Cowboy Cookies
Flavor packed Cowboy Cookies are the cookie to end all cookies! More stuffings than dough, these dairy free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with pecans make the perfect indulgence!
2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in March 2020. This post has been updated to include new photos, detailed directions, and additional dairy-free tips. I hope you enjoy this easy dairy-free cowboy cookie recipe.
I did not set out to make cowboy cookies. In fact, I just wanted chocolate chip cookies with pecan bits. I am not sure if it’s the endless amounts of Pinterest surfing I have been doing lately but something in my soul said, “add oats”. Which is odd because my soul doesn’t much care for oats or oatmeal… but in a cookie, you can bet I’ll eat them.
When I grabbed the oats, I immediately realized I was embarking upon a quest to make cowboy cookies. These differ a little from of some of the cowboy cookies I have seen online because they do not contain coconut shreds, another ingredient I don’t often reach for.
Why We Love Cowboy Cookies
I truly believe any kind of chocolate chip cookie is pretty hard to beat. Pair it with a crisp glass of non-dairy milk and you are looking at afternoon snack gold. We love making these cookies because:
- Flavorful. Hints of cinnamon, toasted pecan, and chewy oats make these dairy-free cowboy cookies a flavor packed treat!
- Great to make ahead. I love making a batch of this cookie dough and keeping it in my freezer when the cookie cravings hit.
Dairy-Free Changes to Cowboy Cookies
There are two main ingredients you will want to use to make these cookies dairy-free.
- Plant-based butter. Replacing a traditional stick of butter with a diary-free alternative keeps these deliciously dairy-free.
- Chocolate Chips. Be sure to use a dairy-free chocolate chip in the recipe. Some dairy-free brands of dark chocolate chips I like to use include:
HOW TO MAKE Dairy-Free COWBOY COOKIES
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dry Ingredients– A mixture of all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon give the dough structure.
- Egg– At room temperature.
- Plant-Butter– Softened to room temperature.
- Sugars– A blend of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Vanilla– For a boost of flavor.
- Pecans– I like to toast the pecan halves and then chop them into bite sized pieces after they toast.
- Chocolate Chips– Dairy-free dark chocolate chips compliment the various flavors in this cookie beautifully.
- Oats- Old fashions oats finish these cookies off.
Step-By-Step Directions for Cowboy Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Toast pecans: On a rimmed cookie sheet measure and spread out 1 cup of pecans. Toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Shake the nuts halfway through to prevent burning. Allow to cool and then chop to desired size.
- Cream butter + sugars: In the base of a stand mixer, cream together vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, roughly 2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients: Next, mix in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients: Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Fold mix ins: Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped pecans, oats, and dark chocolate.
- Scoop dough: Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop out the dough balls and bake on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Bake: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 10 minutes.
- Cool + transfer: Allow to cool about 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
When you are ready to whip up a batch of these dairy-free cowboy cookies, here are some kitchen tools you might want to have on hand.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet– Great for toasting the pecans as well as baking the cookies.
- 1.5 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop– Used for consistent scooping of the dough.
- Flaky Sea Salt– Tops the cookie dough before baking for a nice salty finish.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY DO YOU TOAST THE PECANS?
Because Deb told me to. Seriously. A few years back I made Deb’s Pecan Pie where she demands you toast your nuts. I take Deb at her word, and so should you.
By toasting your nuts you draw the oil out of the nut giving them an extra flavor they don’t have raw. This also makes the nuts a little crunchier when you add them to a liquid or batter.
Do you have to toast your nuts? No. Will your cookies be better for it? Yes. And since you already have to heat the oven to make the cookies simply toss them in while the oven preheats so they can get all nutty and your cookies can be boss.
WHY TOP THE COOKIES WITH SALT?
Adding a little flaky sea salt to the top of a cookie with chocolate chips helps intensify the chocolate while also giving you a little salty flavor to compliment the sweet of the cookie.
I am quite certain this habit also came from a Deb recipe… Can you tell Smitten Kitchen is my jam?
Can you omit the salt on top? Sure. But if I told you something was going to make chocolate taste even better don’t you think it’s worth a try?
FREEZING COOKIE DOUGH
As a cookie aficionado, you can often find me with a plate of cookies or a freezer full of dough. Who doesn’t want to live a life where you are never more than 15 minutes away from fresh out of the oven cookies?
Typically when I make a batch of cookie dough I like to ball the dough and freeze the dough balls to use at a later date. To do this simply scoop all of the cookie dough into balls. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet freeze the dough balls until hard, roughly 2 hours. Then transfer the dough balls into a Tupperware or bag for storage.
Why ball the dough before freezing? This makes it easier to pop them onto a cookie sheet later, the balls won’t stick together, and you won’t have to dig into a frozen slab of cookie dough to make cookies when the hunger inevitably strikes.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip COOKIE RECIPE to Make Next
Maybe I should re-consider my name to the crazy cookie lady because this is a common confection emerging from the Life After Dairy kitchen!
Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dark Chocolate Craisin Oatmeal Cookies
If you tried this dairy-free cowboy cookies recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
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Cowboy Cookies
Dark chocolate chips, toasted pecans, and hearty oatmeal pack each bite of these Cowboy Cookies with deliciousness!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Vegan Butter
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 bag Dark Chocolate Chips dairy free
- 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Pecans Halves toasted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 1 cup pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and toast while the oven preheats for 8 minutes. Shake the pecans halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool before chopping to desired size.
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In a medium bowl stir together 1 cup flour,1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
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In the base of a stand mixer, cream together ½ cup vegan butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup brown brown sugar.
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Once creamed add the egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until incorporated.
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Slowly mix the flour mixture into the vegan butter mixture until just combined. Remove from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips, 1 cup old-fashioned oats, and the chopped pecans.
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Scoop into 1.5 Tablespoon balls, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake for 10 minutes.
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