Cowboy Cookies

This cookie has it all: chocolate chips, oats, white chocolate chips, pecans, and sea salt! Ready in less than 30 minutes, great for an after-school treat or when you just want something sweet! 

For more of my popular cookie recipes, check out my posts for Cherry Garcia Cookies, Copycat Swig Sugar Cookies, and Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.

This fall I’ve been alllll about the after school snacks. And, my kids aren’t really in school yet. I mean, they go to pre-K but they’re only gone for a couple of hours. So it’s not really like they come home mid-afternoon hungry for a snack to keep them full till dinner. But still, I want to be the mom that has a snack waiting for them after school. Usually it’s healthy, but sometimes it’s classic milk and cookies. 

While my kids aren’t picky cookie eaters, I wasn’t sure they’d go for the variety of ingredients in these cowboy cookies. I thought they’d be purists and ask for a “regular” chocolate chip cookie. Boy was I wrong! I can barely put the plate of cookies down before little hands have reached in and grabbed all of them off. I’d say that’s a win! 

Why this Recipe Works

Chocolate chips — White and milk chocolate chips come together in this irresistible cookie. I say they both belong equally and I’m standing by my addition of white chocolate (but take them out if you must). 

Coconut and oats — These are my secret ingredients for moist and chewy cookies. I promise you won’t taste them but they make all the difference! 

Big scoops — I like my cookie scoops on the bigger side. The more chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and nuts I can cram into one cookie, the better. All the better if the cookies are nice and soft and big too right? 

Stores easily — If you have any leftovers that’s impressive, first of all. But secondly, these cookies will keep in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to a week. Or put them in the fridge if you prefer for up to 2 weeks. 

Here’s How you Make it

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper or a baking mat instead. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, oats, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. 
4. Mix in the eggs and vanilla into the butter/sugar mixture. 
5. Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon till just combined. 
6. Stir in just half the chocolate chips and all of the nuts. 
7. Using a large cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop), scoop up the cookie dough and place the scoops onto the baking sheet, about 2-3 inches apart. (You might need two baking sheets for these extra large cookies.)
8. Now gently press the remaining half of the chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies one by one. 
9. Pop in the oven for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown around the edges. Take out of the oven and sprinkle sea salt over the top (as much or as little as you like, or skip it if you don’t).
10. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool all the way. 

Why are they Called Cowboy Cookies?

I’ve done the research and I can’t find a definitive answer as to why these are called cowboy cookies, but there are two theories. 1) They are so full of lots of ingredients, that cowboys could take them with them on rides out West and survive on them. 2) The recipe was first created in Texas or somewhere where actual cowboys existed. 

Not sure that cleared anything up, but there you have it!

Expert Tips

• Don’t feel like pressing those chocolate chips in one by one at the end? You can stir in all of the chocolate chips in step 6, but I tend to reserve about 1/2-1/3 of them for the end. This is my little pro tip for making really gorgeous cookies with evenly distributed chocolate chips!
• Coconut and oats are it people! I promise! You want the chewiest cookies? Then  you need to take my word on this. You won’t taste the coconut and you won’t feel like you’re eating oatmeal cookies either. However, if you don’t have coconut and/or oats, I don’t recommend any substitutions, just leave them out — your cookies will still be insanely delish. 
• When baked as directed in the recipe, these cookies are very thick and slightly underdone in the center (just how I like them!) BUT, my husband prefers them to be a little thinner, chewier, and he does not like that slightly under-baked center. To make them like he likes, I simply make smaller cookie dough scoops (I use one regular-size cookie scoop and fill it a little extra full) and bake at the same temperature (375) for 9 minutes, then allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

• Super Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
• Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Santa’s Cookies
• Best Easy Sugar Cookies
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you make these super soft and delicious Cowboy Cookies? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!