As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. In addition, I participate in several other affiliate programs that allow me to earn while I recommend products I love.
If you haven’t heard of Texas Cowboy cookies, try and imagine what you think a cookie associated with cowboys and Texas would be like.
If you thought of a cookie that’s absolutely massive, filled with more mix-ins than you know what to do with and introduced to the world by former First Lady Laura Bush, then you’re on the right track.
This cowboy cookie recipe, also known as the Texas governor’s mansion cowboy cookies, are a huge hit even for people who don’t usually like nuts in their cookies.
My husband was insistent he wouldn’t like them, and wouldn’t you know he ate 75% of the batch.
The original recipe makes a ridiculous amount of cookies, so I’ve halved it which made about 24 GIANT cookies.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients is long, because everything is big in Texas, including your cookie shopping list.
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190 grams)
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature (170 grams)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (150 grams)
- 1 egg + 1/2 egg
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips (255 grams)
- 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats (135 grams)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (109 grams)
The original recipe does involve sweetened flake coconut, but I left that out.
How to Make Texas Cowboy Cookies
To start, preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt in one big bowl, whisking to combine.
In a larger bowl, add the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar, and use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Then, add in the eggs, mixing to combine.
Add in the vanilla extract, mixing to combine.
Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix to combine.
Once just combined, pour in all of your “mix-ins” including the pecans, chocolate chips, and rolled oats.
Stir to combine.
Then, use a 1/4 cup measurement to put 1/4 cup of cookie dough, rolled out in a ball, on a baking tray covered in parchment paper or a silicone mat.
These cookies will spread far, on purpose, so leave plenty of room – at least 3-4 inches in between.
It’s best to test a few first to see how much room you need to leave instead of putting them all on a tray at once.
The original recipe suggests to bake for 17 to 20 minutes, but mine finished in about 12-15, so keep an eye on when they start to go golden and take them out.
Let them cool on a baking tray for 3-4 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.
Substitutions
When it comes to the main ingredients and not the mix-ins, it’s best to stick to baking recipes exactly, as they are specifically formulated to work together.
You can change “like for like,” so if you wanted to add ground ginger instead of ground cinnamon or do all brown sugar instead of any granulated sugar, that is one way to experiment, though of course it will change the flavor profile and then be a twist on Texas cowboy cookies rather than the actual recipe!
When it comes to the mix-ins, you’ve got a lot more leeway.
We left out the coconut flakes because we don’t like coconut, but you could add those in, you can swap walnuts for pecans, you could swap peanut butter chips for chocolate chips, etc.
Can I Make Them Puffier?
Texas Cowboy cookies do come out relatively flat – absolutely delicious, but they’re not a puffy cookie with the original recipe.
If you want them puffier, you can add a bit more baking powder and, more importantly, refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours before baking.
When you go to put the cookie dough on the baking tray, roll them more into cylinders instead of circles, so that they stand higher than they would as a circle and stay puffier.
What to Serve with Cowboy Cookies
Cowboy cookies are a great idea for any barbecue or outdoor cookout.
Other options to add to a cookie platter with these cookies would be my decorated cactus cookies if you’re going for the Wild West theme, or you could keep the Texas theme going by baking Joanna Gaines’ chocolate chip cookies as her hometown is Waco!
How to Store Them
You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months before baking, which is a nice way to just bake a few cookies as and when you want them.
If you’re already baked the cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or you can freeze them for about 3 months.
