Cowboy Cookies
Former First Lady Laura Bush is credited with putting cowboy cookies on the map, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re big, bold oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut flakes. Think of them as the overachievers of the cookie world: one cookie, all the good stuff.
This version takes that classic recipe and tones down the sugar overload just a bit, using a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips for a deeper, more grown-up flavor. The edges are lightly crisp, the centers stay soft and chewy, and every bite has that nostalgic, homemade comfort you remember from childhood—without being cloyingly sweet.
These giant cookies are perfect for bake sales, snow days, game nights, or those evenings when you want something more satisfying than a store-bought snack. Pour a cold glass of milk (or your favorite coffee), grab a still-warm cookie, and enjoy a little blast from the past.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Servings: 24
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp of salt
- 1 cup of butter (room temp.)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup of dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup of sweetened coconut flakes or toasted coconut flakes
- ¼ cup of chopped pecans
Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Step 1: Heat your oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, beat the butter and vanilla with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar and mix for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Step 3: Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, oats, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans. (This is a thick dough—channel your ’90s arm workout and use a long-handled wooden spoon.)
Prefer all semi-sweet chocolate? Use 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and skip the dark chocolate chips.
Step 4: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie and place them at least 3 inches apart. These cookies spread and need space.
Step 5: Bake at 350ºF for 15–18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look just a bit soft. For chewy, soft cookies, avoid over-baking—pull them out before they look completely set.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (Careful: the cookies will be hot when they first come out of the oven.)
Tips for the Best Cowboy Cookies
Switch up the coconut: You can use unsweetened coconut flakes or toasted coconut flakes for an extra toasty, nutty flavor.Tips-
Giant-cookie payoff: This recipe makes about 24 large cookies using 1/4 cup of dough per cookie.
Customize the chocolate: Use all semi-sweet, all dark, or a mix—whatever fits your mood.
Freeze the dough:
Roll leftover dough into a log and wrap it tightly in plastic or place it in a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Or scoop dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to a container or bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes.
How to Serve Cowboy Cookies
Serve these cookies slightly warm with a glass of cold milk, your favorite coffee, or even hot cocoa on a chilly night. They travel well in lunchboxes, care packages, or road-trip snack stashes—very “throw it in the bag and go” energy.
Whether you remember the original Laura Bush cowboy cookie craze or you’re just discovering them now, this updated version keeps all the nostalgia with a slightly more grown-up flavor. One batch, and they’ll be on repeat in your kitchen.
🍪 Before You Go…
If you love these cowboy cookies, you’ll also want to try my classic chocolate chip cookies, cozy powdered-sugar–dusted Russian tea cakes, and fun, colorful M&M cookies that are always a hit with both kids and grown-ups.
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, beat the butter and vanilla with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth.Gradually add the sugars and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and combine using a wooden spoon. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans. (Folding in the oats, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and nuts may require a strong arm and a long-handled wooden spoon.) *If you would prefer to use all semi-sweet chocolate chips, just add one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and omit the dark chocolate chips from the recipe.
- Scoop cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart. Add 1/4 cup of dough to each cookie.
- Bake in a 350º F oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned, to achieve chewy, soft cookies. Avoid over-baking them. This will prevent them from becoming crunchy. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on a baking sheet, then move them to a rack to cool completely. *Caution: The cake will be hot when removed from the oven.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.
