Cowboy Cookies

These hearty cowboy cookies are loaded with so many delicious ingredients, from coconut to nuts and chocolate chips, and make a great addition to your cookie jar.

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Table of Contents

Cowboy Cookies Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Cowboy Cookies Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
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Nothing satisfies the soul quite like warm, chewy, and classic cowboy cookies! This classic treat is made with oats, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and semi-sweet chocolate chips and makes a comforting post-dinner treat or just an anytime snack.

Cowboy Cookies Ingredients

Cowboy Cookies raw ingredients that are labeled

There’s nothing quite like biting into a perfectly baked cowboy cookie and savoring the combination of oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans.

The texture is just right – chewy and slightly crispy at the same time. With every bite, you’ll taste the sweetness of the brown sugar and the nuttiness of the pecans, both balancing perfectly with the chocolate chips.

You’ll need:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¾ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 whole egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup of quick-cooking oats
¾ cup of pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Substitutions And Additions

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: You can swap out the milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet if that is what your family prefers. Both options taste delicious in this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. You could even change it up and use white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips for something completely different.

NUTS: I love pecans in these delicious cowboy cookies, but walnuts will also work. This is a very forgiving recipe, and the add-ins can be adjusted to fit your taste preferences.

OATS: Be sure you are using quick-cooking oats, not instant oats or even standard old-fashioned oats, in this recipe. Quick oats are smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned oats. Instant oats typically come in the flavored packets meant to be cooked in the microwave. If you only have old-fashioned oats, you can add them to a food processor and give them a quick pulse to break them down into smaller pieces. Do not grind them into oat flour, as this will alter the texture of your cookies.

How To Make This Cowboy Cookies Recipe

Let’s walk through the step-by-step instructions to mixing up all the yummy ingredients that go into creating these hearty cowboy cookies.

STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set dry ingredients aside.

flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon combined

STEP TWO: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the brown sugar and white sugar.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can make these without a stand mixer as well. You will want to use at least an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars to get the right consistency.

STEP THREE: With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the melted & cooled butter until all the butter has been fully incorporated into the sugars.

STEP FOUR: While the mixer is still running, add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Be sure to allow each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next one.

egg, egg yolk, and vanilla blended together

STEP FIVE: To the bowl of the stand mixer, add the flour mixture in three additions, being sure to allow each addition to be mixed in before adding the next. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition of flour.

STEP SIX: Once all the flour mixture has been incorporated, stop the mixer and add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, quick-cooking oats, chopped pecans, and sweetened shredded coconut. Mix on low speed just until all the add-ins have been evenly distributed into the cookie batter. Do not overmix your cowboy cookie batter.

chocolate chips, oats, pecans, and coconut combined together

STEP SEVEN: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cowboy cookie dough for 30 to 45 minutes.

STEP EIGHT: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

STEP NINE: Scoop out the cookie dough using a 2-inch cookie scoop, and place 6 to 8 cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your fingertips, lightly press down on the dough balls to flatten them slightly. This will help your cookies bake evenly.

PRO TIP:

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop gives you nice large cookies. If you use a smaller cookie scoop, you will get more than 20 cookies, and you will need to check your bake time at 9-10 minutes, so you do not overbake the smaller-sized cookies.

STEP TEN: Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and the center is set. Do not overbake your cookies.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP ELEVEN: Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely.

STEP TWELVE: Repeat steps 9 to 11 with the remaining cookie dough until all the cowboy cookies have been baked.

How To Serve

These delightfully chewy cookies are loaded with goodness and are a great pick-me-up when you need a little energy boost. Serve them with a cold glass of milk, Wendy’s Frosty, or homemade hot chocolate.

Looking for something a bit more indulgent? Try serving warm cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Our Twix cookies and fluffernutter cookies are two more easy cookie recipes to whip up when a craving hits.

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Storage

Whether you’re planning ahead for a busy week, or simply want to extend the cookie joy, here’s how you can store these scrumptious bites.

MAKE AHEAD: Cowboy cookies are a fantastic recipe to make ahead of time. Simply prepare the dough as per the recipe, then roll it into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Instead of popping them in the oven, slide the baking sheet into the freezer. Once the dough balls are fully frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag or airtight container and keep them in the freezer.

They can be stored this way for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time – there’s no need to thaw!

ON THE COUNTER: You can store this sweet treat at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can scoop out all the cookie dough into balls and freeze the cookie dough balls in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 2 months. If freezing the cookie dough balls, use a freezer-safe zip-top bag and label it with the type of cookie dough and the baking instructions. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time if baking the cookies from frozen.

overhead shot of a cowboy cookies on a plate

Bursting with oats, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and nuts, our best cowboy cookies recipe has just the right amount of crunchy texture mixed with luscious sweetness. Rumored to date back to the 1800s, this recipe kept the cowboys full while on the trail, and they are sure to satisfy your hunger too!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use old-fashioned oats in this recipe for cowboy cookies?

Quick oats are the best choice in this case. The quick oats are smaller and thinner than the standard old-fashioned oats, giving you the right texture for this hearty cookie.

Can I freeze these perfect cowboy cookies?

These delicious cookies will freeze really well and can be stored for up to a month in an airtight container.

Can I turn this cowboy cookie recipe into granola bars?

You could turn these easy cookies into bars. Press dough into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and cut into bars.

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Cowboy Cookies

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These hearty cowboy cookies are loaded with so many delicious ingredients, from coconut to nuts and chocolate chips, and make a great addition to your cookie jar.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 11

Total Time 1 11

Servings

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 whole egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup quick-cooking oats
¾ cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle in the melted & cooled butter until all the butter has been fully incorporated into the sugars.
While the mixer is still running, add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Be sure to allow each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next one.
To the bowl of the stand mixer, add the flour mixture in three additions, being sure to allow each addition to be mixed in before adding the next. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition of the flour.
Once all the flour mixture has been incorporated, stop the mixer and add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, quick-cooking oats, chopped pecans, and sweetened shredded coconut. Mix on low speed just until all the add-ins have been evenly distributed into the cookie batter. Do not overmix your cowboy cookie batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cowboy cookie dough for 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Scoop out the cookie dough using a 2-inch cookie scoop, and place 6 to 8 cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your fingertips, lightly press down on the dough balls to flatten them slightly. This will help your cookies bake evenly.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, and the center is set. Do not overbake your cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely.
Repeat steps 9 to 11 with the remaining cookie dough until all the cowboy cookies have been baked.

Notes

You can make these without a stand mixer as well. You will want to use at least an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars to get the right consistency.
Using a 2-inch cookie scoop gives you nice large cookies. If you use a smaller cookie scoop, you will get more than 20 cookies, and you will need to check your bake time at 9 to 10 minutes, so you do not overbake the smaller-sized cookies.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

How To Make This Cowboy Cookies Recipe

How To Serve

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Storage

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