Skip to Content

Chocolate Chip Cookies Made With Lard

Thanks for sharing!

These chocolate chip cookies have a surprise ingredient, they are made with lard instead of butter or shortening. They are a great way to use rendered lard and they taste amazing.

Hand holding a thick golden brown chocolate chip cookie.

If you like chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges and soft centers, this recipe is for you. It has the classic flavor you love in a nice thick and easy to make cookie.

Each year my family processes a few hogs. We like to use as much as possible, so we render the lard in addition to making lots of great homemade sausages and chops.

Lard, flour, chocolate chips, brown sugar, sugar eggs etc. ready to be made into cookie dough.

We use leaf lard for things like my great-grandma’s lard pie crust. We also use it to fry potatoes and to season cast iron.

Whether you make your own lard like we do, or you bought some lard for another recipe and some left to use, these cookies are a great option to use some of your bounty.

Why bake with lard?

The lard helps to coat the flour and gluten particles in the dough. That keeps them from forming the long strands that give bread its structure.

Instead, the strands stay short (hence the term shortening). This results in a softer texture in baked goods.

That is what makes lard such a great option for pastry, cookies and biscuits. The results almost melt in your mouth.

I know you don’t come to me for health advice, especially in a cookie recipe! But people also claim that lard is a healthier fat than some of the alternatives.

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies cooling on wire rack.

A good quality lard shouldn’t have a ton of flavor. It should be really mild and versatile.

However sometimes lards does have a slightly meaty taste. I find that this recipe can accommodate even those stronger flavored lards.

The combination of ingredients can handle a little bit of savory flavor. The brown sugar and chocolate chips are sure to win you over.

Storing your cookies

Chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. Throw a slice of sandwich bread in the container with the cookies to keep them softer longer.

For longer storage, put the cookies in a freezer safe container for up to six months. Refrigerating cookies in not recommended.

Hand holding thick chocolate chip cookie with bite taken out showing soft center.

You can also freeze extra dough to bake later.

I like to scoop the dough onto a sheet pan. Put the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up the dough.

Stack of thick chocolate chip cookies.

Then transfer the dough to a freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. You can bake the dough from frozen, just add a minute or two to the bake time.

More fun cookie ideas

Kitchen sink cookies are a fun mix of sweet and salty. They have caramel, chocolate and pretzels mixed into the dough for a special treat.

Lard chocolate chip cookies, ready to eat.

Chocolate chip cookies with pudding mix are chewy and delicious. They are my brother’s favorite cookie.

Sweetened condensed milk cookies are soft and delicious. Their simple vanilla flavor really sings.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Yield: 48 Cookies

Lard Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hand holding a thick golden brown chocolate chip cookie.

These chocolate chip cookies have a surprise ingredient, they are made with lard instead of butter or shortening. They are a great way to use rendered lard and they taste amazing.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lard, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups flour
  • 12 oz. chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Cream together lard, sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  2. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
  3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
  5. Chill the dough for at least an hour, but up to a couple of days.
  6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  7. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  8. Cool on the cookie sheet for three or four minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view my disclosure page for more information.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g

All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to see it! Share a picture on Instagram or Pinterest and tag me @carleecooks to let me know how it went!

These chocolate chip cookies have a surprise ingredient, they are made with lard instead of butter or shortening. They are a great way to use rendered lard and they taste amazing.

Thanks for sharing!

Andrea

Tuesday 2nd of May 2023

"chill the dough for an hour" AH that's where I went wrong lol I made these with a 1-1 gluten free flour and the taste was A+, I just need to work on the spreading! My 7 year old son who is super picky said these were some of the best tasting cookies he's ever had. :)

Carlee

Tuesday 2nd of May 2023

Chilling will definitely help or you can even freeze scoops of dough to bake later. I am so glad he likes them!

Michelle

Thursday 26th of January 2023

We did lard last year and it was a little darker. Only my second time but it is great when cooking. Could I use this without the pork smell being in the finished product?

Carlee

Friday 27th of January 2023

We've had batches of lard come out a little dark too, I think it got a little hot in the rendering process. And I have made theses cookies with darker lard with success. You can tell there's something there besides butter, but you wouldn't guess pork. I have also had people tell me they use bacon grease for chocolate chip cookies or they add bacon bits, so you could lean into the pork flavor if you want to. But yes, the darker lard is still great for fried potatoes, eggs etc. too.

Andrea Nine

Friday 8th of April 2022

When I was in the working world, I had an employee who grew up Amish. She said the Amish always use lard in their cookies and let me tell you, they are always so delicious! Great recipe!

Carlee

Friday 8th of April 2022

They are so good! And it's a great way to use the extra lard of you buy it for pie crusts

Skip to Recipe