Cowboy Cookies
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Hearty, chewy, and loaded with oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips—these cowboy cookies are a bakery-worthy treat you can make at home in under 30 minutes.
If you’ve never had a cowboy cookie before, you’re in for a treat — these cookies are basically the kitchen-sink of the cookie world. They’ve got chewy oats, sweet coconut flakes, crunchy pecans, and melty semi-sweet chocolate chips all wrapped up in one buttery, cinnamon-kissed dough.
I mean I love a good oatmeal raisin cookie or a simple oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. But these cowboy cookies? These are like oatmeal cookies to the next level. I’ve got a few tips and tricks for you so you can make these bakery style cookies at home.
Whether you call them cowboy cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or just “the best cookie you’ve ever had,” this cowboy cookies recipe delivers perfectly chewy cookies with golden brown edges and a tender, flavorful center.
The Key To Soft, Chewy Cowboy Cookies
There are a few key things to getting soft, chewy cookies and not dry, crumbly ones. Skipping or swapping certain ingredients will make a huge difference and not in a good way!
- Use old fashioned oats! I do not recommend quick oats as they are finer in texture and can be “dustier” and not as chewy. Quick oats will work, but for the best texture, stick to old-fashioned oats.
- Watch your flour: Spoon and level method for accuracy. Or use a kitchen scale and weigh your flour best results! Too much flour will result in a cakey, dry cookie that doesn’t spread.
- Wrong kind of coconut. Use sweetened shredded coconut. I don’t recommend unsweetened coconut as it can make for a dry, crumbly cookie.
These three things will result in a cookie that will taste like it came from a bakery!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe list and amounts scroll to the bottom of the post. But here is the general list and few notes to mention! Here’s what you’ll need for the best cowboy cookies:
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level method for accuracy. Or use a kitchen scale and weigh your flour best results!
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter – Softened for creaming. You can use salted butter, but omit the extra salt.
- Light brown sugar – If you have run out, try making your own homemade brown sugar!
- White sugar
- Large eggs – Room temperature for best mixing. Here is my full tutorial on how to bring eggs to room temperature quickly.
- Vanilla extract
- Old-fashioned oats – I do not recommend quick oats as they are finer in texture and can be “dustier” and not as chewy. Quick oats will work, but for the best texture, stick to old-fashioned oats.
- Sweetened shredded coconut flakes – I don’t recommend unsweetened coconut as it can make for a dry, crumbly cookie.
- Toasted pecans – Don’t skip toasting the pecans! Or swap with almonds or walnuts. It makes a huge difference in flavor. Here is my full tutorial on how to to toast pecans.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You can also use milk or white chocolate chips.
How to Make Cowboy Cookies
Prep oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or you can use a silicon baking mat)
Combine dry ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a second bowl cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy about 2-3 minutes.
Add in your eggs one at a time, beating to incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Scrape down bowl as needed.
Combine wet and dry mixtures. Add in your dry ingredients, mix on low speed. Be careful to not overmix.
Add oats and mix-ins. Add in the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. Mix on low speed to incorporate.
Bake. Use a 1-inch (small) scoop (or about 1 1/2 tablespoonful) and place 12 cookies about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.
Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are set and golden brown and middles still look slightly soft. Don’t overbake – For chewy cookies, pull them when they still look soft in the middle, and the edges are set and golden brown. They will continue to set up as they cool.
Remove from the oven. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Heather’s Baking Tip
If the cookies are spreading too much it could mean your cookie dough got to warm (either from too softened butter, a warm kitchen or the dough sitting out too long). Try popping the cookie dough in your fridge for 30 minutes to an hour! You could also read my post, Why Are My Cookies Flat?
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour *spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (128 g) toasted, chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cup (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or you can use a silicon baking mat)
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside. 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a second bowl cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy about 2-3 minutes. Add in your eggs one at a time, beating to incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Scrape down bowl as needed. 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Combine wet and dry mixtures. Add in your dry ingredients, mix on low speed. Be careful to not overmix.
- Add oats and mix-ins. Add in the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. Mix on low speed to incorporate. 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned oats 1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut 1 cup (128 g) toasted, chopped pecans 1 ½ cup (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Scoop and bake. Use a 1-inch (small) scoop (or about 1 1/2 tablespoonful) and place 12 cookies about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are set and golden brown and middles still look slightly soft. Remove from the oven. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Make ahead: Dough can be made and covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to soften before scooping.
- Room temperature storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: Place cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or wrap in plastic wrap and store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave.
- Freezing unbaked dough: Scoop cookie dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
- Old-fashioned oats – I do not recommend quick oats as they are finer in texture and can be “dustier” and not as chewy. Quick oats will work, but for the best texture, stick to old-fashioned oats.
- Sweetened shredded coconut flakes – I don’t recommend unsweetened coconut as it can make for a dry, crumbly cookie.
- Toasted pecans – Don’t skip toasting the pecans! Or swap with almonds or walnuts. It makes a huge difference in flavor. Here is my full tutorial on how to to toast pecans.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You can also use milk or white chocolate chips.
