If you’re looking for the BEST cowboy cookies, look no further. These large, thick, chewy cookies have a warm hint of cinnamon and brown sugar, plus oats for texture and plenty of chocolate chips, coconut and chopped pecans. 
The Best Cowboy Cookies
These cowboy cookies are thick and chewy with an irresistible texture. This recipe upgrades a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie by adding coconut and chopped pecans, while the dough carries notes of brown sugar and cinnamon to round out the flavor. The result is a bakery-style cookie with a chewy center, slightly crisp edges, and plenty of mix-ins in every bite.
If you prefer cookies that are large, chewy and packed with flavor, these are for you.
Making the Cookies
- Whisk the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Cinnamon contributes important flavor—don’t skip it.
- Cream together room-temperature unsalted butter, packed brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. The brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness; the granulated sugar balances moisture for proper texture.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla. This recipe uses two whole eggs plus one extra egg yolk for extra tenderness.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions to avoid flour clouds and to ensure even mixing.
- Fold in large rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) for best texture—these provide more chew than quick oats.
- Stir in shredded coconut, chopped pecans and most of the chocolate chips, reserving a small portion to press on top after baking if desired.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, up to 48 hours. Chilling helps the cookies stay thick and produces a more consistent result.
- When ready to bake, let chilled dough sit at room temperature for 5–15 minutes so it’s easier to shape (longer if it was chilled overnight). Scoop about 3 tablespoons per cookie, slightly flatten, and place on lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12–14 minutes, or until the tops look set. Remove from the oven and optionally press a few reserved chocolate chips onto each warm cookie for an attractive finish.
Baking Tips
- Measure flour correctly: Too much flour causes dry, crumbly cookies. Whisk the flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level it off, or use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. The recipe lists both cups and grams.
- Nuts: Swap walnuts for pecans if you prefer—the cookies will still be excellent.
- Coconut: Sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut both work.
- Oats: Use large rolled oats for texture. Quick oats are acceptable in a pinch; avoid instant or steel-cut oats.
- Smaller cookies: Use about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie; bake for 8–10 minutes at 350°F.
- Bake one tray at a time: For even baking, always bake on the middle rack and avoid crowding the oven.
Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips
The dough can be chilled up to 48 hours before forming and baking. Once you shape the dough into balls, freeze them in a freezer bag for 2–3 months. Bake from frozen—no thawing required—adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Fully baked and cooled cookies freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Big, thick, chewy and loaded with mix-ins—these cowboy cookies are addictive. They strike a great balance of a chewy center and crisp edges with deep brown-sugar and cinnamon notes, plus lots of chocolate, coconut and pecans.
Recipe
Cowboy Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (200 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk (discard the white)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups large rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided (reserve about 1/4 cup for topping)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in the two eggs, the extra egg yolk and the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two additions and mix until combined.
- Stir in the rolled oats.
- Fold in the shredded coconut, chopped pecans and 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips (reserve 1/4 cup for topping).
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Let chilled dough sit 5–15 minutes if needed, then form 3-tablespoon dough balls and place at least 2 inches apart on the sheets.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 12–14 minutes, until the tops look set. Remove from oven and press a few reserved chocolate chips on top if desired.
Notes
- Flour: Measure carefully—whisk first, then spoon and level or use a scale for accuracy.
- Eggs: Use 2 whole eggs plus the yolk of a third egg for extra tenderness.
- Oats: Use large rolled oats for best texture; avoid steel-cut and instant oats.
- Smaller cookies: Use 1½ tablespoons of dough and bake 8–10 minutes.
- Make ahead: Dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours. Formed dough balls freeze up to 2–3 months and can be baked from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time. Baked cookies freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months.
- Nutrition: Approximate per cookie (assuming 26 cookies): 276 kcal. Values are estimates.
Nutrition
Calories: 276 kcal; Carbohydrates: 33g; Protein: 3g; Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 20g (approximate per cookie).