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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oats and coconut. Set aside.
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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.
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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.
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Remove bowl from mixer and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, being sure to incorporate any dry ingredients still in the bottom.
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With a 3-tablespoon scoop or ¼-cup dry measure, scoop out scant ¼ cup portions 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.
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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.
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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.
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!
oooh! I’ve never considered freezing gnocchi – definitely going to do that next time.
can i don’t use baking soda in recipe? or substitute with any healthy things?
Hi Azinro. You’ll need a leavening agent so that the cookies will rise – I’m sorry, I don’t have a substitution to suggest.
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!
Thanks so much, David!
I love cookies that have a lot of texture too. I love the oats, nuts, cranberries, and dark chocolate combination, they sound wonderful. Great idea of freezing some of the dough to bake at a later date.
Thanks, Dawn. I love cookies right out of the oven and it’s such an easy (and dangerous!) way to always have them on hand. 🙂
I love that you freeze some dough to make later! Perfect for those cookie cravings! I have everything to make these gems—hooray!
Woohoo!! Thank you, Liz!
I’m with you! I want allllll the lumps and bumps in a cookie. I’m cracking up over the chocolate chip-less cookies you made for your husband though :). Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Kelsie! Right? Somehow no chocolate chips seems like breaking the rules. 😉
You had me at bumpy! I love a bumpy cookie…. More nooks and crannies for grabbing that cold milk on a good dunk! This recipe is a winner, my friend! And great video! 🙂
Right!? The bumpier the better! Thank you so much, Annie. xo
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!
Thank you so much, Lisa! I appreciate you being here.
I think that coconut oil would be great in these 1:1, so a cup of coconut oil instead of butter. And for the egg, have a look at this post that lists 4 ways to create a vegan ‘egg’ – http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2017/06/make-vegan-egg-4-ways/
I’ll see what I can do about peppering in more vegan dishes too
This could be my new favourite cookie too, and I’m not even kidding. I’m all about the lumps and bumps too! The perfect cookie to me has a ton of texture and flavours going on. Yum!
YASS! Thank you, Katherine…
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!
Thank you, Paula!
Cranberry, oatmeal, coconut – you put in a single cookie all of our favourite things! Love it!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
All favorites of mine too! Thanks Julie and Alesah!
Lumpy, bumpy cookie perfection! When it comes to cookies, you and I are definitely on the same page 🙂
Why am I not surprised? Thanks, Sonali. 😉
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! 😉
Oh yes, definitely okay for breakfast in my book. 🙂
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!
haha, to each his own right? Thanks Helen!
I’m all about throwing as much into my cookies as possible! These have some of my favorite mix-ins.
Exactly! The more the merrier…
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 🙂
It’s my favorite texture combo – why choose just one, right? Thanks, Kathleen. 🙂
You have to love a cookie filled with everything under the sun! This sounds like such a great combination — I love the coconut especially.
The coconut definitely adds a lot of richness! Thank you, Eileen!
These sound really good!
Thanks, Sabrina!
Oooh, I love all the flavors in here. Delicious!
Thank you, Nicole!
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! 😉
I’ll break the news. 😉 What’s funny about the whole grain flour is that noone seems to notice – even kids. Thank you, Beeta. xo
These cookies sound amazing!!!!! I love cookies that are a mishmash because chocolate chip can get so boring! 😀
I agree. Of course I’m not opposed to chocolate chip cookies if somebody’s offering – but definitely prefer cookies with more going on. 🙂
Hahaha! I LOL’d at the Kitchen Sink Cookie kinda girl. You make me LOL Marissa. And, these cookies? Darling, they’re perfect!
awww, thanks Kristi!
I can never turn down a cookie, especially when it includes coconut and chocolate!
You and me too! Thanks, Ashley. 🙂
Lovely! I can’t do cookies without the chocolate unless they’re a flavor I LOVE 🙂 Pinning!
Thank you, Medha!
Hehe I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that asks for cookies without chocolate chips! Wow, he’s an interesting guy! 😀 This cookie? I’d eat a dozen happily 🙂
Come on over and I’ll make you a dozen! 🙂
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! 🙂
Just reading the description of that no-bake cookie is making me drool. 😉 Sounds delicious…
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!
haha, thanks Kevin! 🙂
Great flavors Marissa! These cookies look delicious! I haven’t baked any cookies in a while, need to try these soon!
Thanks so much, Mira!