Soft, extra chewy & loaded with chocolate, old-fashioned oats, pecans & coconut is why this is the Best Ever Cowboy Cookies recipe! You’re sure to LOVE ’em!
Oh how I love a good cookie. Sometimes less is more, maybe just a buttery shortbread or even just some chocolate chips. But then there are days when MORE IS MORE & I want all the good stuff thrown in. That is where these Cowboy Cookies come in!
Have you ever made cowboy cookies? They are a soft & chewy oatmeal cookies but with a whole lot of extra good stuff added as mix-ins. So so delicious & perfect for the season.
Growing up there were certain things that really stood out to me as being special. Baking with my mom was one of those things.
Sometimes it was something as simple as making a box of brownie mix. Other times we were making one of her “over the top” wedding cakes for one of her friends. It didn’t matter what we were making, time together in the kitchen was special.
cowboy cookies recipe
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Now that she is gone, I find those moments even more important. This is why I make sure to carve out time to cook & bake with my kids. Not only is it a good learning experience for them, but it gives us quality time together.
Sure it is definitely faster if I just get in the kitchen & knock out a recipe on my own. But those moments between teaching how to do this or that or explaining why we do things a certain way when we are baking are all important for their future.
Then of course, you can’t go wrong with having something as delicious as cookies when it is all said & done.
I really love these cookies because they have so many of the ingredients that I love packed in there. Coconut, pecans, and old-fashioned oats are all paired with chocolate chips. These make my heart go pitter-patter.
Here are some commonly asked questions
Why are they called cowboy cookies?
They used to be cookies cowboys would take out on the trails. They could stay in their stale bags for a while and stay fresh.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I personally use whatever I have on hand. But if you are watching your salt intake, stick with the unsalted butter for these cookies. I wrote my original recipe using unsalted butter but then tried it with salted butter & liked them just the same.
What is the best way to store Cowboy Cookies?
I like to place them in a large airtight bowl or zip-top bag & store at room temperature. This keeps them soft & chewy for a longer period of time. But please enjoy within 3-4 days. Ours never last longer than about 24 hours in this house.
How many can this serve?
This recipe makes 32-36 cookies. You might get more or less depending on how large or small you make your cookies. Although I usually start out making them very large & then end up scaling them back as I go along. So I have a couple batches that are the size of my hand & then a couple of batches that are closer to a regular size cookie.
Can this recipe be doubled?
I actually don’t recommend doubling this recipe. This batch of dough FILLS my mixer bowl to the top & really gives it a workout when adding in all the mix-ins. This is a very thick dough & it makes A LOT!
What’s the point of putting salt on the top of the cookies?
The salt helps bring out the sweetness of the cookies. Just make sure you sprinkle it on the cookies when they are still warm so it will stick to the cookies.
cowboy chocolate chip cookies
Do I need to chill the dough?
NOPE! That is one of the things I love the most about this recipe. I have a lot of cookie recipes & many of them require that the dough be chilled for at least several hours before baking. While those cookies are delicious & well worth the wait, most of the time I don’t want to. So that is probably why these cookies top my list of favorites.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Cowboy Cookies?
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, and set it aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy and light. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Mix in the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the sheet pan, leaving about two inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cookies with the sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan.
Can I use a gluten-free flour?
I’m not sure just yet. I have been meaning to give this a try but haven’t had a chance. If you do try this, I would recommend using a 1:1 flour like this one as I don’t believe it would require additional ingredients that are typically called for when trying to make baked recipes in a gluten-free version. Please come back & tell me how they turned out.
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. However, for these cookies, I usually fluff the flour with a spoon & then gently scoop it into the measuring cup & then level that off before adding to my dough mixture. Make sure your flour isn’t packed down when scooping or packed tightly into your measuring cup. This will make your cookies too dry.
How soft should my butter be?
So, when we are talking about softened butter, it is important that it not be so soft (or nearly melted) that it won’t hold the dough together. The butter should be at room temperature so it can be blended easily with the sugar.
Do I really need Old-Fashioned oats?
So the old-fashioned oats don’t break down with the moisture of the dough. This is what makes the cookies chewier & gives them more texture. I highly recommend sticking with the old-fashioned oats for these cookies.
How do I store these, and how long are they good for?
You will want to keep them at room temperature in an airtight container for a week.
Do these cookies freeze well?
They are good stored in a freezer bag for three months. You can even freeze the dough and bake them off as needed to have warm cookies.
Easy Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients for Cowboy Cookies…
- all-purpose flour
- rolled oats
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- butter – room temperature
- brown sugar-packed
- granulated sugar
- eggs – room temperature
- vanilla extract
- butterscotch chips
- chocolate chips
- pecans
- shredded coconut
- sea salt – optional
Can I make these with quick-cooking oats?
No, you can’t use them in this recipe. They just well not hold up well in this recipe.
Can I use anything besides the butterscotch chips?
If you are not a fan of butterscotch chips, you can double up on the chocolate chips.
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- Rolo Pretzel Turtles
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Products I love when making these Cowboy Cookies…
This Cowboy Cookie recipe is so delicious – and if you’re like me, you probably already have many of these items on hand! OR maybe you have never made Cowboy Cookies before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love how these turn out. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making these cookies. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)
- mixer
- 3/4 sheet pans
- parchment paper
- large cookie scoop
- metal spatula
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
If you love this cowboy cookie recipe, you’re going to love these other cookie recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Other Creative Cookies
Copycat Girl Scout Samoa Cookies
homemade cowboy cookies
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Best Ever Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cup rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon sea salt optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, and set it aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy and light. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Mix in the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the sheet pan, leaving about two inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cookies with the sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Dawn says
One of the best cookie recipes I have tried so far. My grandchildren ask for these cookies all the time and nothing else.