Our Cowboy Cookies Recipe makes big, bold cookies loaded with old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips, and buttery pecans. Each delicious cookie is chewy, nutty, and indulgent enough to make that first bite worth every minute spent wrangling the wild west of the day.
These rugged little beauties are for cookie lovers with a bit of a wild side.
Cowboy Cookies galloped into the spotlight back in 2000 during the presidential election, when Laura Bush’s version stole the show in a head-to-head against Tipper Gore’s ginger snaps in a Family Circle magazine bake-off.
Packed to the brim with hearty mix-ins that deliver a chewy texture and a satisfying crunch, these loaded beauties have been winning hearts and cookie jars across America ever since.
Our Cowboy Cookies recipe is easy to make using everyday ingredients and bakes up beautifully even in a humid climate.
You can freeze the cookie dough balls or the baked cookies, making this a great make-ahead recipe.
If you love a cookie that’s packed to the brim and full of surprises, try our Kitchen Sink Cookies and Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. They’ve got that same rugged, satisfying vibe that makes Cowboy Cookies such a crowd favorite.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Cowboy Cookies recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. We made our Cowboy Cookies recipe with old-fashioned oats, but you can replace them with quick oats for a softer texture.
Swap the semisweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate, depending on your mood. Or you can use peanut butter or butterscotch chips if you want to switch up the flavor.
Replace the chopped pecans with walnuts if that’s what you’ve got in the pantry.
For a nut-free version, skip the nuts altogether or try sunflower seeds for a bit of crunch without the allergens.
If you’re after more texture, stir in some unsweetened coconut flakes or a handful of Rice Krispies.
How to Make our Cowboy Cookies Recipe
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make our Cowboy Cookies Recipe in your home kitchen.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, table salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl.
- Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside until needed.
- Add the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the room-temperature eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed butter, mixing until thoroughly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix until well combined.
- Add the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips to the batter.
- Use a spatula to fold the ingredients into the batter until they are evenly distributed.
- Use a #40 cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons) and place the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, at least 2” apart.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown.
- Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to finish baking and cool.
Perfect for a family movie night, a backyard potluck, or just a quiet reward at the end of a long week.
Our Cowboy Cookies always hit the spot, and after just one bite, you’ll be ropin’ in another.
How to Store and Reheat
Let the baked cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To enjoy again, simply let the frozen cookies thaw at room temperature or warm them briefly in the microwave for a freshly baked feel.
Recipe FAQs
That usually means something’s off with the flour or the butter. Too-soft butter or under-measured flour can make the dough greasy and loose. Make sure you use the full amount of flour listed. If the dough still feels too sticky or slack, add a little extra before scooping. A quick chill in the fridge can also help firm it up.
Flat cookies are often the result of undermeasured flour, over-softened butter, or skipping the chilling process. Use a heavy pan, chill the dough, and measure flour properly for a thicker, chewier result.
Yes, and it works beautifully. Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake straight from frozen, just add a minute or two to the baking time.
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Cowboy Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter -softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar -packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs -room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup pecans -chopped
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, table salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl.
- Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside until needed.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of na stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract, to the creamed butter and mix to thoroughly combine.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Add the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips to the batter. Use a spatula to fold them into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Use a #40 cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons) and place the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet, at least 2” apart.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges of cookies are light golden brown.The centers may seem slightly underbaked.
- Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to finish baking and cool.
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