A Family Favorite – Chocolate Chip Cowboy Cookies


You guys know I don’t share many recipes here on the blog because cooking and baking just aren’t my thing. But when I realized that I had never shared my great-grandmother’s Cowboy Cookies here on the blog, I knew that I needed to write this post stat. They are just too good not to share!Chocolate chip cowboy cookies

My great-grandmother was an amazing baker  and left our family with so many great recipes that we continuously make for the holidays, birthdays, and family get-togethers. (You can see find her Coconut Crispy recipe right here!)These Cowboy Cookies are a staple in our family. My mom bakes dozens of them at our annual cookie day party and for lots of other occasions throughout the year.Delicious chocolate chip cowboy cookies

My favorite part about these cookies is the dough. It’s my favorite cookie dough (bring on the salmonella!), but since I’m pregnant and trying to be as safe as possible, I wasn’t able to partake when making the cookies for this post. Boo. But you better believe I’m requesting a big bowl of this dough once this baby is born! That’s exactly what I did after having Rory. My mom whipped these cookies up when we were in the newborn haze and I devoured a ton of dough. It was delightful.How to make chocolate chip cowboy cookies

Anyways, onto the cowboy cookies recipe!

Our Family Recipe – Cowboy Cookies

Chewy chocolate chip cowboy cookies

Chocolate Chip Cowboy Cookies

These cookies are a family favorite. Chocolatey, chewy, and the perfect casual dessert!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 sticks Butter
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 cups Quick Oats
  • 12 ounces Chocolate Chips Milk or Semi-Sweet
  • 1 cup Chopped Nuts (Optional) We use walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream together sugars and butter until fluffy.
  • Add eggs and mix well.
  • In another bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder).
  • Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture slowly, mixing well.
  • Add vanilla and mix.
  • Stir in the oats.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
  • Add small spoonfuls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I spray with Pam before adding the dough.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Keyword Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies

Tips to Make Cowboy CookiesThe best tips to make cowboy cookies

While I’m no cookie-making aficionado, I have made this recipe quite a few times and my mom has probably made them hundreds of times. So I consulted her for her best cookie-making tips.

Use a Stand MixerUse a stand mixer to make cowboy cookies

If you’ve got a stand mixer, then use it! It honestly makes this recipe so quick and easy. We got this Kitchenaid mixer as a wedding gift and while we don’t use it regularly, it really does come in handy for recipes like this one. You can definitely use a hand mixer and it won’t change the outcome, but you may get a sore arm, especially when adding all of the oats, chips, and nuts at the end.

Combine Dry IngredientsCombine dry ingredients before adding them to the batter

When it comes time to prep the dry ingredients, be sure to do those in a separate bowl. not in the stand mixer. You’ll want to stir up all of those dry ingredients together first and then add to the wet mixer.

Slowly Add Dry IngredientsSlowly add your dry ingredients when making cowboy cookies

Once those dry ingredients are mixed up, sloooooowly add them to the wet mixture. I go a little at a time so it combines thoroughly. If you add it all at once you’ll likely be covered in flour when it poofs in your face. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Nuts Are Optional (But a Yummy Addition)Add nuts to your cookies

If I have extra nuts on hand, I add them to the recipe. If not, these are still delicious. When I made them for this post, I had some extra walnuts on hand so I chopped them up and added them to the dough. It just makes the cowboy cookies even heartier!

Add Spoonfuls to The TrayAdd spoonfuls of dough to the sheet

When it comes time to add the dough to the baking sheet, I like to use parchment paper that is lightly covered in Pam. I then take a spoon and make little spoonfuls of dough all across the baking sheet. These can spread a bit, so be sure to leave room around each cookie.

Use a Cooling Rack

Use a drying rack for your cookies

Whenever we bake cookies, we always use a cooling rack. Once they emerge from the oven, I’ll give them a few minutes to settle and then transfer to the cooling rack. If you leave them on the hot pan for too long they’ll continue to cook.

Freeze Extra DoughUse these my smart cookie trays to freeze extra dough

I hate when you have like five cookies left and you have to do another whole round of baking. Instead, I suggest getting this awesome little device. Finn recently got this so he can treat me to homemade cookies whenever the mood strikes. (He is always ready to fulfill any pregnancy craving I have!) Pop the extra dough in the freezerYou just pour any extra dough you have into the tray, put the other side on it to form separate cubes of cookies, and then pop this in the freezer. I’m very tempted to eat the cookie dough frozen, but I’ve been holding back!

My Favorite CookiesChocolate chip cowboy cookies

So there you have it…our family favorite cowboy cookies! I’m actually so happy that I now have this blog post to reference whenever I want to make these cookies on a whim. No more whipping out the cookbook to find this recipe.Chewy chocolate chip cowboy cookies

Oh, and I should mention that Finn has an awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe too. It’s a bit different from these ones and he is verrrrry passionate about his recipe! He shares all of his best tips for fluffy chocolate chip cookies in this old blog post if you want to give it a read.

Have a Great Holiday!Our family's chocolate chip cowboy cookies

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend! I will be off of the blog all of next week for my quarterly blog break. Looking forward to seeing you back here on Monday, July 12th. We’ll have more backyard content, my mom’s main bathroom reveal, and the start of the nursery. Can’t wait!

Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.