But let’s be honest, sometimes only the richest and most indulgent cookie is going to cut it! Let me tempt you with double chocolate mint cookies, one of my favourite festive treats. Super chocolatey and with a peppermint pop. It might come as a surprise but I don’t bake too often and when I do I prefer making muffins and breads, so cookie making is truly special. This Cowboy Cookies recipe came to me via an unknown school fundraiser recipe book from many years back. I lost it a long time ago as a result of our globetrotting tendency but the recipe stayed with me and became a favourite in our family. This cookie is reminiscent of a morning granola or so I tell myself when I am tempted to grab it and eat it first thing in the morning. Each cookie is chock full of earthly goodness – oats, walnuts, raisins, dark chocolate and coconut! In fact, as soon as I am done writing this I will indulge in a hot cup of coffee and one of these tasty delights!
What are cowboy cookies?
Thrown under the spotlight at the presidential election bake-off in 2000, Laura Bush’s cowboy cookies took the top spot pipping ginger snaps to the post. But these oatmeal cookies go way back. Chewy, gooey and packed with goodies, history has it these cookies were stuffed in cowboys’ saddlebags and eaten on the go. Could cowboy cookies be the OG energy bar? Very likely. Packed with protein-rich nuts, slow energy-releasing oats, and naturally occurring sugar in dried fruits, they are a nutritious, and delicious, boost. And easily negotiated with one hand riding horseback.
Recipe variations
The cowboy cookie recipe template is essentially: oats, chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut. But it really is a build-your-own-cookie type of thing. You can take, leave, and add what you like. I’ve already tinkered with it and adjusted to design my dream cowboy cookie. I’ve swapped out pecans for walnuts, added raisins, ditched the cinnamon and dashed with vanilla. Other add-ins I’ve tried are:
pretzel pieces (I cannot resist a sweet and salty combo) mini marshmallows for mega goo peanuts every choc chip under the sun; dark, milk, white bashed bits of M&Ms toffee pieces cherries
But not all at once. I recommend sticking to a combo of 4 or 5 extras only.
Storage and leftovers
Yielding 2 dozen, this recipe for cowboy cookies is all measured out and intended for a big family fandango. Or if that’s not on your agenda, you can freeze the spare dozen. Dough is perfect for freezing, it just needs to be thawed before following the original baking instructions. Once they’ve cooled completely, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their chew. Eat them within 3 days while they are at their freshest.
Other cookies to try
Lemon Ricotta Cookies White Chocolate Matcha Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios and Sea Salt Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
title: “Cowboy Cookies” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-16” author: “Robin Leverenz”
There’s debate on where cowboy cookies get their name. Some believe that because they’re so robust and filling, they were sort of like an energy bar for cowboys who could keep them in their saddlebags for many days. Others theorize that got the name simply because they originated in Texas, a state synonymous with cowboys. But everyone agrees that these cookies are perfect: not too sweet, a little salty, with the perfect chewiness complemented by crunchy nuts. For more delicious cookie recipes, try my homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, kitchen sink cookies recipe, and monster cookies recipe.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Cinnamon — ground cinnamon adds warmth to these cookies. You could also use a bit of nutmeg if you like. Baking soda — an important ingredient for chewy cookies. It helps with spreading in the oven and creating those crispy edges. Butter — unsalted butter is the best option for this cowboy cookie recipe. Set it out about 20 to 30 minutes before you start baking to give it time to soften. Sugar — you’ll need light brown sugar for its deep rich flavor and moisture, as well as regular granulated sugar. Vanilla extract — the recipe calls for a generous amount of vanilla, so opt for a high-quality vanilla extract, not vanilla essence. Mix-ins — old-fashioned oats (also called rolled oats), semisweet chocolate chips, sweetened coconut flakes, and chopped pecans all go into these hearty cookies. Do not use quick oats or steel-cut oats.
How to Make Cowboy Cookies
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), combine the softened butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and 1 egg. Continue to beat until the ingredients are well incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl in order to incorporate the butter mixture evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the butter and egg mixture. Give it a quick stir with a spatula to start incorporating the flour mixture, then turn the mixer on again and mix until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl again.
- Add the oats and chopped pecans to the mixing bowl, and mix for a few seconds to start incorporating these ingredients.
- Then add the chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Sweetened coconut can clump together in the package, so be sure to break apart any big chunks as you add it to the mixing bowl.
- Give the bowl a final scrape down on the sides and mix everything together by hand to make sure it’s well combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Do not skip chilling the dough!
- Just before pulling the dough out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop the dough into balls. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. This gives them room to spread. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until you see golden brown edges. The cookies should still be soft in the center (they will continue to bake after you remove them from the oven). Let the cowboy cookies sit on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. Using too much flour is a common baking complaint that will result in dry, crumbly cowboy cookies. I use a kitchen scale to accurately weigh how much flour I need. If you don’t have one, fluff up the flour in its bag or container, then use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup. Don’t scoop with your measuring cup directly from the flour container. Use toasted pecans for extra nutty flavor! You can follow my instructions for toasting pecans using 3 easy methods. Use different nuts. Not a fan of pecans? Feel free to swap them out with walnuts, macadamia nuts, or even peanuts! If you don’t want to add any nuts at all, that’s okay, too. Use different chocolate chips. You can use bittersweet chocolate chips for a less sweet cookie, or milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie. You could also swap some of the semisweet chocolate chips out for white chocolate chips! For something completely different, try mini M&Ms or other candy-coated chocolates. Make sure the shredded coconut is sweetened. Sweetened coconut has moisture in it. Dry unsweetened coconut will yield dry cookies.
If you’ve tried this cowboy cookies recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
