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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Cookies

    Marry Me Cookies (Bacon Cookies!)

    February 11, 2021 By Sam Merritt 65 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of bacon cookies, top image is of cookies on white plate, bottom image is close up of cookies cooling on rack

    If you’re hoping to encourage the special someone in your life to ask a big question this weekend 💍 I have just the thing to nudge them down to one knee.* These “Marry Me” cookies are loaded with caramel, sea salt, dark chocolate and bacon and no one in their right mind will let you out of their sight once they’ve tasted them.

    Bacon cookies on white plate, overhead view

    The idea for these bacon cookies started as a Valentine’s idea. Even though I’m baking almost constantly, Zach rarely gets excited about what I’m making. He’s just not much of a desserts person and unless he smells bacon sizzling on the stovetop he doesn’t often come around asking for samples.

    So I thought I’d invent this recipe as sort of a love letter to him for Valentine’s Day and I married together one of my favorite cookie bases (my brown butter chocolate chip cookies, though the add-ins would be excellent with my worst chocolate chip cookies, too) with his favorite thing in the world: bacon.

    I tripped over him in the kitchen not long after he heard the bacon sizzling and, even though I’d kept the bacon flavor to a minimum to keep it from overwhelming the other (incredible) flavors, after one bite he told me that if we weren’t already married he’d propose to me right then and there. He’s asked me to make them three times since then and we’ve just been referring to them as the “Marry Me” cookies. And while I can’t guarantee you’ll also receive a marriage proposal (belated or not), after careful analysis I believe this recipe is at least 85% likely to procure you one. I mean, just look at it.

    If you follow me on Instagram you already got a sneak peek at these cookies and in fact, I’m only even publishing the recipe today because so many of you asked me to share. Let’s get to it!

    What You Need

    Ingredients to make Bacon cookies

    The base recipe is essentially a chocolate chip cookie base (a really, really good one) with a few over-the-top add-ins. Let’s discuss just a few of the key ingredients:

    • Butter. We’re browning the butter for best flavor (more on that below). NOTE: I also tried a few variations of this recipe where I substituted a small amount of the butter with bacon grease but Zach and I were both shockingly underwhelmed by the results.
    • Flour. You’ll use all-purpose flour. As with all of my recipes you want to measure the flour accurately, but it’s especially critical with this recipe as it’s already prone to being stiff and slightly crumbly and accidentally using more flour than called for can make the dough too crumbly to work with.
    • Bacon. Use real bacon you’ve cooked to crisp yourself! What I love about this recipe is that the bacon flavor is present without being overwhelming. I use ยฝ cup of crumbled bacon, but feel free to up this to โ…” cup or even a bit more if you really want a lot of bacon flavor.
    • Caramel. You may use caramel baking bits or, if you can’t find them, just buy classic soft caramels and use a sharp knife to cut them into small pieces (which is what I did).
    • Chocolate. You could use a scant cup of chocolate chips, but I prefer to finely chop a quality chocolate bar. The easiest way to do this is to use a large sharp knife and go over the chocolate bar in a mincing motion just as if you were mincing garlic. It makes for a melty chocolate experience in every bite.

    Remember, this is just an overview of some of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    Why Brown Butter?

    brown butter in saucepan with spoon showing browned bits

    Browning your butter is one of the absolute best thing you can do for most of your baked goods. If you’ve never done it before I recommend checking out my post on how to brown butter before beginning, though I do briefly walk through the (easy) steps in the recipe card.

    Essentially you’re cooking out much of the water and browning the milk solids that remain. This gives the butter (and in turn the cookies) a rich and deep flavor.

    The butter will need to cool to room temperature before you can add your sugar to make your cookie dough. Use this cooling period to cook your bacon!

    How to Make Bacon Cookies

    how to make bacon cookies: 4 steps
    1. After browning (and cooling!) your butter, add your sugar, vanilla, and eggs and stir well.
    2. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then gradually (in 4-5 parts) stir the dry mixture into the batter.
    3. Stir in add-ins; we’re using caramel, chocolate, and BACON.
    4. Scoop, roll, and bake until light golden brown.
    Bacon cookies on cooling rack

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is my dough crumbly?

    This is a more dry dough by nature. We’ve cooked out a lot of the water from the butter (so the liquid is reduced there) and added cornstarch and the end result is a dough that’s stiff but actually perfect for making without waiting for it to chill. Because of that, it’s extremely important that you do two things properly:
    1) Add your flour gradually (I add mine in 4 parts). Adding it all at once makes it nearly impossible for the dough to properly absorb all of the flour, making for a crumbly dough.
    2) Measure your flour properly. This means using a scale (ideally!) or stirring the flour in its container, spooning it lightly into your measuring cup, and then leveling the top of the measuring cup with the back of a knife.

    Can I use store-bought bacon bits?

    I do not recommend it. Bacon bits made with artificial flavoring will give your cookies that same artificial flavor (yuck!) and the ones made of real bacon are too dry and chewy to work well here.

    Can I make this cookie dough in advance?

    This dough is a fairly dry and crumbly one by nature. Unfortunately, the longer it sits the more dry it becomes. I recommend scooping/rolling all of your cookies shortly after mixing the batter. If you want to store, save the rolled cookies, but don’t store the dough by itself in a bowl with the hopes of scooping later.

    How long can I store?

    These cookies will keep up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Is there a guarantee on receiving a marriage proposal after sharing these cookies? What are the risks of sharing them with someone I don’t want to marry?

    Marriage proposal likely but not guaranteed and will be dependent on the work you put into the relationship prior to sharing cookies. I can’t do all the work here, my goodness.
    Risk of receiving an unwanted marriage proposal is medium-to-high so share with caution.

    Bacon cookies on cooling rack

    More Recipes You Might Like

    • Ultimate Chocolate Cookies
    • Oatmeal Cookies
    • Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
    • Nutella Stuffed Cookies

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card! 

    Bacon cookies on white plate, overhead view

    Bacon Cookies

    These Bacon Cookies take chocolate chip cookies to the next level and are approximately 85% likely to score you a marriage proposal from the recipient! They're loaded with crispy crumbled bacon, caramel, and finely chopped chocolate and topped off with a sprinkling of sea salt. Be sure to check out the how-to video!
    4.96 from 43 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Butter cooling time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 20 cookies
    Calories: 293kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
    • ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 ¾ cups (340 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • flaky sea salt for sprinkling optional
    • ⅔ cup caramel bits or chopped caramels I cut 12 soft caramels into 6 pieces each
    • 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar finely chopped
    • ½ heaping cup crumbled bacon about 5 slices

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Baking sheet

    Instructions

    First, brown your butter:

    • Place butter in a medium-sized saucepan and melt over medium/low heat.
      1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
    • Once butter has melted, increase stovetop heat to just above medium heat and stir constantly. The butter will begin to bubble and sizzle. Keep stirring.
    • Once you notice bits beginning to turn golden brown on the bottom, remove the butter from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Let this cool to room temperature before proceeding.

    Cookie Dough

    • Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Once butter is no longer warm to the touch, add sugars and stir well.
      1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
    • Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.
      2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt (not the sea salt, reserve that for topping).
      2 ¾ cups (340 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
    • Gradually (in 4-5 parts) add your flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until ingredients are completely combined after each addition. Batter will be stiff, this is normal.
    • Add caramel pieces, chopped chocolate, and crumbled bacon and stir until combined.
      ⅔ cup caramel bits or chopped caramels, 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar, ½ heaping cup crumbled bacon
    • Scoop dough into 2 Tablespoon-sized scoops and gently roll in your hands to form a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies 2” apart.
    • Bake on 375F (190C) for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are beginning to turn golden brown. Immediately sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
      flaky sea salt for sprinkling
    • Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet then enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    *I don’t need to disclaim that this is tongue-in-cheek and meant to imply that these are incredible cookies, right? Right.

    « Chocolate Lava Cakes Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alan Belisle

      September 27, 2024 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      My first try of this recipe, my cookies were a little thin and soft for my liking. For the next batch, I adjusted the recipe, removing 2 tbsp of butter and adding 1/4 cup flour for thicker, firmer cookie. Rolling golf ball sized dough balls, I got about 50 cookies.
      For the caramels, I diced some Werther’s chewy. The flavor really comes through, but when they melt, they cling tight to a metal pan. Be sure to use parchment.
      For the chocolate, I used semi-sweet mini chip.
      For the bacon I diced some pre-cooked bacon from Costco.
      These cookies were the hit of a potluck dinner and earned several WOWs!
      Thanks for a great cookie recipe.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 28, 2024 at 7:19 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Alan! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Dave C.

      March 24, 2024 at 6:31 pm

      Tried these calling them โ€œman cookiesโ€ for a guys March Madness gathering. They were very well received. Great recipe! Had no idea that browned butter would make that big of an impact.

      Reply
    3. Mercede

      January 26, 2024 at 11:03 pm

      Hello! The recipe looks great. Unbleached or bleached flour please?

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 27, 2024 at 9:35 pm

        Hi Mercede! I recommend unbleached. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Noel

      September 05, 2023 at 4:32 pm

      I made them yesterday with extra bacon, a dark chocolate sea salt bar, and a handful of butterfinger bits and peanut butter chips. SO GOOD!!! Absolutely freaking amazing.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        September 06, 2023 at 5:20 pm

        Yummm, those additions sound amazing, Noel! Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Jane

      May 20, 2023 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      Yum. Initially odd in thought, but really yummy!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 21, 2023 at 9:26 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Jane! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Jennifer

      February 16, 2023 at 11:05 am

      3 stars
      I love your recipes and I really wanted to love this one, but it just wasnโ€™t my thing. I had never tried ANY dessert with bacon before, though they are seen quite often now. I was curious about the taste, you know, bacon and maple syrup for breakfast are pretty good. Why not give this a try? Well, Iโ€™m not quite sure what it was because your regular cookie recipes are delicious and I love bacon. What I know for sure is that the caramel bits I used (store bought bag of bits not squares) tasted somewhat fake to me. Overall, for me, theyโ€™re not bad at all. I just havenโ€™t acquired the taste for bacon on desserts. Maybe I never will, but Iโ€™m sure going to keep making your cookies sans bacon. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 16, 2023 at 11:28 am

        Thank you for your feedback, Jennifer!

        Reply
    7. James H. Bouschor

      February 05, 2023 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      I see what you mean by stiff cookie batter broke my wooden spoon had to break out the dough hook on my stand mixer.worked great. In stead of vanilla I made some home made earl Gray Tea liquor and us that for baking now some for the recipe and some for me. I am a widower so I dare not share. I am a carpenter so I take them to the jobs I work on for all to enjoy. So far I have done The Worst, The cookie dough fudge, The cookie dough dip and I have my own cookie dough truffle recipe. Thank you

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 05, 2023 at 9:40 pm

        Iโ€™m sorry to hear about your spoon, James! Iโ€™m glad youโ€™ve enjoyed all of the cookies so far. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Joey Dodge

      January 19, 2023 at 6:18 pm

      I haven’t made these yet but they sound like a 5 star winner to me. I wanted to point out that one cup all purpose flour weighs 120g so 2 3/4 cups would come out to 330g not 340g.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 19, 2023 at 8:21 pm

        I hope you love them, Joey! The standard on my website is 125 grams for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. This brings it to 343.75 which I just rounded down to 340 (you won’t miss the 3 grams ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) I hope that helps!

        Reply
    9. Susan Sims

      December 30, 2022 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      Sam, this post is cute and hysterical!! Funny and it gave me a laugh….thanks! I just told my hubby of 27 years that the Beatles song “Money Can’t Buy You Love” is so true. As seniors on a very fixed income, we’re making out fine and I have the best hubby in the world? He said, “Who?” I said, “You, you old fool!!”. I just saw this recipe in my mail. I have everything I need to make these, even leftover bacon from yesterday AND…..drum roll…..some homemade caramels from none other but your recipe!! How auspicious is that? Hope I get another proposal tonight! A honeymoon would be great!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 31, 2022 at 10:38 pm

        ๐Ÿคฃ I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Susan! I hope your husband loves the cookies just as much as Zach did! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    10. Mary Ellen H.

      December 19, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Could 3/4 cup of cake flour be substituted for all purpose to make a little more cakey cookie? I haven’t yet tried that myself though.

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 19, 2022 at 9:11 pm

        Hi Mary Ellen! I’m not sure how that substitution would go and without having tried it, it’s tough to say exactly how it would turn out.

        Reply
    11. Mandi

      December 15, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      I wonder how they would be half dipped in dark chocolate

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 15, 2022 at 9:07 pm

        Probably delicious! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Monesa

          December 28, 2022 at 9:26 am

          Do these have to be refrigerated after baking?

        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          December 28, 2022 at 10:10 am

          Hi Monesa! These will be fine stored at room temperature for up to a week. Enjoy ๐Ÿ˜Š

    12. Tiffany

      December 04, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      May I make homemade caramel sauce instead of buying caramel bits?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 05, 2022 at 9:09 am

        Hi Tiffany! Unfortunately the caramel sauce will be too fluid and won’t work the same ๐Ÿ™

        Reply
    13. Miriam Rose Blanar

      November 01, 2022 at 10:21 pm

      Would it affect the cookies if I left out the caramels? I’m not a fan of caramel, (I know, I know, I’m odd) but I really want to try these sometime. They look yummy.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 03, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Hi Miriam! They will be fine without the caramels. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
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