Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Cowboy cookies are chock full of good stuff—hearty oats, semisweet and milk chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut, all packed into a chewy, buttery cookie base. If you like lots of texture in your cookies, this recipe is going to be a favorite!
How long it takes: 15 minutes to make the dough, 12 minutes to bake each batch
Equipment you’ll need: mixer, mixing bowl, baking sheets, parchment paper
Servings: 48 cookies
Yee-Haw!
Cowboy cookies keep with the theme of cowboy beans and cowboy stew—all recipes that are super hearty and loaded with mix-ins. Cowboy cookies taste like a treat (hello, chocolate chips!), but they have a little staying power, too, thanks to the rolled oats, coconut, and pecans. You may know cowboy cookies by another name: Texas cookies, ranger cookies, Texas cowboy cookies, or even Laura Bush cookies!
The dough is similar to chewy chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies in that it’s buttery, chewy, and has a hint of caramel thanks to the brown sugar.
What makes them special:
- No-chill dough: Mix and bake, no need to refrigerate the dough! Start to finish, you could be eating cookies in as little as 30 minutes.
- Big batch and freezer-friendly: You’ll get about 48 cookies from this recipe, which means they’re great for potlucks and parties, or freezing for later.
- Jam-packed with deliciousness: With dark chocolate for richness and milk chocolate for that irresistible creaminess, and toasted pecans and tropical coconut, these chunky cookies are hearty! Rolled oats add a little bit of earthiness and texture.
- Bakery-style appearance: Extra chips and pecans pressed on top make them look professional.
How to Make Cowboy Cookies
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar. Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, or vigorously stir it by hand.
Finish the wet ingredients. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract, until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined.
Add the mix-ins. Reserve ½ cup of chocolate chips, then fold in the remaining chocolate chips, rolled oats, coconut, and pecans, just until they are pretty evenly distributed throughout the dough. (You’ll press the reserved chocolate chips into the tops of the freshly baked cookies.)
Form the cookies. Drop 2 tablespoon portions of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each. Of course, you can make the cookies smaller or larger if you like, but remember that it will affect the baking time.
Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.
Cool. Press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies, then let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat this process for each batch until all the dough has been baked.
Recipe Tip
Don’t overbake the cookies! Overbaking can make the cookies hard. As soon as the edges and tops of the cookies start to brown, take them out of the oven. They will continue to bake as they sit on the cookie sheet. The goal here is chewy cookies!
Easy Recipe Variations
- Add cinnamon. Many recipes for cowboy cookies include ground cinnamon. I left it out, but if you want to try it, add 1 teaspoon with the dry ingredients.
- Try other mix-ins. I suggest cornflakes, potato chips, pretzel pieces, different nuts, dried fruit, and so on, if you want to put your own spin on this recipe (or if you want to use something that you already have in your pantry!). Remember to keep the dough-to-mix-in ratio the same.
- Make bigger cookies. For extra-large cowboy cookies, use a quarter cup of dough per cookie. This will make 4-inch cookies which are perfect for special occasions, bake sales, and gifting. Increase the baking time to 15 to 17 minutes.
How to Freeze the Dough
Cowboy cookies are a great recipe for freezing! Here’s how I’d freeze the dough for a make-ahead option.
- Make the dough and drop the dough in 2 tablespoon increments on a parchment-lined baking sheet, as described in the recipe. (You don’t need to leave 2 inches of space between the dough balls or shape the dough into perfect balls.)
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the balls of dough are solid.
- Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake according to the original recipe instructions, but add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (dark brown sugar is okay, too)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick oats or steel cut oats)
- 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (see note 1)
- 1 ¼ cups milk chocolate chips, divided
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut (see note 2)
- 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled (see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and mix until combined.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl; mix until combined and the dry ingredients are no longer visible.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fold in the oats, 1 cup each semisweet and milk chocolate chips, coconut, and chopped pecans with a large spatula or wooden spoon. Reserve the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips to top the cookies after baking (see note 1).2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided, 1 ¼ cups milk chocolate chips, divided, 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are slightly browned. Do not overbake; the cookies will continue to bake as they set on the cookie sheet.
- Remove from the oven and immediately press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies for a bakery-style look. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Repeat this process until all the dough has been baked.
Notes
- Chocolate chips: I use semisweet and milk chocolate but you can use any baking chips you like, including white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter. I like to reserve ½ cup chocolate chips to “decorate” the cookies after they’ve baked. If you don’t want to do that, simply stir all of the chocolate chips into the batter. You could also top the cookies with extra pecans, or both!
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Both shredded or flaked coconut will work, but I like sweetened shredded coconut for these cookies.
- Pecans: While toasting the pecans isn’t required, it’s worth the extra few minutes for the depth it adds to the flavor (learn how to make toasted pecans). Toast the pecans lightly because they’ll toast a bit more when the cookies bake. Be sure to let the pecans cool completely before adding them to the cookie dough.
- Storage: After the cookies have cooled completely, store at room temperature in an airtight container or resealable bag. They’ll keep for at least a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 monthss.
- To freeze the dough: Drop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto a cookie sheet, leaving just a little space between each. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer, freeze until firm, then place the dough balls in a resealable freezer bag or container until ready to bake. Increase baking time by a couple of minutes.
- Alternative add-ins: Try cornflakes, potato chips, pretzel pieces, or dried fruit. Use a comparable amount. You can also use any type of baking chips or nuts. Many recipes for cowboy cookies include cinnamon. If you want, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon when you stir in the dry ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Those look so delicious!
Thanks Denise!