Cowboy Cookies
Irresistible Cowboy Cookies (also known as Ranger Cookies) have perfect crisp edges with soft and chewy centers, and the most amazing texture. They are loaded with hearty oats, crunchy pecans, shredded coconut flakes and chocolate chips. With one bite of these epic cookies, you will be completely obsessed with how delicious they taste!
If you’ve never tried Cowboy Cookies, you’re about to be blown away! We’ve taken our very delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to the next level with some incredible mix-ins. Aside from the semi-sweet chocolate chips, we’re mixing in sweetened coconut flakes and chopped pecans. So, if you’re looking for a classic cookie that’s kicked up a notch, this is the recipe for you!
Not only are these Cowboy Cookies going to be your new favorite, they are wonderful for any occasion! Add them to your holiday dessert spreads, make them for an after-school snack, serve them on game day, or bake some anytime you’re craving something sweet. We highly recommend making a double batch because these go fast!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Cowboy cookies are made with simple baking ingredients that you most likely have in your kitchen.
- The texture is out of this world! They’re slightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
- So much flavor in every bite! The combination of melty chocolate with sweet shredded coconut and nutty pecans could not be more perfect. And even if you don’t think you like coconut, you must try these cookies. It’s not overwhelming, there’s just enough to add incredible chewiness.
- Freezer-friendly! Freeze the dough or the baked cookies to enjoy at a later date!
- Taste just like grandma made them. These have a very nostalgic flavor, and make you think of a treat that came from your grandma’s kitchen.
Ingredients needed
This Cowboy Cookie recipe is a fabulous take on classic chocolate chip cookies. They’re made with common baking ingredients that come together for a major deliciousness. Here’s a note on everything you’ll need:
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for a tender crumb.
- Baking staples: A combination of baking powder and baking soda help these rise and bake properly.
- Cinnamon: For cozy warmth.
- Salt: Enhances all of the flavors.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe. Also, be sure your butter is softened to room temperature, so that it combines properly with the sugars.
- Granulated sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Brown sugar: Dark or light brown sugar is used in combination with granulated sugar for a moist cookie with rich flavor.
- Egg: One large egg and one egg yolk adds richness and help to bind the ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: Adds subtle sweetness and extra flavor.
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned oats provide the best chewy, hearty texture. We do not recommend quick oats for this recipe.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are best because they won’t overwhelm the other flavors. However, milk chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chips will work.
- Coconut: Multiple people that claim they don’t like coconut have tried and loved these cookies. It’s a must for the most delicious chewy texture.
- Chopped pecans: Provides a crunchy contrast to the softness of the cookie.
Recipe tip
Room temperature, softened butter is cool to the touch (about 65°F) and should indent slightly when pressed with your finger. Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe. Here’s a guide on how to soften butter quickly. For room temperature eggs in a hurry, place in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10-15 minutes.
How to make this recipe
Cowboy Cookies are just as easy to make as your average chocolate chip cookie. However, you’ll want to plan ahead and chill the dough for a cookie that is thicker, chewier and has maximum flavor! Here’s how they come together:
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl.
- Combine butter and sugars: Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and yolk, then stir in vanilla.
- Stir in flour and mix-ins: Gradually stir in flour mixture. Mix in the oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Prep: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop dough: Using a 2 tablespoon-scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake: Place in oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from oven, and immediately add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you’d like. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Expert tips
Check out these simple tips to ensure your cookies are perfectly baked every time!
- Weigh ingredients: Weigh your flour (and other ingredients) in grams using a food scale for the most accurate measure. This will help ensure your baked goods come out exactly as written in the recipe instead of dry and puffy.
- Measuring flour: If you don’t have a food scale, lightly spoon flour (don’t pack) into a measuring cup and without shaking the cup, use a straight edge to level off the top.
- Don’t over-bake: If you like a doughy center, check these at about the 8-minute mark. For a soft, but more set center, they’ll probably need to cook for about 10 minutes. Remember, they will continue to set on the baking sheet as they are cooling.
- Shaping cookies: Scoot your cookies inside of a large, round biscuit cutter right as they come out of the oven for a perfectly circular shape.
- Use sweetened shredded coconut: Be sure that the coconut is sweetened, so it has moisture in it. Dry unsweetened coconut could yield dry cookies. You can omit the coconut, if you must.
Variations
This is an easy cookie recipe to customize, and use your favorite nuts and chocolate. Honestly, these are absolutely perfect as-is, but feel free to get creative and experiment! Here’s some options:
- Baking chips: Feel free to use white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking add-ins.
- Nuts: You can replace the pecans with walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and/or macadamia nuts.
- Dried fruit: Try adding about 1 cup raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots, or chopped dates for bursts of chewy sweetness.
- M&M’s: Add in about 1 cup miniature or regular M&M’s, if you’d like to make these colorful!
- Ranger cookies: Sometimes these are called ranger cookies, but actually ranger cookies always include some type of cereal and don’t usually include nuts. Feel free to use this recipe to make ranger cookies by substituting the pecans for 3/4 to 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal or cornflake cereal.
Frequently asked questions
A classic cowboy cookie is an oatmeal cookie made with chocolate chips, pecans, and sweetened flake coconut. The popular recipe from former First Lady Laura Bush includes one tablespoon of cinnamon, a unique addition and not typically included. This specific recipe includes 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, which you could increase to 1 tbsp, if you’d like. Laura Bush actually submitted these in a bake-off during the 2000 presidential election. They beat out her competitor Tipper Gore’s ginger snap recipe, and have ever since been popular!
Some claim they originated in Texas, a state many cowboys call home, so that’s why they got the name. Others say the treats were named for their ability to withstand long days in a saddlebag, like an energy bar for cowboys. Whatever its origin, the combination of oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut is absolutely perfection.
The cowboy cookies from Crumbl are similar to this recipe. They are described as a warm oatmeal cookie filled with tasty semi-sweet chips, sweetened shredded coconut and crunchy toasted pecans. To make these huge like Crumbl, use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to portion the dough into balls, or for more accuracy weigh the dough into 110 grams and roll it into balls. Leave 3 inches between the balls on the pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned, and remove from the oven.
Storage recommendations
- Freezing the dough: Scoop out balls of dough. Flash freeze the balls on a pan for about 30 minutes and then place them in a freezer-safe baggie for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
- Make ahead dough: If you are wanting to prep just several days ahead, you can keep batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: Once completely cool, store in a freezer-safe container or baggie, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storing leftover cookies: Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie for about 1 week at room temperature, but I can’t imagine them lasting that long!
- Reheating: To make them taste freshly baked, warm them in the microwave for about 25 seconds.
More cookie recipes
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- Taylor Swift Chai Cookies
- Grandma’s Date Pinwheel Cookies
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (224g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (180g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (70g) sweetened coconut flakes
- ¾ cup (90g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl.
- Cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in one whole egg and one egg yolk, then stir in vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture.
- Mix in the oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 2 tablespoon-scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart the baking sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Notes
Storage tips
- Freezing the dough: Scoop out balls of dough. Flash freeze the balls on a pan for about 30 minutes and then place them in a freezer-safe baggie for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
- Make ahead dough: If you are wanting to prep just several days ahead, you can keep batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing baked cookies: Once completely cool, store in a freezer-safe container or baggie, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storing leftover cookies: Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie for about 1 week at room temperature.
- Reheating: To make them taste freshly baked, warm them in the microwave for about 25 seconds.
Did you make this recipe?
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