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These Cowboy Cookies have the best name, and an even better taste: They’re a classic oatmeal cookie with pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut added in. All of these flavors in one cookie can be overwhelming, but I promise they are great together.
What are cowboy cookies?
Cowboy Cookies were heavily popularized by former First Lady, Laura Bush. It is common tradition to have baking competitions for the wives of presidential candidates. Many amazing cookies have come out of it, but Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies took the win in 2000 against Tipper Gore’s ginger snap cookies. We should all be glad this recipe came to be, because these Texas-Style cookies are amazing.
These cookies have a similar base to my oatmeal cookies and coconut cookies with just a few changes. They have a hearty texture and sturdy crumb and are full of coconut, pecans, oats, and chocolate.
Essential Ingredient Tips
- Ground cinnamon – it isn’t an oatmeal cookie without cinnamon!
- Unsalted butter, softened – I always start cookies with unsalted butter.
- Packed brown sugar – I love a cookie full of brown sugar – it keeps them moist!
- Be sure to measure your all-purpose flour correctly using the spoon and level method so the dough has enough body to support all the mix-ins.
- Quick cooking oats are the preferred type of oat. Their smaller size allows them to distribute evenly around the pecans and coconut, acting as glue for the heavy mix-ins. You can make quick oats from rolled if that’s all you have.
- Shredded sweetened coconut is a classic add-in for cowboy cookies. The sugar in the coconut helps with the chewy edges and adds even more flavor.
- I recommend toasting your pecans for deeper flavor. Add them to a skillet and stir often for about 3 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool. Learn more about toasting nuts. You can substitute walnuts if you want.
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Dorothy’s Expert Tips
- The challenge with a Cowboy Cookie is the sheer volume of mix-ins. With chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut all fighting for space, the dough needs a strong structural anchor. By using Quick Cooking Oats, we provide a smaller crumb that fills the gaps between the larger chunks. This prevents the cookies from falling apart and ensures you get every single flavor in every single bite.
- When mixing the dry ingredients, make sure to mix them until smooth and not much more. You don’t want to over mix them.
- You know when Cowboy Cookies are done when they’re light golden around the edges and have just lost their glossy sheen. Do not over bake or they’ll get too hard once they cool.
- Make sure to let them cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before removing so they hold their shape.
Cowboy Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ (186g) cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (240g) quick cooking oats
- 1 cup (96g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (90g) shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 ½ cups (255g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and flour. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer.) Cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Add oats and mix, then stir in pecans, chocolate chips and coconut.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place on prepared cookie sheets, 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottom is slightly golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any flavor chocolate chips you like.
- Substitute walnuts if you prefer them to pecans.
- Be sure to use sweetened shredded coconut – found in the baking aisle.
Recipe Nutrition
How to make cowboy cookies step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and flour. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer.) Cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over mix.
- Add oats and mix, then stir in pecans, chocolate chips and coconut.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place on prepared cookie sheets, 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottom is slightly golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
FAQs
Yes! Freeze them in an airtight container for 2 months.
They should bake for 10-12 minutes when the bottom is slightly golden.
Yes they are soft and chewy because of all that brown sugar and the oats and coconut.
Flat cookies usually happen if the butter was too warm or the flour was under-measured. For a perfect Cowboy Cookie, ensure your butter is ‘cool room temperature’ (it should dent with a finger but not be greasy). Also, avoid over-mixing the dough once you add the flour, as this can break down the air pockets that provide lift.
cowboy cookie is a hearty, thick oatmeal cookie packed with chocolate chips, pecans, and shredded coconut.
They were popularized by Laura Bush during the 2000 presidential “bake-off,” where they beat Tipper Gore’s ginger snaps.
Yes! You can easily substitute walnuts or any other chopped nut you prefer in this recipe.
Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes until the bottoms are slightly golden. The tops may look soft, but they will firm up as they cool.
Absolutely! These cookies freeze beautifully in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Does the dough need to be refrigerated prior to baking?
Hi Linda, this recipe does not require chilling prior to baking. Enjoy!
No ingredient amounts are listed any where and no video to watch, if amounts are there for the Cowboy Cookies!
If you scroll (or hit the jump to recipe button) you’ll see the recipe.
I did jump to the recipe but for some reason the ingredients were not there, even after several tries. Later I tried again and it did come up. I am anxious to try the recipe as I love oatmeal cookies. Thanks
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