Bacon Fat Gingersnaps Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Canaan

Maybe step 1 shouldn't be to heat the oven, if you have to chill the dough for 2 hours.

Lynda Chitwood

These are just stupid good!! I was a bit short on bacon fat, so I evened it out with butter (just so no Vegan would ever touch them, haha).
I added a bit more ginger, and next time will do even more.
I saw someone else's note about using cardamom so I will be doing that too.
Just a deliciously different cookie!!

BTW...to all the other cooks who take the time to share their notes - THANK YOU!! They are all helpful.

Sailing Studio

Made two batches, the first following the recipe, and the second, replacing about half the bacon fat with butter, and adding about a tablespoon of finely diced fresh ginger. Prefer the second batch: the first was amazing, but a little overwhelmed by bacon, and had a slight fatty aftertaste (described by another reviewer). The second had a cleaner, fresher taste, a bit more ginger zing.

Smith

I made this recipe for the 2nd time. This time I did the entire recipe by weight instead of volume. In doing so, I felt like I used a lot more of the spices (according to the gram weight in the recipe) than I when I used teaspoons. This may explain why others felt like this needed more spice. Given that it was based on a Swedish recipe, it is possible that the original authors intended for more spice than the volumetric conversion allowed. As with the first time, these cookies were incredible!

Baba

I like my gingersnaps spicy. While the cookies were tasty, I thought it could do with more spices. The next time I plan to double amount of spices and add finely grated ginger.

rex

Leave out the salt. The bacon grease already has so much.

Delice

These are wonderful! Why do people get so worked up about bacon fat? How is it any better/worse for you than butter?

I doubled the spices, as other posters recommended and they still weren't quite "gingery" enough for us. So I made ginger sugar to foll the dough balls in and...perfection!

To make ginger sugar, peel fresh ginger and blend with granulated sugar. Dry it in a 200' oven for about 20 minutes. blend again to break up any clumps and store in your pantry.

Smith

I followed the recipe to the letter, and these were transcendent. The bacon fat gives this subtle saltiness, richness, and, well, meatiness that is truly addicting. Worth the extra step of cooking bacon. Makes BLTs for dinner, and enjoy these luscious cookies for dessert. I refrigerated the cookie dough and was able to enjoy freshly baked cookies for a few days.

ADM

I really liked these. Yes, they are high caloric and will probably only make it onto the "MAKE" list during the holidays to share with others. I was surprised how the bacon flavor was in the background. They were the best and simplest gingersnaps I've ever made.

Stephanie

I brought these to a family holiday party - and had relatives guess the secret ingredient. After many guesses, my nephew got it! It took 2 pounds of bacon to make the fat for this recipe, and so worth it. Total yum.

Shannon

Definitely hanging onto this recipe! Per other reviewers suggestions, I ended up doubling the amount of ground ginger and cinnamon to punch up the spice factor (I left the clove amount as is, since I'm not a big fan of it), also used 1/2 cup of bacon fat, and supplemented the remainder with butter. I could really taste the bacon flavor in the raw batter, but it definitely mellowed out in the cooked result.

Barbara

It's clear that several bakers are big fans, but my family was not impressed. We have a molasses cookie that they all love, more spicy and without the meat factor, and I'm going to revert to that one. This was kind of flat, flavor wise, and too redolent of meat. I thought -- bacon; what can go wrong? -- but No. I actually tossed them, which, in this household, is almost sacrilege for cookies. Did not like them at all.

Sara

I made these with 2/3 duck fat and 1/3 butter. I cut the ground ginger in half and then added about a tbsp of grated fresh ginger. So, so easy and delicious.You get much more fat off of roasting duck, than you do off of bacon, so I recommend it as an alternative. I probably could have added two or three more tablespoons of flour, but even my slightly wetter dough bakes up great.I've frozen the dough, separated into cookie balls, so I can bring fresh cookies to friends all season.

Catherine

These are amazing and a big hit with everyone who has tried them! And, well-wrapped, they freeze well.

Rick

Superb recipe.
Mine turned out flat, crisp and perfect. I am not much of a baker, so I am surprised when my bakes turn out exactly like the recipe photos! The salt is a beautiful balance to the spices. I served them on a plate with a small scoop of ice cream; my guests were delighted.
Thank you for a great recipe!

Roger

I really wanted to love these, but I found the bacon flavor to be too much. After eating two or three, I had my fill and didn't crave any more. When I make these again I'll definitely follow the other reviewers' advice and cut some of the bacon fat with regular butter.

Eleanor

These were great, made a few changes:- replaced the 2/3 of the bacon fat with browned butter- doubled all the spices (didn’t have a scale so measure with a spoon)- added a generous tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (hot tip: don’t bother peeling it)- added half a cup of finely chopped candied gingerReally excellent, very spicy!

Catherine

For a real ginger bump, replace 50g of bacon fat with 15 g squeeze ginger (eg, spice world) and 35 g of butter. Also, pour the bacon fat through cheese cloth before you chill it. Add 3 g ground cardamom if you have it.

melkat

Based on others’ comments about mild dpi ones, I doubled all of the spices, following the volumetric measurements, and it wasn’t too much for us. But we like strong tastes, and my spices are not as fresh as ideal either. We love bacon drippings, which I always save and cook with, so that taste was not too strong for us either. I do wish I had not baked mine so long, though. I think the directions led me to leave them in too long, and mine are a bit harder than just ‘crisp’. Will def make again!

Marian V

Step one says to turn on the oven to 350 but later in the recipe, it says to chill for at least two hours. No one really wants to heat the oven two hours ahead of time.

Sarah Willis

I kept some of the dough in the fridge and baked a couple nights later, but this time I turned the oven temp up to 400, didn't roll in sugar and baked for about 9 minutes. 8 minutes would've been perfect but they came out so insanely crispy. This is the way

Mary T

REALLY want to try this recipe but don’t have a food processor. Will this work with my stand mixer?

GBeery

Why strain the bacon fat? I used exceptional bacon, and left the bacon residue in the fat - yum!

Jean-Marie Simon

These sound weird, but they are fantastic: don't skimp on the bacon fat.

Yoopergal57

I've been making bacon fat cookies for almost 50 years from an old family recipe from my husband's family. They are not spicy cookies, more similar to a "what is that taste in the background" shortbread cookie. The family eagerly awaits them every year in their Christmas cookie bundle. However. I may make these instead this year and see which one wins. I can't believe I never spiced up my basic recipe! These sound terrific!

bimini

Made these today and they were a hit! Will bake them again closer to Christmas!!!

bimini

One last note- roll into a log before chilling- cut a press in the sugar, they baked very evenly!!

patty

Disappointed. Way too sweet. Agree that more spice / ginger is needed.A rare miss.

Diana

Maybe it's the bacon I used, but these are bacon-forward forsure forsure! Rolled them in Turbinado sugar for extra texture and tried out mixing in some dark chocolate (sans sugar outside) along with extra ground ginger - sugar coating seems to be the winner.

JenAlex

Taste fantastic! But, have now made a few times (freshened up all ingredients) and they do not flatten out like in photo. Any input what could be awry??

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Bacon Fat Gingersnaps Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with leftover bacon fat? ›

You can also use it right away to season a cast-iron skillet. If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover bacon grease, your options are many. You can use a dab of bacon grease in stir-fry, cornbread or make a bacon vinaigrette.

Can you use bacon fat instead of butter in cookies? ›

But during and after World War II when butter was strictly rationed, home cooks saved fat drippings from bacon and other meats and used the drippings to replace some of the butter in baked goods. Because bacon grease isn't flavorless, using too much can give baked goods a bit of a pork flavor.

Can I use bacon fat instead of lard? ›

While they come from the same animal, bacon fat and lard differ in taste and function. Bacon fat has a smoky taste, while lard—rendered fat from the pig—has a neutral flavor. You can use bacon fat to add flavor to baked goods, gravies, and sautés, but lard primarily adds texture to fried or baked foods.

Can you use bacon grease to grease a pan? ›

Try greasing your muffin tins and cast iron skillets with bacon grease the next time you're baking cornbread, breakfast muffins and even cake. It will keep it from sticking to the sides of the pan easier than ever before and give you the perfect notes of savory sweet.

Should I throw away bacon fat? ›

It's best to discard bacon grease by putting it in a jar after it cools. Scrape it into a jar and, depending on size of jar put the paper towels in it, too. It's less of an attraction for pests. It certainly can clog your drain.

Is bacon fat worth keeping? ›

Saving bacon grease provides a lot of benefits when it comes to cooking. The rich flavor that bacon fat offers elevates and enhance many dishes. Known for its savory and smoky taste, it is an excellent addition to various recipes.

How much bacon grease to substitute for butter? ›

Tips for Cooking With Bacon Grease

Bacon grease livens up savory dishes, but don't limit yourself. Try using bacon grease in place of butter in sweet or savory baking recipes. Replace half to all of the butter with the bacon grease for extra flavor in chocolate chip cookies, molasses cookies, or gingerbread cakes.

Can you bake with bacon grease? ›

I keep a small amount of filtered bacon fat in the fridge and use it as a replacement for butter or oil. I sauté with it and gently cook eggs with it, and even use it to replace butter in baking biscuits. I plan on using it instead of oil in baking pans of cornbread.

Can you use bacon grease instead of Crisco? ›

Like lard, bacon grease also makes a fantastic substitute for shortening. Fry up some bacon and save the fat for your baking projects this weekend. Bacon grease has a very strong flavor, so it can also be used in conjunction with another fat, such as butter or lard.

How long is bacon fat good for? ›

Keeping grease in the refrigerator will also help it last longer; you can keep bacon grease in the refrigerator for three to six months and in the freezer indefinitely. Just make sure to strain out any bits of leftover bacon with a coffee filter or mesh strainer before storing the grease.

Can you make tamales with bacon fat? ›

You can use bacon fat instead, but it'll give the tamales an intensely smoky flavor that you may or may not like.

Is bacon fat better than oil? ›

Sure, bacon fat gets a bad rap for its cholesterol level compared to “healthier” fats like olive oil, but calorie for calorie, they're virtually the same. And while olive oil likes to boast that it's more heart healthy, bacon fat is fine with that, because it brings loads more flavor to the table.

Can you cook eggs in bacon grease? ›

If you ask us, the most delicious sunny-side up eggs aren't fried in butter or oil — but rather an unexpected ingredient: bacon grease. It turns out that cooking eggs in bacon fat (or "liquid gold" as we like to call it) allows the edges to become crispy and ensures the yolk stays soft and tender.

Should bacon grease be refrigerated? ›

Just follow these simple step-by-step instructions:
  1. Strain the bits of bacon left behind in the pan. ...
  2. Pour the warm (not hot) grease through the strainer, which will catch all the pieces. ...
  3. Seal tightly and store in the fridge or freezer.
Feb 7, 2022

Can you season a cast iron with bacon fat? ›

Bacon grease is great for seasoning cast iron skillets.

How long will bacon fat last in the fridge? ›

Keeping grease in the refrigerator will also help it last longer; you can keep bacon grease in the refrigerator for three to six months and in the freezer indefinitely. Just make sure to strain out any bits of leftover bacon with a coffee filter or mesh strainer before storing the grease.

Is bacon grease healthier than butter? ›

Why is Butter better than Bacon Grease? Noticeably more proteins per 100g. Notably more niacin per 100g. Definitely higher water content per 100g.

Why do people reuse bacon grease? ›

Bacon grease has a distinct flavor that can affect the taste of your dish. If you want to add a smoky, bacon flavor to your food, using bacon grease can be a great option.

What can I do with leftover cooked fat? ›

Reuse Cooking Grease
  1. Fry eggs or brown veggies in the grease.
  2. Add flavor to tomato sauces.
  3. Mix it into quick-bread recipes.
  4. Make salad dressing.
  5. Drizzle a little in your soup.
  6. Add flavor and moisture to leftovers.

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