There’s something extra fun about cowboy cookies. My kids loved the name, but they were truly sold after tasting these chewy, chunky cookies filled with old-fashioned oats, semisweet chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut. These easy cowboy cookies offer great texture and balanced sweetness, and they hold up well in lunchboxes or as grab-and-go snacks.
Cowboy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These hearty, old-fashioned cowboy cookies feel a touch more wholesome than a standard chocolate chip cookie. Rumor has it cowboys once kept sturdy cookies like these in their saddlebags because they traveled well. Whether or not that’s true, after testing batch after batch I can attest these cookies are reliable, flavorful, and consistently delicious.
This recipe is inspired by the Laura Bush cowboy cookies that gained national attention during the First Lady bake-off, but it’s simplified for everyday baking. With common pantry ingredients you still get the same bold flavors—oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate—without fuss.
How to Tell When They’re Done
If you find it tricky to gauge doneness with chunky, mix-in-heavy cookies, use an instant-read thermometer. The cookies are perfectly baked when the centers reach about 175°F. Otherwise, bake until the edges are light golden and the centers look set but may still appear slightly soft—they’ll finish setting as they cool on the sheet.
Cowboy Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- 2 baking sheets
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups old fashioned oats*
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut**
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup room-temperature salted butter and 1 cup light brown sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix to combine and scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add 1¼ cups old fashioned oats, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
- Gently fold in ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, and ½ cup chopped pecans, taking care not to break up the nuts too much.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake 12–14 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and beginning to brown at the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely on the pan before serving.
Notes
*Quick oats can be used in place of old-fashioned oats, but the cookies may be drier.
**Unsweetened coconut works too but can yield drier, crumblier cookies.
Tips:
- Toast coconut or nuts at 350°F for 5–7 minutes for deeper flavor.
- Avoid overmixing to prevent flat, tough cookies.
- If dough is sticky or cookies spread too much, chill the dough 15–20 minutes before baking.
- Remove cookies when the edges brown; centers may look slightly underdone but will set as they cool.
Make-Ahead: Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Bake from chilled or frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time if needed.
Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
How to Make Cowboy Cookies Step-by-Step
Cream the Butter and Sugar: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup room-temperature salted butter with 1 cup light brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the Egg and Vanilla: Add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Stir in the Oats and Flour: Add 1¼ cups old fashioned oats, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Mix just until combined—overmixing can make cookies tough.
Fold in the Mix-Ins: Gently fold in ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, and ½ cup chopped pecans, keeping the nuts as large as possible for texture.
Portion the Cookies: Scoop 2-tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart so they can spread evenly.
Bake and Cool: Bake for 12–14 minutes, until edges are light golden and centers are nearly set. Let cookies cool completely on the pan so they finish setting.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before serving.