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Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy cookies and oats on parchment paper
Photo Credit
Ivanna Grigorova/Shutterstock
Ken Haedrich
Yield
Makes about 24 cookies.
Category
Cookies and Bars
Course
Desserts
Occasions
Christmas
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Baking
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Our Cowboy Cookies recipe is a reader favorite! Packed with yummy mix-ins such as oats, chocolate chips, and pecans (or walnuts), they have a nice, chewy texture. 

You can make it your own and add raisins or cranberries for an even chewier taste; some folks like to add shredded coconut, but since many folks don’t like coconut, we left it out. You can make them any way you like, whether you like oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cookies with walnuts, or coconut cookies. Can’t decide? Make it with all those things!

These cookies are a favorite to share at parties, office gatherings, and late-night get-togethers. They are especially great for the holidays and when you need a quick and easy dessert fix. 

These cookies freeze well, too. Perfect for guests or when you don’t want to eat too many at once!

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter, shortening, and sugars for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla. Stir in the dry mixture, about half at a time. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or longer; if longer, let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before shaping).
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two large baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
  4. Using 1⁄4 cup of dough per cookie, shape dough into balls and place on the baking sheet, leaving 2-1/2 inches in between. Flatten balls into 1⁄ 3-inch-thick disks with your fingers. Bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the baking sheet 180 degrees midway through the baking time. When done, cookies will have browned very lightly and will still look moist beneath the surface. Do not overbake.

Variations

Instructions

Cowboy Cookies with Coconut
Add 1 cup of flaked sweetened coconut to the dough along with the chocolate chips.

Bandana Cowboy Cookies
Omit the chocolate chips and substitute 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 cup of Craisins. (The white and red suggest a cowboy’s bandana.)

Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies
Omit the chocolate chips and substitute 2 cups of peanut butter chips. Or, use 1 cup each of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

About The Author

Ken Haedrich

Ken Haedrich is one of America’s leading baking authorities and a prolific writer—the author of 17 cookbooks and hundreds of magazine articles. Ken has received numerous accolades for his work and is the recipient of The Julia Child Cookbook Award. Read More from Ken Haedrich
 

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Comments

Beau Larrow (not verified)

1 month 3 weeks ago

I put everything in, white, sweet and semi sweet chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, cinnamon a touch of nutmeg or cardamom. During different holidays I may put in red and green M&M's for Christmas and use pastel for Easter or use mint. Always a surprise. Use your imagination to change them up.

Lola Friedhoff (not verified)

10 months ago

We like raisins instead of chocolate chips and no cinnamon.

Nancy (not verified)

10 months ago

In the cowboy cookie recipe, the number of eggs to use was omitted. Please tell me how many eggs to use. I so want to make these cookies.

claire (not verified)

10 months ago

This is so wonderful; thank you! I bake cookies frequently for bake sales at our church and all of these cookie recipes are great!

JUDY RANDOLPH (not verified)

2 years 10 months ago

How delighted I was to see Cowboy cookies recipe that I've been making since the late 70's from a Pat Boone recipe I found in the newspaper. I also added peanut butter and maybe the ingredients are not exactly the same, but it was my favorite cookie recipe. I still make it at age 76. thank you!

Paula (not verified)

4 years 7 months ago

Thank you for the recipe. Within the next few hours I hope my home will be filled with the aroma of baking cowboy cookies (made with what I have on hand, i.e., goji berries and hazelnuts) and also a playlist's worth of old-time cowboy songs by the Bunkhouse Orchestra Deseret String Band, beginning with "A Cowboy's Life."

*Not to be confused with Cow Pies.

Shelley Walsh (not verified)

4 years 7 months ago

These look fantastic, but I am wondering if I can use less sugar and if so what would be the least amount of sugar I could use while still having the recipe turn out? I am trying very hard to reduce my overall sugar intake. Thank you.

Hi, Shelley. You could use 1/4 less brown sugar and 1/3 less white sugar. The cookies will be different, but still good.