These Cowboy Cookies are packed to the brim with delicious ingredients. They have crispy edges and soft slightly chewy centers. Forget putting them in a cookie jar. The cookie monsters will eat them up in no time!

Cowboy Cookies.

What’s not to like about a hearty cookie that’s filled with oats, coconut, pecans and chocolate chips! It’s like an oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie had a baby. So packed with flavor and texture, and so easy to make. Everyone will love these cookies!

With school starting up again, these cookies will be a great lunch box cookie. Your little cookie monsters will want them for breakfast and afternoon snack. Pack them plenty!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR COWBOY COOKIES

All-purpose flour – Make sure to use all-purpose flour, not cake flour in this recipe.

Baking powder – Helps the cookies to puff up and rise.

Baking soda – Baking soda promotes spreading, chewiness and crispy edges.

Salt – Salt is used to enhance all the flavors.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds warmth to these cookies.

Unsalted butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter in this recipe. Salt is added separately.

Granulated sugar – We use granulated sugar for sweetness.

Light brown sugar – We use part light brown sugar for added moistness and rich flavor.

Large eggs – Use large eggs for added richness and for binding all the ingredients together. They are promote spreading and puffiness to the cookies.

Pure vanilla extract – This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Make sure to use pure/real vanilla extract, not imitation. It makes a big difference.

Old fashioned rolled oats – Make sure to use old fashioned oats, not quick or instant.

Sweetened coconut flakes – Make sure to use sweetened coconut flakes. Unsweetened coconut flakes aren’t as moist and will lend to dry cookies.

Pecans – Pecans add a perfect crunch and earthiness to these cookies. We don’t want all the ingredients to be sweet.

Semi sweet chocolate chips – We used semi sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. However, feel free to use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie or bittersweet for a less sweet cookie.

Sea salt – This is optional but I sprinkled a tiny bit on top of each cookie when they came out of the oven so help offset the sweetness. Excellent…I suggest using it!

Cowboy Cookies.

I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about former First Lady Laura Bush winning a bake off contest with her Cowboy Cookies against Tipper Gore and others.

Furthermore, this was during the 2000 presidential campaign. She won first place and helped make these cookies become very popular. With that being said, these cookies have really been around for years. It’s hard to believe that people weren’t talking about them more before the year 2000.

Once I ate my first Cowboy Cookie, I was like…where have these cookies been throughout my whole life?! Why didn’t my mom make them? Why didn’t I see them at bake sales or church potlucks? Well anyhow…I’m so glad they are in my life now!

Cowboy Cookies.

How to make cowboy cookies

  • Add the oats, chopped pecans, coconut & chocolate chips to a medium bowl and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure they are thoroughly combined. Add the oats, chopped pecans, coconut & chocolate chips and mix well. Set aside.
  • To a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and two sugars. Beat on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth, and the sugars are no longer grainy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
  • Add the mixed dry ingredients in thirds, mixing on low speed with each addition, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  • Drop by medium cookie scoops onto lined baking sheets, making sure to leave at least 2-inches between them. I use a cookie scoop that holds 3 tablespoons. If you’re not sure how much your cookie scoop holds, fill the scoop with tablespoons of water.
Cowboy Cookies.
  • Bake until they are lightly browned on top and the edges look crispy, about 11 minutes. Do not over bake. When the cookies look just slightly underbaked in the centers remove them from the oven. They will continue to bake for a minute on the cookie sheets.
  • Optional: Place a pecan half and 2 to 3 chocolate chips on top of each hot cookie. Then sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on top of each cookie.
Cowboy Cookies.

You might also like…

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Apple Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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Cowboy Cookies.

Cowboy Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 36 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

These hearty cookies are filled with oats, coconut, pecans and chocolate chips. So packed with flavor and texture, and so easy to make. Everyone will love them.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon & leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut
  • 1 12–ounce bag semi chocolate chips
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Pecan halves and chocolate chips for garnish, optional
  • Sea salt for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. The silicone mats help to keep cookies from spreading too much.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure they are thoroughly combined. Add the oats, chopped pecans, coconut & chocolate chips and mix well. Set aside.
  3. To a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and two sugars. Beat on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth, and the sugars are no longer grainy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the mixed dry ingredients in thirds, mixing on low speed with each addition, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Drop by medium cookie scoops onto lined baking sheets, making sure to leave at least 2-inches between them. I use a cookie scoop that holds 3 tablespoons. If you’re not sure how much your cookie scoop holds, fill the scoop with tablespoons of water.
  6. Bake until they are lightly browned on top and the edges look crispy, about 11 minutes. Do not over bake. When the cookies look just slightly underbaked in the centers remove them from the oven. They will continue to bake for a minute on the cookie sheets.
  7. Optional: Place a pecan half and 2 to 3 chocolate chips on top of each hot cookie. Then sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on top of each cookie.
  8. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.