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Close up of a thick chewy cowboy cookie broken in half with melted chocolate and pecans

Thick and Chewy Cowboy Cookies

The ultimate thick and chewy cowboy cookies recipe! Loaded with chocolate chips, oats, pecans, and sweet shredded coconut. They bake in just 11 minutes with no dough chilling required.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans toasted

Equipment

  • 2 Baking sheets Line with parchment paper
  • 1 Large Cookie Scoop For 3-inch massive cookies
  • 2 Mixing Bowls One for dry, one for wet ingredients
  • 1 Hand mixer Or stand mixer to cream butter and sugar
  • 1 Spatula For gently folding the mix-ins

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, and toast chopped pecans for 5 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the extra egg yolk and vanilla extract, whisking until pale and creamy.
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula just until the flour disappears.
  6. Gently fold in the rolled oats, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and cooled toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
  7. Use a large cookie scoop to form 3-inch dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
  8. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still soft, then let them cool on the pan.

Notes

  • Do Not Use Instant Oats: Always use old-fashioned rolled oats for cowboy cookies. Quick or instant oats absorb moisture differently and will make your cookies dry and mushy.
  • Measuring Flour: For the perfect chew, measure your flour by weight (250g). Adding too much flour is the number one reason cookies turn out dry and cakey.
  • The Secret Egg Yolk: Adding that single extra egg yolk increases the fat and moisture content, guaranteeing your cookies stay soft and tender for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing Dough: You can freeze the scooped dough balls in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer and just add 2 minutes to the baking time.