Coconut Pecan Cowboy Cookies

The day after I made cowboy cookies, eating two of them at my desk in the afternoon, I told my coworkers that I wasn’t very impressed.

Vertical image of a stack of cookies with pecans, chocolate chips, and oats, with text on the top and bottom of the image.

They were fine, good maybe, but they weren’t anything that special. A chewy chocolate chip cookie at heart, they include crunchy extras like coconut, pecans, and old fashioned oats, something a little more complicated than the norm, and yet fairly simple at the same time.

I scarfed down both of them, though, commenting aloud that they really were just okay – all while looking down at my plastic baggie, sadder than I’d admit that it was empty.

Vertical image of hearty oatmeal cookies on a slate with scattered assorted ingredients.

That was just the first batch of the week.

After eating those cookies, I felt something… a sense of emptiness, a sense of animalistic craving.

The second time I made them was just a day later.

This time, I baked enough to bring some to my coworkers. They all raved about them.

Vertical top-down image of an array of cowboy cookies surrounded by assorted ingredients.

The more I baked, the more I grew to really love them. Maybe they had grown on me, or maybe they had changed.

It should also be noted, for the record, that the second batch was gone within seconds.

The final batch I made, just two days later, I kept all for myself. And maybe one to spare, for the hubby.

This third batch really was the best. Third time’s the charm, as they say. It was the confirmation I needed to completely and irrevocably convince myself that these cookies aren’t just okay…

Vertical close-up image of a stack of cookies with nuts, oats, and shredded coconut.

They’re amazing, with each and every crunchy-chewy-sweet-salty-nutty-chocolaty-hearty mouthful!

I got into the habit, unfortunately, of grabbing one every time I would walk through the kitchen. And truthfully, this started to happen more and more frequently.

Vertical top-down image of a rustic cookie surrounded by the same treats, one with a huge bite.

They’re not especially beautiful or especially hard to make. At first bite, you’ll might think: meh, ho-hum.

But wait for the after effects. A few days into snacking on these, I swear you’ll wish you still had some left.

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Horizontal image of a stack of baked treats surrounded by nuts and chocolate.

Coconut Pecan Cowboy Cookies


  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 18 cookies 1x

Description

These crunchy cowboy cookies are simple to make, with an addictive mix of coconut, pecans, oats, and chocolate chips.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup gently packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat together the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  5. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated without overmixing. Add the oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut and mix until combined.
  6. Using a large cookie scoop, drop dough onto the baking sheets, spacing a couple inches away from each other. Refrigerate the shaped dough for 10 minutes.
  7. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minues
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: oats, chocolate chips, coconut, pecan, cookie

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Horizontal image of a baking sheet with a silicone mat next to bowls of oats, coconut, and candies.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Measure out all of the ingredients.

Step 2 – Mix Dry Ingredients Together

Horizontal image of a bowl with white dry ingredients next to wooden bowls with oats and shredded coconut.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

Step 3 – Cream Butter and Sugar

Horizontal image of a butter and sugar mixture on a paddle.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Is your brown sugar hard and brittle? Learn our techniques to soften brown sugar!

Step 4 – Add Eggs and Vanilla

Horizontal image of a wet dough mixture on a paddle.

Reduce the speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

It helps to crack the eggs in a separate bowl before adding them to the mixing bowl – that way, you can easily remove any pieces of egg shell.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Step 5 – Add Dry Ingredients

Horizontal image of a sugar cookie dough mixture on a white paddle.

Reduce speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just incorporated without overmixing.

We can never stress this enough – do not overbeat the dough! It will end up too tough and chewy, because of how much gluten has developed. Remember to mix only until incorporated.

Step 6 – Add Remaining Ingredients

Horizontal image of a thick cookie dough mixture with oats, coconut, nuts, and candies.

Add the oats, chocolate, pecans, and shredded coconut. Mix until combined. Again, mix just until combined!

Step 7 – Scoop

Horizontal image of a baking sheet with a silicone mat, with scoops of dough on top.

Using a large cookie scoop, drop dough onto the two baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches away from one another.

Step 8 – Bake

Horizontal close-up image of a large cowboy cookie.

Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. They will still look slightly underbaked in the center, but don’t worry – the cookies will continue to set as they cool.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

A Crunch That’s Easily Versatile

While the combo of chocolate chips, pecans, shredded coconut, and oats is totally addictive, embody that cowboy spirit – roam free on the range of baking ingredients!

Horizontal image of a stack of baked treats surrounded by nuts and chocolate.

Use any variety of chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut. For a few different ideas, try butterscotch or milk chocolate chips, use chopped walnuts or cashews, or toast large flakes of coconut before adding them to the dough.

What will you choose? I wouldn’t mind making this recipe again (and again, and again, and again) if you want to share your delicious ideas in the comment section below!

Love the heartiness of this recipe? Eat more cookies! We have a few more oat-based favorites to share:

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on November 19, 2008. Last updated: October 26, 2020 at 21:09 pm. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

10 thoughts on “Coconut Pecan Cowboy Cookies”

  1. Interesting. I wonder if keeping them for a few days as a batter made them cook a bit differently?? For some reason I never thought to cook cookies in batches like that. Very smart and useful!

    Thanks and Go SILPAT!
    Nick

    Reply
  2. oh shannalee — like you, or shall i say, because of you, i have taken to chilling my cookie dough before baking as well. i don’t do the balls tho, i roll out the dough and slice them, which i think makes it an entirely different cookie experience. i have half a roll left of my NY cookies in the freezer which means i will have to whip up another batch before i start my new job. cookies and milk should def. be a national dish. i actually have a cookie that i am dying to make but will hold off until the next official round of baking gals starts (i’m not hosting this round, i’m just too busy!)

    Reply
  3. Shari: It’s really great. Makes the process easier because it’s broken down into smaller steps!

    Nick: I can’t wait until you get your Silpat and I get to read about how much you love it. 🙂 I think there’s definitely something to chilling the dough longer, BTW. According to that best chocolate-chip cookies recipe in the NY Times, all the best bakeries swear by 24-72 hours extra fridge time!

    Lan: I’m going to have to try the roll/slice idea! I’m *always* up for a new cookie experience. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Hello!
    Happy everyone is hopefully healthy!
    Just a tweak of mine…….I add two teaspoons of cinnamon to the dough and I also used a mix of chopped macadamias, almonds, cashews and walnuts!

    Reply
  5. These cookies are to die for. Don’t pay $2-3 for treats at Starbucks! Make a batch of these beauties! It’s easy. Don’t be afraid of your oven.

    Reply

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