Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies are thick and chewy treats loaded with chocolate chips, oats, shredded coconut, pecans, and cinnamon. Incorporating browned butter into the cookie dough enhances the nutty, caramel notes of the cookie. This recipe packs delightful flavors and textures sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Hooray, it’s cookie season! It’s Jessica Gavin, Certified Culinary Scientist and I’m excited to share this decadent Cowboy cookie recipe with you. Often it’s tough to choose what mix-ins to add into a cookie base. Should you keep it simple or make it more interesting? For this recipe, we maximize the flavor experience so that each bite satisfies those chocolatey and nutty cravings.

This recipe is made with ease by just stirring the ingredients together, portion, and bake. No need to break out a mixer or add extra time for a chilling step. The results are significant, chewy cookies with bold flavor!

Browned Butter

Adding in melted browned butter boosts the roasted and caramel flavors of the cookie, just by spending a few minutes to toast the milk solids. It’s like liquid gold that adds a wonderful richness and complexity to the cookies. I often use this technique when I want to add some maple flavors to my chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Heat butter over medium-high heat, occasionally scraping the pan until you see golden bits start to form. This process only takes one to two minutes, and once it smells faintly like hazelnuts, transfer it quickly to a bowl to stop the cooking process. Browned butter can also be used in savory dishes like a sauce for scallops, fish, or pasta.

Mix-ins

What makes the Cowboy cookie stand out is the diversity of textures and flavors from the mix-in ingredients. Old-fashioned rolled oats don’t get mushy when baked, so it provides a nice chew, not to mention extra fiber to each serving. Why not sneak in some healthy ingredients when you can! Shredded coconut flakes add a pleasing sweetness and tropical twist to the dough.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips give a nice balance of rich cocoa flavor, however, feel free to use dark, white, or even butterscotch chips to switch things ups. Chopped pecans add that extra crunch which is much needed for contrast, although walnut or roasted peanuts are also tasty substitutions.

Making the Cookie Dough

Typically, a stand mixer is my workhorse when baking cookies, but for this mixture, you can use a spatula to hand-mix the cookie dough. The electric mixer will save you a little bit of time though. You will find that the batter is quite thick and stiff, which makes it easy to portion. Make sure to give a gentle press on top to slightly flatten the cookies to help with an even spread as they bake.

These cookies bake up into golden rounds with crisp edges and super chewy centers. Grab a big glass of milk and enjoy a warm treat fresh from the oven. They make a great addition to the holiday dessert table, cookie exchange, and are sturdy enough to ship to lucky family and friends. If you’re a fan of chocolate and nut cookies, then I know you’ll also love my recipe for classic peanut butter kiss cookies too.

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Cowboy Cookies

4.50 from 4 votes

By: Jessica Gavin

Cowboy Cookies are thick and chewy treats loaded with chocolate chips, oats, shredded coconut, pecans, and cinnamon.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ▢ ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ ¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes
• ▢ ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions 

• Place the oven rack in the center position and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to melt the butter evenly. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula until butter is golden brown and nutty in aroma.
• Transfer the browned butter to a large bowl, making sure to scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the butter.
• Add ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup vegetable oil to the browned butter and whisk until well combined.
• Whisk in 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
• Mix the flour mixture into the browned butter mixture until fully combined.
• Add 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes, and ½ cup chopped pecans. Stir into the cookie dough until well combined. The dough will be stiff in texture.
• Scoop the dough into medium balls, about 3 tablespoons per scoop. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie and limiting the number to 8 cookies per pan.
• Use the bottom of a large measuring cup to press each dough ball into 2 ½-inch wide cookies. Reform the edges of the cookies into a circle as needed. If desired, press a few extra chocolate chips and chopped pecans into the top of the cookie dough.
• Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and they are lightly browned on the surface. The centers should still be soft but not wet. Depending on your oven, you may want to rotate the baking sheet halfway through the baking time.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooking rack to finish cooling.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 164mgPotassium: 126mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

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