(No, the name could not get any longer.) This is not a diet-friendly cookie. But it’s comforting, leaves a bit of heat in your mouth, and smooths it over with dark chocolate. With an added bacon-y crunch. This is not a cookie for the faint of heart – my sweet tooth knows no bounds! And it’s just the reward I needed after midterms (downside of grad school: bookmarking all the amazing recipes you see online on the off-chance you have some free time). Bake this for the spicy food lover, or the bacon-lover, in your life, and they will love you even more.
I adapted Joy the Baker’s recipe for peanut butter bacon dark chocolate cookies – the original is actually gluten-free, which is awesome – I finally found something to bake for my GF co-workers that doesn’t involve me hunting down substitutes! This recipe also proves that gluten free does NOT equal healthy. I’ve had the recipe bookmarked for a while and was originally going to go by the book (because how in the world do you improve on pb-bacon-chocolate cookies?), but then remembered in a flash of brilliance that I had half a jar of Eliot’s honey chipotle peanut butter in the pantry. And they just took this cookie to whole ‘nother level. The caramel-y, smoky and salty crispy bacon bits are a good pairing to the slow heat and nuttiness, and the chocolate dials the spice down just enough.
I first discovered Eliot’s adult nut butters at the Urban Craft Uprising fair a few years ago, and it’s been a staple in the cabinet ever since – they come in these amazing flavors like honey chipotle (duh), spicy thai curry, and garam masala. Which means that I not only make kick-ass PB sandwiches, but also dollop it into curries, chicken, and pasta. (My diet consists of food other than peanut butter, I promise)
Guilty confession – I am a Skippy’s/JIF PB kind of girl. (notice the jar hiding behind the artisan PB) The texture and flavor (lots of sugar?) is what I’m used to from my childhood, and my go-to breakfast on any day is a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Point being, the natural PB that you mix because the oil separates is just not my thing. Except Eliots, which takes your usual flavors to a whole other level! So make these cookies! And maaybe share with your friends – so you won’t eat them all yourself.
Honey Chipotle Peanut Butter & Bacon Dark Chocolate cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker’s recipe
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup flour*
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 cup Eliot’s honey chipotle peanut butter
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and coarsely chopped (adjust depending on how bacon-y you like it, I used less)
1 large handful dark chocolate pieces
granulated sugar (for rolling)
* the original recipe omits flour – you’ll get a denser, truffle-like cookie without, but I like the lighter texture you get with flour
- Brown the bacon until crisp. Let it cool, then chop.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butters, sugars, and egg, and mix until smooth. Add baking soda and flour, and mix until well combined.
- Add the bacon and chocolate chips, and mix.
- Fold in cooked bacon and chocolate pieces.
- Roll the dough into 1-in balls, then roll them in granulated sugar. Place them on the cookie sheet and smush them with a fork to get the nice PB cookie pattern.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.
Jennventures 
