Cowboy Cookies: Laura Bush's Winning Recipe - Simple and Seasonal (2024)

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These tasty Cowboy Cookies from Laura Bush are appropriately named! Theyare hearty andfilling and have just about everything in the pantry in them! (Really, they should be called “everything but the kitchen sink cookies.)

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Years ago, the magazine Family Circle started a “political bake-off” and the wives of the presidential candidates would enter their favorite recipes to be published and then voted on by the readers. In 2000, these “Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies” beat out Tipper Gore’s ginger snap recipe.

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This recipe makes a lot of cookies. We’re talking a minimum of FIVE DOZEN. I was afraid that my mixing bowl wasn’t going to hold everything after I mixed the wet and dry ingredients!

Nothing can beat my all time favorite- the original chocolate chip– but Cowboy Cookies have been made more than once around here!

Just plan on baking for a while and having several dozen to give away or freeze for later!

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Ingredients needed for Cowboy Cookies

flour
baking powder
baking soda
cinnamon
salt
butter
sugar
brown sugar
eggs
vanilla
semisweet chocolate chips
old-fashioned rolled oats
sweetened coconut flakes
chopped pecans

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If at all possible, use a stand mixer for this recipe. The batter is quite thick, especially after all the extras have been added to the mix. As you can see, the bowl will be full!

For best results chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking. Also, line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cookies like parchment paper. It helps them to bake evenly and prevents sticking and spreading.

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Bake, cool and then enjoy a big stack of Cowboy Cookies with a glass of milk!

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Can you freeze Cowboy Cookies?

Yes! You can either freeze them already baked (allow them to cool completely first) or freeze the dough.

Scoop the dough just like you would for baking, place it on a baking sheet and then put the whole thing in the freezer. Once the dough rounds are frozen, you can place them in an airtight container.

To bake frozen cookie dough, simply add the still-frozen dough to a baking sheet and cook for an extra 2-3 minutes.

Can you eliminate coconut from cookies?

Yes, if you must. I get that allergies are an issue here. But if it’s just about taste, give it a try! Coconut isn’t just added for mild sweetness-it’s also a great texture.

The cookies will work without coconut, but they won’t be the same. If you’re not sure, test it out. Then if you hate it…well, you can always make them again without coconut. 😉

Cowboy Cookies

This hearty cookie recipe feeds a crowd, so make sure you have a big bowl and an even bigger appetite!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chill30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookies, baking

Servings: 60 cookies

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Nicole Burkholder

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
1 1/2 cups butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla
In a second bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in the vanilla.
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, 2 cups chopped pecans
Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans and stir until fully incorporated. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a lined baking sheet, making sure to allow plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.