Cowboy Cookies

Everyone loves these loaded Cowboy Cookies with hearty oats, crispy corn flakes cereal, sweet chewy coconut, crunchy pecans, and a triple play of melty chocolate, white chocolate and butterscotch chips.

The Perfect Game Day Cookie

When it comes to game days, I can’t help but bake our favorite Cowboy Cookies! They’re a crowd pleasing cookie that everyone will cheer for. They’re big, slightly crisp on the outside and around the edges, super chewy on the inside and full of so much greatness. Loaded with corn flakes, pecans, white chocolate, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips, this thick, buttery dough gets rolled into big cookie dough balls – because cowboys don’t do small cookies.

The Best Cookies You’ll Ever Bake

Cookies packed with different flavors and textures are my FAVORITE. My Kitchen Sink Cookies (they leave nothing out!), Monster Pretzel Cookies, October Harvest Cookies – they all have one thing in common: some delicious crunch to go with the soft, chewy cookie.

We’re talking hearty oats, crispy corn flakes cereal, sweet chewy coconut, crunchy pecans, and a triple play of melty chocolate, white chocolate and butterscotch chips. Seriously, this is one of the best cookies you’ll ever bake and one you’ll want to bake over and over and over again.

A Football Season Favorite

When it’s football season and we’ve got our game day groove going on, we live for fall football weekends and all the food that goes along with them! We’re from Oklahoma and live in Texas now so cowboy cookies are common and a cookie we’re all crazy about. If you’ve never heard of a cowboy cookie, you’re in for a treat!

Ingredients and Supplies

(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details. To learn more about specific baking ingredients and how they function in baking recipes, reference my Complete Guide to Baking Ingredients)

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter: adds richness, flavor, and soft texture. If you use salted butter, you might consider using less salt in the recipe as it will affect the sweetness of the cookie.
• Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and helps create crisp edges.
• Light brown sugar: makes the cookies chewy and adds caramel depth. If you use dark brown sugar they will have a richer molasses flavor and might spread a little more during baking.
• Large eggs: helps bind the ingredients together and gives structure.
• Pure vanilla extract: enhances and rounds out all the flavors. Feel free to use almond extract or coconut extract, if desired.
• All-purpose flour: provides structure and holds the cookies together. You could definitely use an alternate flour since these cookies are created with the ability to incorporate a variety of ingredients, making them quite forgiving when it comes to flour type.
• Baking powder: leaving agent that gives the cookies a little lift.
• Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise a bit and spread.
• Corn Flakes cereal: adds crunch, and a fun surprise texture. Crushed potato chips would be a good alternative.
• Quick-cooking oats: creates chewiness and a hearty texture.
• Chopped pecans: adds buttery crunch and nutty flavor. Any nuts or a combination of chopped nuts would be great. You can also omit the nuts to make them nut-free.
• Shredded sweetened coconut: adds moisture and a chewy sweetness. Unsweetened coconut or another chopped dried fruit will also work.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: a classic sweet, melty burst in every bite.
• White chocolate chips: contributes a creamy sweetness and contrast.
• Butterscotch chips: adds a warm, caramel-like sweetness.

Supplies:

• Electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or hand mixer)
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• 2 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop

How to Make Cowboy Cookies

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until each is well incorporated.
• Beat in the vanilla.

• Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix on low speed until just combined.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed again until all ingredients are well distributed throughout the dough.

• Form dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

• Press additional chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips into the top of each ball of dough, if desired. Refrigerate dough balls for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F and line two additional baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove cookie dough balls form the refrigerator and place a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Slightly flatten each ball with the palm of your hand.

• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies start to turn light brown on top.
• Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat baking process with remaining cookie dough balls.

Storage

Store cookies in an airtight container, with parchment paper between each layer, at room temperature for up to five days.

To freeze the cookie dough for baking later: Take the cookie dough balls out of the freezer and instead of baking, transfer to a freezer-safe plastic container or plastic bag. Return the dough to the freezer and store until ready to bake. Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Bake: When craving a cookie, simply remove the number of cookies you want from the freezer and place a few inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Bake at 350°F and add an extra minute or two to the baking time or until cookies are browned around the edges and a little undercooked in the center. Cool cookies completely on the baking sheets.

If you make my Cowboy Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me  @thebakermama on Instagram so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!

xoxo,

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