Go Back
The best thick and chewy cowboy cookies stacked on a wooden board

The Best Cowboy Cookies Recipe

These thick and chewy cowboy cookies are loaded with toasted pecans, shredded coconut, oats, and chocolate chips. Featuring brown butter for a rich, bakery-style flavor—no chilling required!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 295

Ingredients
  

  • 1, cup Unsalted Butter to be browned
  • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 large Egg room temperature
  • 1 large Egg Yolk room temperature
  • 1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1, tsp Baking Soda,
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon,
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 3 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats ,not instant oats
  • 1 cup Shredded Coconut sweetened or unsweetened
  • 1 cup Pecans, toasted and chopped
  • 1.5 cups Chocolate Chips, semi-sweet or dark

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet for browning butter
  • 2 Baking sheets lined with parchment
  • 1 Cookie scoop 3-inch or 3 tbsp size
  • 1 Round Glass for the "cookie scoot"

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat until nutty and golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Step 3: Whisk cooled butter with sugars for 2 mins, then add egg, yolk, and vanilla until pale.
  4. Step 4: Fold in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined.
  5. Step 5: Stir in oats, coconut, toasted pecans, and chocolate chips.
  6. Step 6: Scoop 3-inch balls onto sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes.
  7. Step 7: Use a round glass to "scoot" cookies into circles and sprinkle with sea salt.

Notes

1. The Flour Rule: Always use the "spoon and level" method for your flour. If you pack the flour into the measuring cup, your cookies will be too dry and won't spread properly.
2. Browning the Butter: Make sure you don't skip the cooling step after browning the butter. If the butter is boiling hot when you add the sugar and eggs, it will scramble the eggs and ruin the texture.
3. The Cookie Scoot: For that professional bakery look, use a large round glass or a bowl to gently "scoot" the cookies into a perfect circle immediately after they come out of the oven while they are still soft.
4. Storage Tip: These cookies stay soft for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container with a slice of white bread. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay fresh longer.
5. Freezing: You can freeze the raw dough balls for up to 3 months. Just bake them straight from the freezer and add an extra 2 minutes to the baking time.