your butter to room temperature. How often have you forgotten to let your butter come to room temperature and tried to soften it in the microwave? ✋ Microwaves don’t heat evenly, so you’ll end up with soft spots and melted spots. Melted butter can cause your cookies to spread and prevent them from forming that tender, cake-like texture. Thirty minutes is all you need to soften butter appropriately.
Add the butterscotch chips and bacon last. Overmixing the cookie dough batter can lead to tough cookies. Mix your other ingredients first, then incorporate the chips and bacon pieces.
For softer cookies, bake the cookies for the shortest amount of time and take them out while they still look just a tad underdone. Keep in mind, they will continue to bake after they’ve been pulled from the oven. Be sure to remove them to a cooling rack after 3-5 minutes.
Use extra crispy bacon. When you bite into one of these cookies, I wanted the bacon to provide a crunch and not feel chewy to the bite. Opt to overcook your bacon, but just a little bit. You don’t want it burnt!
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment for this.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs to the dry ingredients. Mix just until everything is combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Start the mixer on low until the dry ingredients are damp, then turn it up to medium speed. You may have to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula at some point. Mix just until everything comes together.
- With the mixer on low, add the bacon and butterscotch chips to the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on low and stir again until the chips and bacon are evenly incorporated into the batter.
- Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, about two inches apart, onto a greased cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press the center of each of the cookie dough balls down, either with the back of a spoon or with clean fingers. This helps with more even baking.
- Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until you have crisp edges that are golden brown but a soft center. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 3-5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Variations
- Add 1/2 a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter when adding the bacon pieces and butterscotch chips.
- Use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark chocolate chips, or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of butterscotch.
- Add 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
- Add 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of toffee chips for extra crunch.
Storage and freezing instructions
Storage. Once the homemade cookies are completely cool, transfer them to an airtight container. I prefer to use an air-tight container over a freezer bag to prevent the cookies from getting broken. If stored at room temperature, the cookies will last for 2-3 weeks. If stored in the refrigerator, they will last for two months.
Freezing. Baked cookies or the unbaked cookie dough can both be frozen. If freezing baked cookies, I do advise storing them in some type of airtight container rather than a freezer bag to minimize breakage. Consume within 8-12 months. Thaw before eating.
There are two ways to freeze raw cookie dough. First, you can form the dough into logs for slice-and-bake cookies. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured cutting board. Form the dough into a round disk, then divide it into four equal parts. Shape each part into a seven-inch log. Wrap each log in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. In addition to writing the contents on the top of the foil, include the oven temp and cooking instructions. That way you don’t have to hunt up the recipe every time you want to bake cookies. Use the dough within two months.
Second, form the dough into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet, then place the pan on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for 24 hours, then transfer the cookie dough balls to a container or freezer bag. Use within two months. This method allows you to pull as many cookies as you need. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator before baking.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe makes approximately four dozen (48) cookies that are roughly three inches wide.
Yes, the unbaked dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can, but I don’t. Some recipes do instruct you to let the dough rest in the refrigerator before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading. I’m usually too impatient to follow through with that step. I’ve never chilled the dough before baking and I’ve never had any complaints.
Bacon and Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked and coarsely chopped bacon
- 1 bag (11 ounces) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and the butter.
- Add the vanilla and egg and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add in the bacon and butterscotch chips. Mix just until the ingredients are mixed uniformly throughout the dough.
- Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, about two inches apart, onto a prepared cookie sheet. Gently press down the center of each cookie.
- Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until the edges look done but the centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
these cookies look outstanding I love butterscotch but these bacon addition is fantastic
This is such a unique combination to these cookies. Definitely need to try them out. Surely my family to love it.
These cookies look so delicious and perfect for Christmas!
Oh my goodness . Thank you for this recipe!! I remember these cookies as a kid and I have never quit looking for them lol! They are so SUPER easy to make and taste incredible! Thank you thank you!!
I like the idea of countering the sweetness of the butterscotch and cookie dough with the crispy salty bacon in these cookies!