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Cowboy Cookies

Filed Under: Cookie Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fall & Winter, My Recipe Picks, Spring & Summer, Vegetarian Recipes

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cowboy cookies flat lay on a marble board

This recipe for Cowboy Cookies is for people like me who love cookies that are loaded with textures and flavors. These are chewy, bumpy, crunchy, sweet and tangy – made with whole grain flower, dark chocolate, dried cranberries, old-fashioned oats, coconut and walnuts.

Cowboy Cookies served on a marble platter

Line up a dozen cookies in front of me. Give me a choice of every texture and flavor, but tell me to choose just one and I’ll choose the lumpiest, bumpiest one every time.

I’m a cowboy cookies kind of girl. Which is funny because it’s one of the few places where my husband and I differ in food tastes. Once, at at his request, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips. And though I love chocolate in my cookies, I agree that many cookies have so many chocolate chips that the other flavors and textures are lost.

Cowboy-Cookies in a stack

Usually, I’m all about improvisation in recipes, but when it comes to cookies I’m a stickler. For example, this version from the New York Times has six times as many chocolate chips as this recipe! And another version from Quaker Oats suggests using shortening (no way – butter is better!) and quick oats (nope). I think cowboy cookies should have maximum texture and flavor: white whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, deep dark chocolate and extra nuts, coconut and dried cranberries.

These cookies are crispy at the edges and chewy in the middle. And every bite is different: a chocolate chip in this bite, a walnut and dried cranberry in another. The shredded coconut is surprisingly subtle, adding richness, but not overpowering the other flavors. The’re made with only whole grain flour, but I promise you won’t mind – I bet you won’t even notice. I find that it adds better texture to many cookie recipes and tames sweetness.

Frozen Cowboy Cookie dough balls

I love to scoop all of the dough, cook what we’ll eat that day and freeze the rest in ready portions. Then whenever you have a need for fresh-from-the-oven cookies, they’re just minutes away. Bake them frozen and add a minute or two to the cooking time.

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5 from 4 votes

Cowboy Cookies

This recipe for Cowboy Cookies is for people like me who love cookies that are loaded with textures and flavors. These are chewy, bumpy, crunchy, sweet and tangy – made with whole grain flour, dark chocolate, dried cranberries, old-fashioned oats, coconut and walnuts.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time32 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour 240g
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups rolled oats 196g, I like extra thick!
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 88g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup dried cranberries 120g, or dried cherries
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts 117g
  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 88g

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oats and coconut. Set aside.
  • Add butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  • Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down bowl and add vanilla extract; mix until combined. Add dry ingredients in 2 or 3 additions; then cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
  • Remove bowl from mixer and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, being sure to incorporate any dry ingredients still in the bottom.
  • Scoop dough into about two tablespoon balls (a 2-tablespoon scoop makes this easy!) of dough and place 12 to 15 cookies on prepared baking sheet (number depending on the size of your sheet). Take care to leave an inch or more of space on all sides of each cookie as cookies will spread during baking.
  • Bake until golden around the edges and slightly pale in the middle, 12-14 minutes, rotating pan halfway through the cooking time. Transfer cookies on parchment to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Notes

If you like to have cookies fresh and warm from the oven, only cook the number of cookies you need for that day. Portion the remaining dough in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag marked with baking temperature and cook time. Bake frozen dough balls frozen adding a minute or two to the cooking time.
Keywords: baking, chewy, crispy, snack, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.
This recipe for Cowboy Cookies is for people like me who love cookies that are loaded with textures and flavors. These are chewy, bumpy, crunchy, sweet and tangy - made with whole grain flour, dark chocolate, dried cranberries, old-fashioned oats, coconut and walnuts.

About Marissa

The best food happens at home. I love delicious food prepared simply with fresh ingredients and that’s just what you’ll find here! You can count on me for well tested, easy, mouthwatering recipes designed for home cooks.

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Comments

  1. Paula | Vintage Kitchen says

    November 20, 2017 at 1:28 am


    I agree with looking for the bumpiest cookie, haha! The most irregular ones have the best edges in my opinion. The way of freezing the uncooked portions (I do the same with gnocchi, but it never occurred to do it with cookie dough) is genius Marissa!

    Reply

  3. David @ Spiced says

    September 5, 2017 at 5:16 am

    What a great idea to freeze the cookie dough so you can just bake up a couple at a time. Totally going to start doing that…and these cookies sound like they are calling my name! I love texture in cookies, too!

    Reply

  8. lisa says

    August 30, 2017 at 10:14 pm


    I have never wanted to try a cookie so bad…do you have any egg replacements that would work for this recipe? Obviously it would have to be pretty hearty to hold these together…we have a vegan in our house, and I know that butter and margarine (sadly) can be swapped in baking….do you have any suggestions? Also, wouldn’t mind seeing a few vegan recipes in the future if you can! I’m a weekly follower and always enjoy your blogs!

    Reply

  10. Paula Montenegro says

    September 28, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    My kind of cookie too! I agree Marissa, the idea of every bite different from the last makes these cookies irresistible. And a very interesting combination of flavours!

    Reply

  12. Sonali- The Foodie Physician says

    August 5, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    Lumpy, bumpy cookie perfection! When it comes to cookies, you and I are definitely on the same page 🙂

    Reply

  13. Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says

    August 5, 2015 at 8:13 am

    Oh yum! I love cookies like this with lots of goodies added in…the cranberries and coconut are a really nice touch here, and I love the oats too! That totally makes them healthy, right? They’re practically a breakfast food! 😉

    Reply

  14. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    August 4, 2015 at 9:03 am

    Sans chocolate chips??? My goodness, the horror!
    I love the sound of these cookies, though. You sold them to me with the idea of the different ingredients in every bite … mmmm! Oh, and chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside … I’m definitely on board with these!

    Reply

  16. HapaNomNom says

    August 3, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Crispy edges with a chewy center – girl, you know exactly how I like my cookies! And what a wonderful combination of flavors, I really love the combo of cranberry and chocolate 🙂

    Reply

  17. Eileen says

    August 3, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    You have to love a cookie filled with everything under the sun! This sounds like such a great combination — I love the coconut especially.

    Reply

  20. Beeta Hashempour says

    August 2, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    These look incredible, Marissa! I love that you get a little bit of this and that in every bite. Great ingredients too with the cranberries, walnuts, and coconut – love all those! And I agree, whole grain flour does an excellent job with the texture of cookies and taming their sweetness a bit. These look so yummy! Tell your hubby I’m sorry but I’m gonna have to side with you on the lumpy bump cookies being superior! 😉

    Reply

    • Marissa says

      August 12, 2015 at 2:27 pm

      I agree. Of course I’m not opposed to chocolate chip cookies if somebody’s offering – but definitely prefer cookies with more going on. 🙂

      Reply

  26. Dorothy Dunton says

    August 1, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Hi Marissa! This is my kind of cookie! I quite often add ingredients that I happen to have on hand. I’m trying out a no bake cookie this afternoon that has oats, coconut and cocoa in it and it’s topped with Dulce de leche and a pecan half and then drizzled with chocolate. I haven’t been too keen on other no bake cookies I’ve tried, but this one just might alter my perceptions. I’ll definitely be trying your cookie soon! 🙂

    Reply

  27. KevinIsCooking says

    July 31, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    I’m with you, the more in there the merrier! The thick 1/4 cup dough balls would be perfect to test right now, LOVE the flavors in these and right now my glass of milk is lonely. 🙁 Have a great weekend Marissa!

    Reply

  28. Mira says

    July 31, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Great flavors Marissa! These cookies look delicious! I haven’t baked any cookies in a while, need to try these soon!

    Reply

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