Best Cowboy Cookies Recipe

Cowboy cookies are some of the best cookies that you will ever encounter. These yummy treats have a nice, sweet cookie batter with the addition of chocolate chips, shredded coconuts, and pecans — giving you a little burst of different flavors and textures in each and every bite. Recipe developer Hayley MacLean is one of the best at coming up with amazing dessert recipes, and she perfectly describes this unique cookie. "While the origin of the name 'cowboy cookies' is unknown, the theory is that the very first batch of these was made for cowboys to sustain themselves for long working days on the ranch, as they are so full of ingredients," MacLean says. 

These cookies are absolutely packed with goodness," MacLean continues. "The chocolate chips are velvety and smooth while the pecans give a great crunch and the coconut and oats back it all up with the most amazing chewy texture. They are sure to please any cookie lover!" Keep reading to find out how to make these mouth-watering cookies.

This recipe requires a lot of items that are commonly used for baking, so it's best to check your pantry for things that you may already have. Then, take a trip to the grocery store and load up on baking essentials, including all-purpose flour and baking soda. The recipe also calls for a small dash of salt. When you pop by the refrigerated section, grab some unsalted butter.

You will also need to grab granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract in the baking aisle. Then, pick up eggs, rolled oats, and sweetened shredded coconut as well. Last but not least, you will need toasted pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

This recipe requires the use of an oven, so you will need to preheat it to start. Simply turn the dial to 375 F. Then, grab a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. The parchment paper will prevent the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet, making cleanup a little easier. Next, get a medium-sized bowl and toss in the flour and a few other dry ingredients, including baking soda and salt. Whisk them together to combine. 

Take out another large bowl and toss in the butter. As a reminder, you should have let it sit at room temperature, making it easier to mix. Then, add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Mix the butter and the sugars together until they are light and fluffy. "You can definitely use a standard mixer for this recipe! I use a hand mixer as that's what is [at] my disposal, and then hand fold in the mix-in's so that the dough does not become over-mixed," MacLean shares. "However, if all you have is a whisk and a spatula, this recipe is still definitely do-able!" Next, add the vanilla and the egg and beat until well-mixed. Finally, slowly add the flour mixture until combined.

You just need to add a few more things to the batter to finish it up. Go ahead and fold in the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips into the mix. Mix everything together again to combine. For this step, you can mix with a spoon to avoid breaking the chocolate chips apart. Then, use a spoon or a scoop and drop 2 tablespoon-sized balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space them about two inches apart. Pop the cookies in the oven for eight to 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown around the edges. Then, repeat the same steps with the second batch.

When you take the cookies out of the oven, be sure to allow them to cool on the baking sheet for one to two minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Then, you can finally enjoy the cookies! "These cookies are amazing served with a cold glass of milk after a meal of fresh off the grill BBQ," MacLean says. "The warm cookies absolutely melt in your mouth and the cool milk washes it down perfectly." Anything left? No worries! "Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days," MacLean suggests. "Or, these cookies or the cookie dough itself can be frozen for up to a month! To freeze the cookie dough, form the dough balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet before transferring them to an airtight container." We hope you enjoy!