Warm cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, and smoky bacon give these soft cookies their breakfast-inspired flavor. A sweet maple glaze brings everything together for a treat that pairs beautifully with coffee. This unique sweet-and-savory creation is a standout favorite on inasrecipes.com and recipe roundups for brunch lovers everywhere!
Mastering the balance of crisp savory fat and recipe maple sweetness guarantees a soft, custardy cookie center with golden, aromatic edges every single time.
Tiramisu Cookies with Espresso and Mascarpone
Table of Contents
here is how these three baking secrets give these French toast and bacon cookies their soft, custardy texture and warm flavor:
- Why the bacon needs to be extra crispy: Cooking the bacon until it is nice and crisp drives off extra moisture. This keeps the cookie dough from becoming greasy or soggy in the oven, leaving you with a delicious salty crunch in every bite.
- Why adding an extra egg yolk matters: An extra egg yolk gives the cookies that soft, cakey texture just like real French toast. Yolks help bind the butter and sugars together, making the cookies rich and tender.
- Why mixing spices with butter unlocks more flavor: Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg dissolve directly into softened butter. Mixing them in early releases their natural aromatic oils, spreading cozy breakfast spice through the whole batch.
The Recipe: Bacon French Toast Cookies with Maple Glaze
Prep time: 15 min | Bake time: 10–12 min | Total time: 30 min | Yield: 18–20 cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup cooked bacon, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
For the Maple Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1.Cream Butter and Sugars:2 minutes on medium.
Beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes until light, creamy, and fluffy.
2.Add Egg, Yolk, and Vanilla:Beat until smooth.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully combined.
3.Whisk Dry Base:Whisk dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
4.Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:Low speed mixing.
Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined and no dry streaks remain.
5.Fold in Crispy Bacon:Fold evenly.
Gently fold the ⅔ cup of chopped cooked bacon into the dough using a silicone spatula until evenly distributed. (Optional: Chill dough for 30 minutes for a thicker bake).
6.Scoop and Bake:350°F (175°C).
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1½-tablespoon portions of dough onto the sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden and centers look set.
7.Prepare Maple Glaze and Finish:Whisk until smooth.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, whole milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with extra bacon bits before serving.
Pro Tips
- Render Bacon Extra Crisp: Ensure your bacon is fried extra crisp and thoroughly blotted on paper towels before chopping. Soft or rubbery bacon will lose its texture inside the soft cookie base.
- Use Pure Grade A Maple Syrup: Opt for real maple syrup rather than artificial pancake syrup in the glaze. Real maple syrup provides genuine maple depth without excessive artificial sweetness.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing: Allow cookies to cool 100% on a wire rack before drizzling with glaze so the powdered sugar shell sets firm without melting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the ingredients in bacon and maple French toast?
Classic bacon and maple French toast consists of thick slices of bread (such as brioche or challah) soaked in an egg custard mixture made from eggs, milk or heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. The toast is fried in butter until golden brown and served alongside crispy fried bacon strips generously drizzled with pure maple syrup.
What is a French toast cookie?
A French toast cookie is a dessert cookie engineered to replicate the sweet, warm, and aromatic profile of French toast. It features a soft, custardy brown sugar dough seasoned with warm cinnamon and nutmeg, often enhanced with crispy savory bacon bits, and finished with a rich pure maple glaze.
Is French toast eaten with maple syrup?
Yes! Pure maple syrup is the traditional and most popular condiment served with French toast across North America. The natural sucrose and woodsy caramel notes of maple syrup perfectly complement the rich egg custard, warm cinnamon spice, and buttery fried bread.
What is the most common mistake in making French toast?
The most common mistake is improperly soaking the bread in the egg custard:
- Over-soaking: Leaving bread in the custard too long causes it to absorb excess liquid, resulting in a soggy, wet center that tastes like scrambled eggs.
- Under-soaking: Dipping too quickly leaves the interior dry and unflavored.
- Heat Management: Frying on heat that is too high burns the surface sugars before the egg custard inside cooks through. Always cook French toast over medium heat with thick, day-old brioche or challah slices.
Bacon French Toast Cookies with Maple Glaze
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18–20 cookies 1x
Description
Soft, chewy bacon French toast cookies packed with crispy bacon, warm cinnamon and nutmeg, then finished with a sweet maple glaze and extra bacon bits.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup cooked bacon, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes until light, creamy, and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Gently fold the ⅔ cup of chopped cooked bacon into the dough using a silicone spatula until evenly distributed. Optional: Chill the dough for 30 minutes for a thicker bake.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1½-tablespoon portions of dough onto the sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers look set.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, whole milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies and top with extra bacon bits before serving.
Notes
For thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. Let the cookies cool before drizzling with the maple glaze so it sets nicely.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie