Cowboy Cookies are the ultimate cookies! They taste similar to chocolate chip oatmeal cookies but they are so much more! Made with real chopped chocolate, brown sugar, oats, shredded coconut, pecans and a whole tablespoon of vanilla, they have texture and flavor in spades. They are thick, soft and chewy. I know you will love these cookies.
The original recipe for Cowboy Cookies is from Texas, USA, where the real cowboys (and cowgirls!) reside, I imagine. Cowboy Cookies are Texas-big and loaded with southern goodness. I think they had their origins as a kind of energy bar, most likely intended to tide the cowboys and cowgirls over until they could ride back to the homestead for dinner. Makes sense to me!
Our middle child is taking his Austrian Matura exams now (similar to A-levels) and for the oral exams, the parents were asked to provide something for the buffet. I’m sending these Cowboy Cookies with him. They have sugar and nuts for the brain cells, and chocolate and oats to soothe the nerves. If they’re good for cowboys, they’re good for hard-working students and teachers!
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do!
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225 g) butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (315 g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded coconut
- 2 cups (340 g) bittersweet baking chocolate chopped into chunks, or chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) chopped pecans or walnuts
- Flaked sea salt such as Maldon, if desired
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula periodically. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
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Add the oats, coconut, chocolate chunks and pecans and mix to combine. (Your mixing bowl will be very full at this point and, if you are using a hand-held electric mixer, mix in the last ingredients using a sturdy wooden spoon.)
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Using a regular-sized ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop out dough, shape into 1 ½ inch (4 cm) balls and place dough balls on baking tray, leaving room for the cookies to spread. Sprinkle dough balls with sea salt flakes.
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Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and the tops look mostly dry (no longer shiny). Cool cookies on baking tray for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to one week or freeze for up to two months. I recommend freezing all the cookies and taking them out individually as needed. They thaw after only a few minutes at room temperature and the texture is amazing. Eating them half-frozen is my favorite!
Recipe Notes
Baking tips: 1. The liquids in the dough will be absorbed by the dry ingredients after a while. This is not a problem – but if you have the impression that the dough isn’t spreading enough in the oven and the cookies are coming out thicker than you prefer, you can turn the oven temperature down to 325°F (160°C) and bake the cookies for a couple of minutes longer. 2. If the cookies seem too soft after baking and resting two minutes and are falling apart, just stick them back into the oven to bake for another 2 ½ minutes and they will be great.
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