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Home / Dessert / Cookies

Chewy Cowboy Cookies

5
/5
35 minutes
10 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/30/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Cowboy Cookies are absolutely loaded with chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut. Deliciously chewy, these jumbo cookies are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth, and the dough doesn't require chilling!
These Cowboy Cookies are absolutely loaded with chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut. Deliciously chewy, these jumbo cookies are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth, and the dough doesn't require chilling!
These Cowboy Cookies are absolutely loaded with chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut. Deliciously chewy, these jumbo cookies are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth, and the dough doesn't require chilling!

These Cowboy Cookies are absolutely loaded with chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut. Deliciously chewy, these jumbo cookies are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth, and the dough doesn’t require chilling!

This is one of my Cookie recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

cowboy cookies in basket
Pin this recipe for later!

Have you ever had a cookie so good that after one bite you were already planning when to make the next batch? For me, that was these cowboy cookies.

I’ve been making these for years, but I can’t take credit for them.

This recipe comes from the former First Lady Laura Bush, and won a presidential bake-off (during a presidential election year, and held by Family Circle magazine).

After trying them, I could see why!! Her recipe made 2 dozen cookies, which is pretty standard, but the amount of dough was just overwhelming.

I have a really large stand mixer and it was almost too much for it! So I’ve pared down the recipe and adapted it slightly, so it should fit in a standard stand mixer, without sacrificing any of that amazing flavor.

How to make cowboy cookies?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step photos of how to make cowboy cookie dough
  1. Combine dry ingredients. Whisking them together lets them incorporate better into the dough, as well as removing any lumps.
  2. Beat butter. This is called creaming the butter.
  3. Beat in sugars.
  4. Beat in other wet ingredients. This would be the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
  5. Mix in dry ingredients. This is done in 3 stages, mixing well in between each stage.
  6. Stir in add-ins. Some mixers can handle this (it’s a really thick dough), or you may need to stir them in by hand.
step by step photos of how to bake cowboy cookies
  1. Scoop. These are jumbo sized cookies, so you’ll be using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie.
  2. Bake. Until edges are golden brown, then let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes.
  3. Cool. Cool on a wire rack a little, but we love them warm!

Helpful Tip!

Using a cookie scoop is the best way to make uniform looking cookies. I like to use this scoop, and it’s the perfect size for these jumbo cookies. Plus, you can use it to make big meatballs, big scoops of ice cream, and more!

cowboy cookies on wire cooling rack after baking

Variations of this recipe

  • Nuts – if you’re not a fan of pecans, but like walnuts, give those a try in these cookies. Use the same amount. You can also toast the nuts in a 350°F oven for about 5-7 minutes. This brings out their flavor and crunch.
  • Chocolate – this recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, to account for the fact that these cookies are definitely sweet and rich. But if you’d like to switch it up, try dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips instead.
  • Coconut – like the nuts, you can toast the coconut to really bring out it’s flavor and add a warmth and nuttiness to it. Spread out the coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let it cool before using.
  • Salt – to finish these cookies off with a bit of decadence, when the cookies are fresh out of the oven, try sprinkling them with a bit of flaky sea salt. Maldon is my favorite brand. The salt brings out all the flavors of the cookie!
  • Chilled – as written, the dough doesn’t need to be chilled. But if you’d like even taller and softer cookies, try chilling the scoops of dough for an hour or two (or even overnight) before baking. They may need to bake a minute or two longer since they’ll be cold.
breaking apart a cookie to see the melted chocolate chips inside

FAQ’s

Why are they called “cowboy cookies”?

There seems to be no concrete evidence of where the name “cowboy cookies” came from, but some people say it’s because they came from Texas. Other people say it’s because cowboys would add these to their saddlebags in order to have a snack during their long work days.

What goes into cowboy cookies?

The basic ingredients are a cookie dough base, with add-ins of chocolate chips, oats, pecans, and coconut flakes.

Making cowboy cookies ahead of time

This cookie recipe can also be made ahead of time! I don’t recommend baking them ahead of time, but the dough can be made, covered and refrigerated for a day or so.

You can also, mix up the dough ahead of time and freeze it into individual scoops.

That way when the baking mood strikes, all you have to do it pull out the pre-made dough and bake!

Bake as directed, adding an additional minute or two to the cook time.

gooey insides of a cowboy cookie

Freezing

You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.

Storage

Leftover cookies should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoyed within 5 days.

More Cookie Recipes:

pile of brownie cookies and one with a bite taken out of it
Brownie Cookies
soft sugar cookies
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
salted chocolate chip cookies
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
dipping half a cowboy cookie in a glass of milk
cookie scoop

My Favorite Cookie Scoop!

Cookie scoops are the most versatile kitchen tool… you can use them for cookies, meatballs, ice cream, and more! This scoop is the exact size you’ll need for these cowboy cookies!

Get on amazon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

cowboy cookies in basket

Chewy Cowboy Cookies

5 from 6 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Calories: 429
Servings: 15 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
These Cowboy Cookies are absolutely loaded with chocolate, oats, pecans and coconut. Deliciously chewy, these jumbo cookies are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth, and the dough doesn't require chilling!

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wet ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Add-ins

  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats quick oats can be substituted, but I wouldn't use steel cut oats
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Prepare

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Stir together dry ingredients

  • In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Whisk to combine, then set aside.

Beat wet ingredients

  • Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on MED speed for about 1 minute, or until smooth.
  • Add both granulated and brown sugars and beat another 2 minutes.
  • Add one whole egg, plus one egg yolk, and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Combine

  • Add flour mixture in thirds, beating until combined in between each addition.
  • Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans and mix until combined.  This may be overwhelming for a mixer (depending on your brand), and may need to be done by hand with a wooden spoon and some arm strength, I promise it’ll be worth it!

Bake

  • Use a 1/4 cup cookie scoop to scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3” of space between each cookie.
  • Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, until edges are lightly golden brown, then let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack until cool.
  • Repeat with any remaining cookie dough.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. Recipe adapted slightly from former First Lady Laura Bush
  2. Recipe makes around 12-18 large cookies, but can be doubled if you need a larger batch. 
  3. If doubling, I suggest just making two batches, unless you have a very large stand mixer.
  4. Recipe can also be made using a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Juliane says

    Posted on 4/4 at 9:36 am

    These chewy cookies are truely heaven sent!

    Reply
  2. Beti says

    Posted on 4/4 at 5:46 am

    I am so excited to try these! They sound incredible!

    Reply
  3. katerina says

    Posted on 4/4 at 5:45 am

    These cookies are amazing! They would not last long at our house!

    Reply
  4. Vikki says

    Posted on 4/4 at 2:10 am

    These cookies are so chewy and flavorful! A super tasty snack

    Reply
  5. Catalina says

    Posted on 4/2 at 4:08 am

    I love to bake cookies everyday. These are on my baking list for this week.

    Reply
  6. Sandra says

    Posted on 4/1 at 3:58 pm

    These are really amazing cookies! I loves it! My kids couldn’t stop eating these too!

    Reply
  7. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    Posted on 4/1 at 10:07 am

    Love all of these Cowboy Cookies ingredients!

    Reply
  8. Carole MARTIN says

    Posted on 3/31 at 4:44 am

    Hi Amanda, I would like to make the chewy cowboy cookies but don’t like coconut what could I add instead?
    I love your recipes

    Many thanks
    Carole
    Northern Ireland

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/31 at 9:42 am

      I would just add extra of the chocolate chips, oats and pecans to make up for the lack of coconut 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lin says

    Posted on 3/30 at 9:39 pm

    Oh, Amanda, these look amazing! Can’t wait to make them!

    Reply

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