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Cowboy Cookies have a fantastic chew from oatmeal, coconut, and nuts. Try my classic combination of buttery pecans and M&Ms or add your own favorite mix-ins. Even picky eaters will love these cookies!
Meggan’s notes
Cowboy Cookies convert even the biggest nut-haters because of the other chewy textures like oats and coconut. Kids love the warm, buttery flavor of pecans without realizing they are eating a nut. M&M candies round out the deception (chocolate chips work the same magic, too).
And as for me, I think these are some of the tastiest cookies around. Fresh and warm from the oven, it’s hard to find a better cookie. These are so good, you’ll wish you had tried them sooner. I know I did!
Laura Bush’s original recipe was made with chocolate chips, but I truly believe that colorful M&Ms make the most compelling cookies. My grandma always said, you eat with your eyes first!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- M&Ms: Or try semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, or dried cranberries.
- Pecans: I love the buttery, nutty flavor of pecans, but you can substitute walnuts, cashews, almonds, Macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts in your cookies.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or with an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar together until mixture is smooth (not gritty when you rub between your thumb and finger).
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture in batches (about 1 cup at a time) and mix on low speed until just blended. Add oats, M&Ms, pecans, and coconut and beat until just combined.
- Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and lay on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (I use the OXO medium cookie scoop, a size 40 portioner, and do 12 scoops of dough per baking sheet). If desired, press extra M&Ms into the outside of each dough ball.
- Bake cookies until they start to brown around the edges, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe is scaled down to 60 cookies and is adapted from former first lady Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies recipe to follow my own personal baking methods and recipe style guide. Her original recipe made 120 cookies!
- Storage: Store extra cookies covered at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
- Make ahead: Wrap the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. When ready to bake, portion the dough as usual and bake.
- Freezer: Portion the dough into balls and freeze by arranging the balls in a single layer on a tray or plate that can fit into the freezer. Once frozen solid, transfer into a freezer-safe bag or container. Label and date, including the baking temperature and cooking time in the recipe. Bake the frozen cookies straight from the freezer in a 350-degree oven, increasing the baking time by a couple of minutes.
- Room temperature ingredients: The butter should be soft. Take the eggs out about an hour before you need them, or warm them up quickly in a glass of hot tap water. If you store flour in the freezer, measure it and leave it out for a while until it isn’t cold anymore.
- Preheat the oven: Make sure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before baking. This is true with almost everything, but especially cookies.
- Sift dry ingredients: This is so the baking soda, baking powder, and salt can get distributed evenly within the flour. Also, here’s how to measure and sift flour properly so your baking recipes shine every time.
- Mix-ins: Try stirring corn flakes, rice krispies, cinnamon, or a spoonful of peanut butter. The fantastic chew of Cowboy Cookies comes from the combination of oats and coconut, so be sure to always include those!
Frequently Asked Questions
Before she became the first lady to George W. Bush on November 7, 2000, Laura Bush went head-to-head with her rival Tipper Gore in a baking contest sponsored by Family Circle magazine. Tipper gore’s ginger snaps didn’t stand a chance against Laura’s delicious Cowboy Cookies. Studded with chocolate chips, nuts, oats, and lots of coconut, the judges had an easy choice!
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Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup butter softened (1 ½ sticks)
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup M&M candies (see note 1)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (see note 2)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until mixture is smooth (not gritty when you rub between your thumb and finger).
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture in batches (about 1 cup at a time) and mix on low speed until just blended. Add oats, M&Ms, pecans, and coconut and beat until just combined.
- Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and lay on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (I use the OXO medium cookie scoop, a size 40 portioner, and do 12 scoops of dough per baking sheet). If desired, press extra M&Ms into the outside of each dough ball.
- Bake cookies until they start to brown around the edges, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- M&Ms: Or try chocolate chips (any flavor), butterscotch chips, raisins, or dried cranberries.
- Pecans: I love the buttery, nutty flavor of pecans, but you can substitute walnuts, cashews, Macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts in your cookies.
- Yield: This recipe is scaled down to 60 cookies and is adapted from Laura Bush’s original recipe to follow my own personal baking methods and recipe style guide. Her original recipe made 120 cookies!
- Storage: Store extra cookies covered at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Delicious. Tried a batch & definitely making these cookies for Memorial Day. Yummy
A great Memorial Day addition to any table! Thanks so much for trying them, Diana! – Meggan
Oh My Gosh!!! So yummy ๐คค I was amazed how easy it was to toast the pecans in the microwave. This will be the cookie I give as gifts for now on!!
The walnut/chocolate chip combo was freaking delicious! Did the pecans turn out as well for you? may try those next