The Best Cowboy Cookies Ride Into Town

Fans of Cowboy Cookies like to think of them as the original power bars of the Golden West. Loaded with oats, chocolate chips, walnuts and dried coconut, they’re just the type of cookies that could sustain ranchers and cow hands were they nibbling on the palm-size treats while taking in all that fresh air. Of course, we don’t all need to be cowboys to adore the chocolate chip cookie meets oatmeal cookie hybrid. Our Test Kitchen tried several versions of the recipe before settling on this lightly cinnamon-spiced classic. For a perfect dome-shaped cookie, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour before or after shaping to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the hot oven. A generously proportioned cookie scoop will also help achieve perfect and uniformly-shaped mounds.

Cowboy Cookies

• 1½ cups (7½ oz/235 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup (6 oz/185 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup (6 oz/185 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (6 oz/185 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 oz/185 g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups (6 oz/185 g) rolled oats
• ¾ cup (3 oz/90 g) shredded dried unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup (2 oz/60 g) chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and walnuts.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart.

Bake until the cookies are golden brown, 15–17 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Makes 2 dozen cookies.