These Loaded Cowboy Cookies are perfect for an after-school snack, after a large meal, or when you need a little sweetness during the day. Chocolate is always a good idea, LOL. Cookies are the best quick dessert and sweet treat.
These are an amped up oatmeal cookie with lots of additions making them irresistible. So many great flavors all blend together beautifully … oatmeal, coconut, pecans, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and M&M candies! A thrill in every bite!
If there is anything in there you don’t like or can’t have, you can leave it out – except for the oatmeal, you’ve got to keep that or they will fall apart, LOL. I would recommend if you leave something out, increase something else on the list to cover in the same amount you are leaving out. You want to keep the ratios the same.
You can adjust the color of the candies to fit the seasons or holiday. Thankfully it is easy to find specially colored M&Ms. I think adding the peanut butter chips adds a lot too. Especially for Halloween. You can leave them out if you prefer, just replace them with more chocolate chips.
The biggest advantage of using a cookie scoop to portion the dough is having equal size balls of dough. They give you cookies that are very close to the same size and bake more evenly.
While I prefer a cookie scoop because they have a sweep arm that helps get the dough out, you can also use 3 tablespoons. This recipe makes large cookies, so big that one is enough for nearly everyone.
If you want smaller, 2-inch (5cm) cookies, use a #40 cookie scoop/disher, about 1 to 2 tbsp. They are perfect two-bite cookies! You will of course wind up with many more cookies than the yield listed in the recipe.
Your kids will especially love to help with the portioning and forming of the cookie dough. They adore cookie scoops and will have a blast helping you! Plus the M&Ms are always fun to use to decorate the tops and little hands are perfect for placing them!
If you are making these for a Halloween party, you can buy googly eyes to make them extra fun! Put them on a minute or two after you pull them out of the oven – do not bake them with the cookie dough!
One thing that is different about these cookies is they are baked on ungreased baking sheet pans. This and chilling the dough helps control the spreading. The dough has a lot of butter in it so they won’t stick too much. Let them cool just a couple of minutes after bringing them out of the oven and then slide a metal spatula under each cookie, loosening them but leaving them on the pan to finish baking.
These Loaded Cowboy Cookies are crispy at the edges and chewy in the center with lots of chocolate throughout each one. While best on the day they are baked, they will hold for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container, if they last that long!
Give these fun and festive cookies a try and I’ll bet you get your family asking for another batch once they inhale these!
See you back here on Friday for another savory recipe just for you!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Loaded Cowboy Cookies:
- Flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, oatmeal, sweetened coconut, pecans, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, M&M candies
PRO Tip:
Folding the M&M candies in by hand using a spatula helps keep them from getting broken. And use extra candies to decorate the tops before baking for a fun and festive look!
How to make Loaded Cowboy Cookies:
- Combine the dry ingredients and cinnamon in a large bowl. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugars, beating until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Mix in the oats, coconut, pecans, chocolate and peanut butter chips with the mixer on low. Mix the M&M candies in with a spatula by hand.
- Scoop dough onto ungreased baking sheet pans, leaving lots of space for spreading. Then decorate with extra candies.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12 to 16 minutes until the edges are lightly browned, spinning the baking sheets halfway through for even baking. Loosen the cookies from the pan and leave then on the pan for another couple of minutes to firm up. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
PRO Tip:
This recipe makes a ton of cookie dough which may be hard for your mixer to handle or your bowl may be too small. Mix as long as you can with the mixer on low as you add the oatmeal and other add-ins. Then mix the rest in by hand if you need to. A spatula works well for this.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Baking sheet pans (not nonstick!)
- Stand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Metal spatula
- Large cookie scoop (preferably a #24)
- Wire cooling rack
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. This weight also works for regular flour such as Gold Medal brand. If you are using another brand of flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s, another kosher brand, or table salt, you will not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Loaded Cowboy Cookies (GF)
First Lady Laura Bush’s cowboy cookie recipe is a crowd pleaser and a must-have for any baker, especially if you have kids. This version has M&Ms and peanut butter chips added for even more fun and festive bites. These large cookies will make any child’s eyes light up with anticipation!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g*) all-purpose gluten free flour blend * or regular all-purpose flour such as Gold Medal brand
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 tsp kosher salt **
- 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks; 339g) butter, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups (297g) granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 cups (320g) light-brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, broken into a cup with a spout
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (227g) old-fashioned rolled oats, watch for gluten free!
- 1 cup (85g) sweetened flake coconut
- 1/2 cup (57g) chopped pecans, optional
- 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170g) peanut butter chips, optional
- 1/2 cup (100g) regular M&M candies plus extra for decorating, optional (I used regular size but mini candies would be fun too)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Set out two baking sheet pans. No need to butter them or use parchment or silicone baking mats. You bake these cookies on ungreased baking sheets!
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in both sugars, about 2 minutes, until creamy and lightened in color. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (pouring 1 yolk with accompanying whites=1 egg) until fully incorporated before adding the next one. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape the bowl and beater often.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing on low, until just combined. Once it is all mixed in, beat in the oats, then the coconut, then the pecans, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Gently stir in the candies last, just until dispersed. Work the additions in by hand if needed with a spatula. My Kitchenaid was able to handle the dough but it was full right up to the rim.
5. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator about 30 minutes.
6. Using a large cookie scoop (such as a #24), drop about 3 tbsp portions of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches (5cm) apart. I got 6 per sheet pan. Then decorate the tops with some of the extra M&Ms candies pressing them into the dough.
7. Put the remaining dough in the refrigerator, covered, between bakings to keep it cool and firm.
8. For best results, bake one pan at a time. Bake cookies for 12 to 16 minutes, until lightly browned, spinning the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes. Then loosen the cookies from the baking sheet with a metal spatula and leave them on the pan for another minute to firm up. Transfer firm cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
9. Store cookies in airtight containers for up to 5 days at room temperature. Enjoy!
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. This weight also works for regular flour such as Gold Medal brand. If you are using another brand of flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela's All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s, another kosher brand, or table salt, you will not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe from the Bush Center
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 234mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 13gProtein: 6g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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