Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are perhaps the best cookie ever! They’re crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle and packed with flavor. Good luck eating just one!

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September starts my favorite time of the year here in the mountains of North Carolina. The evening temperatures will gradually dip into the cooler zones. Pulling on a hoodie and curling up with a mug of strong coffee on a chilly morning is pretty fantastic. The leaves will slowly begin to change from green to an impressive rainbow of yellows, oranges and reds.

But September also brings another level of excitement around our house. September is National Bourbon Heritage Month. As I’ve mentioned in passing before, my wife and I are bourbon collectors. We transformed an unfinished room in our basement into a ‘bourbon room,’ and we enjoy having friends over for a glass of whiskey.

In addition to September being ‘bourbon month,’ it also marks the time of the year when many distilleries release special, limited release bottles. As collectors, we certainly look forward to this time of the year – there are so many fun bottles coming in the next few months!

Enough carrying on about bourbon, though. If you want to continue this conversation, shoot me a message. I’ll talk about bourbon all day long! But let’s turn our attention to a recipe. In honor of Bourbon Heritage Month, let’s bake some chocolate chip cookies with a secret not-so-secret ingredient: bourbon!

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

One bite. That’s all it took before I decided that this chocolate chip cookie recipe is my new base recipe for whenever I want chocolate chip cookies. And come on, when do you not want a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven!?

This cookie is soft, but not too soft. It’s chewy, but not too chewy. It’s got great texture thanks to the bits of pecans. And it’s got a deep flavor almost like caramel – but there are no caramel bits in there. (On a side note, I bet a handful of caramel bits would be pretty fantastic in these cookies!)

I suspect the fact that these cookies rely entirely on brown sugar (rather than granulated sugar) explains the caramel flavor. And of course there is an underlying note of bourbon in there, too. If you’re not a bourbon fan, don’t distress! The flavor is subtle, and honestly you probably couldn’t identify it as bourbon if you didn’t know.

There are many different styles of bourbon whiskey out there, but in general bourbon features rich flavors like caramels, butterscotch, vanilla and sometimes even chocolate. Some bourbons even have a nutty flavor. These cookies bring all of those flavors! In short, these rank among the best chocolate chip cookies (no, the best cookies) I’ve ever eaten. Seriously.

Ingredients in Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour for these cookies. There are some good gluten free all-purpose flours out there if you’re looking to make a gluten free cookie. (And in case you’re wondering, bourbon is gluten free. Bourbon whiskey is often made with wheat, barley or rye, but it is distilled…which makes it gluten free.)
• Cornstarch. A tiny bit of cornstarch makes these cookies just a bit chewy. Don’t skip it!
• Butter. I almost always use unsalted butter when baking, but I’ve had some pretty fantastic cookies made with salted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe and taste the batter to ensure it’s not too salty. (You could use ½-salted and ½-unsalted.)
• Sugar. I used light brown sugar for this recipe. When measuring brown sugar, make sure the cup is ‘packed’ rather than loose.
• Bourbon Whiskey. We all know the saying, “Don’t cook with wine that you wouldn’t drink.” The same goes here. Pick a bourbon that you enjoy. However, don’t reach for that rare limited-release bottle. Save that for sipping! Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek and Jim Beam are all good choices here.
• Chocolate Chips. Feel free to use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. 1 cup was a good amount, but I could see increasing this to 1½ cups if you want cookies that are loaded with chocolate chips.
• Pecans. I know nuts in cookies can be a bit polarizing, so feel free to omit the pecans if desired. I personally love the nutty crunch that the pecans add to these cookies!
• Flaked Sea Salt. I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of flaked sea salt on top of these cookies when they first come out of the oven. This of course is optional, but highly recommended. If you’re looking for flaked sea salt, I recommend this one. We use this salt to finish all sorts of dishes.

Storing Leftover Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Of course, they’ll taste best on Day 1 or Day 2, but they’ll still be delicious on Days 3, 4 and 5.

These cookies also freeze well. Just place them in an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature for a few minutes. (For a real treat, toss one of these cookies in a toaster oven for about a minute!)

I know there are thousands – probably millions – of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, but I highly recommend adding this one to your collection. These Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are fantastic, and they’ve become the new go-to chocolate chip cookie here in our house. Happy baking and cheers!

Did you bake a batch of these Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are perhaps the best cookie ever! They're crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle and packed with flavor. Good luck eating just one!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes

Total Time: 36 minutes minutes

Servings: 30 cookies

Calories: 212kcal

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Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ¼ cup bourbon whiskey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• sea salt for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set pans aside.
• Using a medium bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.
• Using a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (~4 minutes on medium speed).
• Add the eggs, whiskey and vanilla extract; mix on low speed until well combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down sides and bottom of the mixing bowl!)
• Add the flour mixture, chocolate chips and chopped pecans; mix on low speed until well combined.
• Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough and roll into balls; place on prepared baking sheets. (Tip: Leave ~2” between cookie dough balls.)
• Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until edges of the cookies just begin to turn golden brown.
• Remove pans from oven and sprinkle tops of cookies with a small pinch of sea salt.
• Let cookies cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

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