Cowboy Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Cowboy Cookies are chewy, gooey, and packed with chocolate, pecans, oats, and coconut. With crisp edges and loads of mix-ins, they’re incredibly delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time11

Chilling Time1

Total Time1 31

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cowboy cookies

Servings: cookies

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $5.12

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer
2 Half sheet pan (13" x 18")
Silicone baking mat

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed; or light—see note 1
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda see note 2
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes see note 3
3/4 cup chocolate chips I like milk, but semi-sweet or dark work great too!
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

US - Metric

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer), add the room-temperature butter (not melted) and dark brown sugar. Beat at medium speed until light in color and smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes (should resemble creamy peanut butter). Scrape the sides as needed.
Add in the baking soda, cinnamon, and fine sea salt. Mix until just combined, about 20 seconds.
Add in the oats, flour, and coconut. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Add in chocolate chips and coarsely chopped pecans. Using a spatula, fold chips and pecans into the dough until just incorporated. Do not overmix or overbeat dough. Overworking the dough will result in dense cookies. Cover the bowl of dough tightly and chill for 30 minutes.
Shape the cookie dough into balls that are 2 packed tablespoons in size (if you have a food scale: 40 grams each). Roll the balls higher rather than wider. Place dough balls on a plate lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate another 30–45 minutes. If you’re in a rush, freeze the dough balls for about 25–30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with silicone liners (important the trays are lined, so cookies don’t over-brown/burn on the bottom). Place 6 dough balls per sheet pan, allowing plenty of room to spread.
Bake 9–14 minutes (mine are always around 11 minutes), remembering they’re best slightly under-baked. They should look ever-so-slightly gooey in the center (they harden a bit as they cool) and should be lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven, and if they’re too puffy for your liking, bang the sheet pan a few times on the counter to get them to flatten more (see note 4 for troubleshooting). Right out of the oven, you can press a few more chocolate chips and/or pecans in the tops of the cookies if desired (makes them look better and ensures chocolate in every bite!).
Let stand on the cookie sheet for 5–10 minutes to firm up enough to remove to a wire cooling rack with a spatula.
Let cookies fully cool and set up before eating; they firm up a lot as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cookies are best when eaten within 2–3 days.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I like dark brown sugar best, but light brown works too. Make sure the sugar is very fresh and soft! Hard brown sugar won’t cream properly.

Note 2: See if the baking soda is fresh by using this quick test! If baking soda is at all clumpy, press through a fine-mesh sieve first.

Note 3: Use sweetened coconut flakes (not desiccated coconut).

Note 4: Troubleshooting: If cookies aren’t spreading, it’s likely there was too much flour or the dough was overchilled. Pull out of the oven and press down the tops of the cookies with a metal spatula, then return to the oven for another 1–3 minutes or until cooked through. If cookies spread too much, it’s likely too little flour, old baking agents, or dough was not properly chilled. Right out of the oven and working quickly, press the edges inward with a metal spatula.

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They are best enjoyed within 2–3 days.

Nutrition