These soft and chewy cowboy cookies are packed with chocolate chips, rolled oats, pecans, coconut, and cinnamon. They are bursting with flavor and texture and are also quick and easy to make! A plate of cowboy cookies with a glass of milk and plaid napkin.

What are cowboy cookies?

Cowboy cookies are chocolate chip oatmeal cookies spruced up with pecans and shredded coconut. The texture is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and there is a delightful chew in every bite from the rolled oats and shredded coconut. The taste is chocolaty, nutty, and sweet with a hint of cinnamon. Laura Bush’s famous recipe for Texas Governor’s Mansion cowboy cookies was debuted in the Family Circle magazine against Tipper Gore’s ginger snap cookies in the political bake-off edition in 2000. Readers were asked to bake both recipes and vote for their favorite. Laura Bush’s cowboy cookies won the competition hands down. (source: Southern Living) An overhead view of cowboy cookies on a cooling rack.

How to make cowboy cookies:

(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)

a picture collage of how to make cowboy cookies

  1. First, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy
  3. Beat in the granulated and brown sugars. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between and then lastly, beat in the vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips, rolled oats, shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
  6. Spoon the cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

cowboy cookie dough in a mixing bowl and raw cookie dough on a baking sheet

How to store:

Place cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week.

How to freeze:

Place cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag, label and date, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Make-ahead options:

Unbaked cookie dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. It’s best to pre-scoop your cookie dough before refrigerating or freezing so you can bake only as many as you need. For the refrigerated cookie dough, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes while your oven preheats and bake as instructed. For the freezer cookie dough, thaw overnight in the fridge, let stand for 15 minutes and bake as instructed. Cowboy cookies on a wooden board with a glass of milk and plaid napkin in the background.

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This is the original recipe from Laura Bush, published in the Southern Living. The only change I made was I reduced the recipe by a third to yield 4 dozen cookies instead of 6 dozen.

Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.

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Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Lily Ernst
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 dozen
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

These soft and chewy cowboy cookies are packed with chocolate chips, rolled oats, pecans, coconut, and cinnamon. They are bursting with flavor and texture and are also quick and easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (340g/12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups (180g) quick rolled oats
  • 1 1/3 cups (115g) unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/3 cups (150g) chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2-4 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
  4. Beat in the granulated and brown sugars until combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between and then lastly, beat in the vanilla extract.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips, rolled oats, shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
  7. Using a medium or large cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough 2″ apart (for medium scoop) or 3″ apart (for large scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes for medium, 10-15 minutes for large or until edges are lighly browned. Let cookie cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to cooling rack.

Notes

Leftover cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week.

To Freeze – Place cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container or ziplock bag, label and date, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Make-ahead options – Unbaked cookie dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. It’s best to pre-scoop your cookie dough before refrigerating or freezing so you can bake only as many as you need. For the refrigerated cookie dough, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes while your oven preheats and bake as instructed. For the freezer cookie dough, thaw overnight in the fridge, let stand for 15 minutes and bake as instructed.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 183
  • Sugar: 13.8 g
  • Sodium: 82.4 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
  • Protein: 2.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 17.9 mg