Cowboy Cookies

This Cowboy Cookies recipe is made with dark chocolate chips, raisins and toasted almonds and pecans, and it’s super easy to make.  These cookies are creamy, crunchy and chewy and they are completely addictive! 

These Cowboy Cookies are somewhere between decadent and wholesome. They are loaded with nuts, raisins and dark chocolate making them a little more wholesome  than the average cookie, but they are sweetened with brown sugar and granulated sugar, so they are also a little indulgent.

The base for these Cowboy cookies is similar to chocolate chip cookies dough, but we add a lot of raisins and nuts to the mix.

What Are Cowboy Cookies?

Laura Bush made Cowboy Cookies popular back in 2000 when her recipe was shared in Family Circle’s Presidential Bakeoff. Cowboy cookies are apparently popular with Texas ranchers because they are easy to carry out on the range, they curb hunger pangs (since they are loaded with nuts and raisins) and they are so tasty and great for dunking in a cup of hot coffee or a tall glass of milk.

Cowboy Cookies Recipe

• Butter. Use unsalted butter.Flour. 
• Sugar. We use both granulated and light brown sugars for this recipe.
• Eggs. I like to use free-range brown eggs.
• Pure vanilla extract. What would a good cookie be without the flavor of pure vanilla extract.
• Flour. Use a good all-purpose flour.
• Baking soda. We whisk in baking soda and salt with the flour.
• Nuts. These cookies are loaded with toasted almonds and pecans. 
• Chocolate. We use dark chocolate chips for these cookies.
• Raisins. They add a nice chewy sweetness that goes well with the dark chocolate and nuts.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

Variations

• Swap out the raisins for dried cranberries or cherries
• Use walnuts instead of pecans
• Go with semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips
• Sprinkle in shredded coconut (traditional Cowboy Cookies recipes usually call for coconut)

How To Make Cowboy Cookies

This recipe comes together quickly and easily without any chill time required. 

1. Preheat Oven. Preheat ove to 350 degrees.
2. Toast nuts. Place whole almonds and pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10-11 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure they are evenly browned. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board to completely cool. Coarsely chop the nuts and set them aside.
3. Mix flour. In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract and mix well.
5. Add flour. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour  to the creamed butter-sugar mixture and blend thoroughly, but don’t over-mix.
6. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Stir in the chocolate chips, raisins and chopped toasted nuts.
7. Scoop dough. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and place the scoops on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Flatten balls. Using two fingers, slightly flatten the dough balls so they’re more like a round disc.
9. Bake cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.
10. Cool cookies. Remove from oven and cool cookies.

Tips For Making The Best Cowboy Cookies

1. Make sure you use fresh brown sugar (without any dried-out clumps). 
2. Measure the nuts whole before toasting and chopping them.
3. Space the mounds of dough evenly on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
4. If you want thinner cookies, then barely flatten the mounds of dough using two fingers or with the palm of your hand.
5. Don’t over bake the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden brown all over and the center will still look pale golden with a little sheen.  They may look slightly under baked on top, but the center will set after the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a bit. Plan on removing them from the oven after 10-11 minutes. You would only need to bake them longer depending on how big you scooped the dough and the temperature of your personal oven. 
6. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
7. Sprinkle cookies with a little flakey salt if you like salty sweet.
8. You can freeze the mounds of dough up to 7 days before baking the cookies. You don’t need to wait for the mounds to thaw, just bake them frozen, but they will need extra baking time.

How To Store Them

Store the cookies in an air-tight container. If properly stored, they will last up to 5 days.

What We Love About These Cookies

• They’re chewy, creamy and crunchy
• Packed with nuts, raisins and dark chocolate
• Easy to make
• Great to enjoy as a snack or dessert
• Good for parties, potlucks, holidays and gifting
• Always a crowd-pleaser

Looking For More Dessert Recipes To Make?

• Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gluten Free Brownies
• Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars
• Healthy Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites
• Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Bites
• Healthy Dark Chocolate Bark

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 20 cookies

Cowboy Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

This Cowboy Cookies recipe is made with dark chocolate chips, raisins and toasted almonds and pecans, and it's super easy to make.  These cookies are creamy, crunchy and chewy and they are completely addictive! 

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1-3/4 cup pecans, toasted, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract'
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 12-ounce package dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat ove to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place whole almonds and pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10-11 minutes, stirring halfway through to make sure they are evenly browned. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board to completely cool. Coarsely chop the nuts and set them aside.
3. In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
4. In a stand mixer or mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract and mix well.
5. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour to the creamed butter-sugar mixture and blend thoroughly, but don't over-mix.
6. With the machine off, stir in the chocolate chips, raisins and chopped toasted nuts using a silicone spatula.
7. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and place the scoops on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10-11 minutes.
9. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Variations

• Swap out the raisins for dried cranberries or cherries
• Use walnuts instead of pecans
• Go with semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips
• Sprinkle in shredded coconut (traditional Cowboy Cookies recipes usually call for coconut)

Tips For Making The Best Cowboy Cookies

1. Make sure you use fresh brown sugar (without any dried out clumps). 
2. Measure the nuts whole before toasting and chopping them.
3. Space the mounds of dough evenly on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
4. If you want thinner cookies, then barely flatten the mounds of dough with the palm of your hand.
5. Don't over bake the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden brown all over and the center will still look pale golden with a little sheen.  They may look slightly under baked on top, but the center will set after the cookies rest on a cooling rack. Plan on removing them from the oven after 10-11 minutes. You would only need to bake them longer depending on how big you scooped the dough and the temperature of your personal oven. 
6. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
7. Sprinkle cookies with a little flakey salt if you like salty sweet.
8. You can freeze the mounds of dough up to 7 days before baking the cookies. You don't need to wait for the mounds to thaw, just baked them frozen, but they will need extra baking time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 888Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 10gSugar: 35gProtein: 13g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.