I LOVE using bacon fat to make cookies! It's different, it's dairy free if you need it to be and it's frugal!
I have spent the last year figuring out what more we can make on our own rather than buy. Using up scraps is a big part of this process. Don't dump your bacon fat; start a jar of it to save for cooking and baking! You’ll notice there's no salt in this recipe; that's because the bacon fat is salty enough.
I also love that these are dairy-free, which helps out with allergies. Working around allergies doesn't have to mean buying expensive products at the store, or cooking with strange ingredients. Simple swaps work well! You can also use a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix in place of wheat flour.
I like to save bacon fat after making my rockin' tomato sauce. Got a full jar? Bacon fat also helps make a dairy-free skillet cornbread. For more allergy-friendly baking, why not whip up some GF/DF Monster Cookies or Strawberry Soft Serve.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Easily dairy-free and gluten-free! Just watch your mix-ins for sneaky ingredients.
- Use what ya got. Grind your own flour or buy at the store. Mix in whatever you got. Use up that bacon fat!
- Cookies freeze well so you can always have some at the ready.
Key Ingredients
Bacon fat - I save it all, it's so amazing to use up. Is it healthy? No - but it's delicious! Everything in moderation, friends. It's also dairy-free!
Flour - all-purpose is perfect, and so is fresh ground soft white wheat. I actually prefer them with the fresh wheat. Remember that white wheat has a milder flavour than red.
Sugar - white or coconut both work well here.
Chocolate chips - if you are making these with fats other than butter, then ensure your chocolate chips are also dairy-free. They're pretty mainstream to find now, and Enjoy Life makes some really delicious options.
How to Make Bacon Fat Cookies
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients well in a bowl.
Step 2: Add the flour and top with baking powder and stir them together before mixing into the wet. We only dirty one bowl where we can! Then stir in your chocolate chips.
Step 3: Form the dough into balls and place on the baking sheet. Flatten with your hand, a glass, or a wet fork.
Step 4: Bake until you can't stand the smell and need to eat them immediately!
Tips and Tricks
- Always measure your fat after melting.
- Use a scoop to make your cookies all the same size - they just bake nicely that way!
- Make sure and flatten your cookies some before baking because they won't spread out on their own.
- No need to grease or line your pan for this dough!
FAQs
1 cup seems like a lot if you aren't already a saver. Definitely start saving it because you won't believe the flavour it lends to the cookies! However, if you are coming up just a bit short, you can add some olive oil (NOT extra virgin!) or melted coconut oil to make up the difference. I don't recommend using butter as it has a lower fat content than an oil like these options.
There's enough dough to support up to 1 ½ cups of your mix-ins so try chopped nuts, two types of chocolate, raisins, etc. I like that it's a small batch so I can try new options!
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. I also freeze cookies all the time to keep them on hand for tea time or company. Make sure and label well so you know your allergens!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Cookie Recipes
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Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup bacon fat melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or fresh ground soft white wheat or a GF 1:1 blend
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips if you want really chocolatey you can up to 1 ½ cups
- Milk or water as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- Mix bacon fat, sugar, molasses, eggs, and vanilla. This is a cookie recipe easily done with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk, or a mixer if you really want.
- Measure flour on top, and then the baking powder on top and mix it into the flour before mixing it all into the dough.
- Check the consistency and add a bit of milk or water to make a dough that forms into nice balls.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Use a 2 tablespoon scooper and place on the cookie sheet.
- Flatten the cookies with your hands or a wet fork. These won't spread much beyond this.
- Bake for 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway.
Notes
- No bacon fat at the ready? Try olive oil or melted coconut oil for the correct fat content and to keep things dairy-free.
- Make sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free if need be. Enjoy Life is a good brand.
Beth
It sounds wonderful. I made oatmeal craisin cookies with part beef tallow and part coconut oil and they turned out really nice. The tallow doesn't taste or smell beefy or anything.