Cowboy cookies have something for everyone! Every bite is chock-full of flavor and texture, with peanut butter, chocolate chips, oats, and nuts. I use a combination of milk chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips, but chunks or white chocolate chips are excellent as well. You can’t go wrong with this yummy cookies!
Cowboy cookies are typically huge, with as much as 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie. I make these with a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop for each cookie, which makes about 5 dozen. Feel free to make them smaller or larger.
Coconut is optional in this version, but you may add 1/2 to 1 cup of flaked coconut along with the pecans. Peanuts are another option if you don’t care for pecans, or use chunky peanut butter and omit the nuts altogether.
Why are the cookies called cowboy cookies?
Cowboy cookies might have been eaten by cowboys on the trail, but nobody really knows how they got their whimsical name. With nuts, oats, chocolate chips, and optional coconut, they offer a good amount of protein and lots of fiber.
Related Recipes:
You might like these peanut butter crackles, or try this recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Or if you’re looking for a gluten-free treat, try these gluten-free snickerdoodles or gluten-free peanut butter cookies.
How to Store and Freeze Cowboy Cookies
- Store cowboy cookies in a sealed food storage bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 to 7 days, or freeze them for up to 4 to 6 months.
Cowboy Cookie Recipe Variations
- Replace 2 cup of the chocolate chips with raisins or dried cranberries.
- Add 1/2 to 1 cup of flaked coconut with the oats and chocolate chips.
- Replace part or all of the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips.
- Instead of chips or morsels, use semisweet chocolate or white chocolate chunks.
- Add 1 cup of brickle bits to the cookies along with the chocolate chips.
Cowboy Cookies
Cowboy cookies have it all! Peanut butter, brown sugar, oats, chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut! What more could you ask for?
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 dozen cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour (200 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/2 to 1 cup flaked coconut, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, beat in the flour mixture just until blended.
- Fold in the oats, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheet. Alternatively, make the cookies larger or smaller.
- Bake the cowboy cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are lightly browned.
- Cool the cookies on a rack and then transfer the cowboy cookies to an airtight container or resealable food storage bag.
