Cowboy Cookies

Last Updated on March 6, 2020 by Annie

Flavor packed Cowboy Cookies are the cookie to end all cookies! More stuffings than dough, these dairy free cowboy cookies make the perfect indulgence!

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.

Cowboy cookies on a white plate with some on the wooden counter and a jug of almond milk to the left.

HOW TO MAKE COWBOY COOKIES

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F. 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.

In the base of a stand mixer, cream together vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, roughly 2 minutes. Next, stir in the egg and vanilla until combined.

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped pecans, oats, and dark chocolate.

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. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 10 minutes.

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.

A tupperware with frozen cookie dough balls.

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 CHANGES TO COOKIES

When you are making cookies the biggest changes you will need to make are to swap out the butter and the chocolate chips.

For this recipe I use a vegan butter in the dough. I also use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to ensure I have high quality dairy free chocolate chips.

Did you make these moist and flavorful Cowboy Cookies? Share them on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures. You can also leave a comment below to share how it went!

A white plate with a pile of cowboy cookies and a jug of almond milk to the left.

OTHER COOKIE RECIPES

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– The gateway cookie to your dairy free cookie making life.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies– These double chocolate chip cookies are moist and packed with dark and white chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Craisin Oatmeal Cookies– Could there be any more perfect combo? The dark chocolate pairs perfectly with the tart crasins in these fluffy oatmeal cookies.

Cowboy Cookies

Dark chocolate chips, toasted pecans, and hearty oatmeal pack each bite of these Cowboy Cookies with deliciousness!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookies, dark chocolate
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 35 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • ½ c. Vegan Butter
  • ½ c. Sugar
  • ½ c. Brown Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 bag Dark Chocolate Chips dairy free
  • 1 c. Oats
  • 1 c. Pecans toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pecans 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.

  2. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. In the base of a stand mixer, cream together vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar.

  4. Once creamed add the egg and vanilla. Stir until incorporated.

  5. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the vegan butter mixture until just combined. Remove from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips, oats, and chopped pecans.

  6. Scoop into 1.5 Tbsp. balls, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake for 10 minutes.