These Christmas cowboy cookies are thick and chewy oatmeal cookies that are packed with a ton of different tasty treats! Loaded with coconut, peanuts, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and festive red and green M&Ms, what's not to love about these sweet cookies? They are the perfect dessert to add to your list of holiday baking!
Easy Christmas Cowboy Cookies
Christmas baking is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the holiday season! These loaded cowboy cookies are one of my favorite treats to make because they feature so many delicious goodies!
In only 20 minutes, you will have a thick and tasty oatmeal cookie that you can enjoy with your family or gift to neighbors and friends. This holiday cookie recipe is sure to become a new family Christmas tradition!
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If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, check out my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, my fantastic Christmas cake, fruitcake and more cake ideas, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!
🥘 Christmas Cowboy Cookies Ingredients
Although the list of ingredients may seem lengthy, it mainly consists of common items used in baking. Make sure these ingredients are mixed at room temperature so that your cookies bake evenly!
- Butter - 1 ½ cups of butter (softened at room temperature).
- Light Brown Sugar - 1 ½ cups of light brown sugar (packed). You could use dark brown sugar, but your cookies will have more of a molasses flavor.
- Sugar - 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar.
- Eggs - 3 large room-temperature eggs.
- Vanilla Extract - 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
- Baking Powder - 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
- Baking Soda - 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- Ground Cinnamon - 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
- Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt.
- All-Purpose Flour - 3 cups of all-purpose flour (spoon and level).
- Old-Fashioned Oats - 3 cups of oats. For the most perfect chewy oatmeal texture, use old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Milk Chocolate Chips - 1 ½ cups of milk chocolate chips.
- White Chocolate Chips - 1 ½ cups of white chocolate chips.
- M&M's - 1 ½ cups of M&M's candies (red and green).
- Dry Roasted Peanuts - 2 cups of dry roasted peanuts (chopped).
- Shredded Coconut - 2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Christmas Cowboy Cookies
These cookies may appear complex, but they actually aren't! Take out a baking sheet, a stand mixer (or hand mixer), and a rubber spatula to get started!
This Christmas cowboy cookie recipe makes 36 cookies depending on the size of the dough balls you make!
Make Christmas Cowboy Cookie Dough
- Prep. First, go ahead and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
- Mix butter and sugars. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the 1 ½ cup of room-temperature butter, 1 ½ cups of brown sugar, and 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar. When the butter and sugars are well combined, switch the mixer to high speed and mix until light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Add ingredients. Next, add the 3 large room-temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each one. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Add flour. Slowly add in your 3 cups of all-purpose flour, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in ingredients. Gently fold in the 3 cups of old-fashioned oats, 1 ½ cups of milk chocolate chips, 1 ½ cups of white chocolate chips, 1 ½ cups of M&M's, 2 cups of peanuts, and 2 cups of shredded coconut using a rubber spatula.
Bake Christmas Cowboy Cookies
- Scoop dough balls. Scoop your dough into ¼-cup portions and roll them into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space in between each ball.
- Bake. Bake the cookies at 400°F (205°C) for about 15-17, or until the edges have begun to brown (making sure to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time). If you want to make smaller cookies, reduce the baking time to accommodate them.
- Cool. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for about 15 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
These cowboy cookies make a wonderful addition to a warm glass of homemade apple cider on Christmas Eve! You could also wrap them in clingwrap or cellophane for gifting to friends, family, and coworkers! Enjoy!
December is just around the corner! If you enjoy holiday baking, try counting down to Christmas with my 25 days of Christmas cookies!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- To ensure some extra thick cookies, roll them into balls and then place them in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. This will prevent them from spreading as much in the oven.
- Room temperature ingredients are the key to having perfectly mixed ingredients without having to overwork your dough. Plus, your cookies will bake evenly!
- You should never scoop your flour with your measuring cup, as this packs the flour into the cup and creates dense cookies. Instead, fluff the flour with a fork and then use a spoon to add it to your measuring cup before leveling off the top.
🥡 Storing
Your cowboy cookies can be stored at room temperature in a zip-top storage bag or an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Allow your cookies to cool completely before placing them into a sealed storage container and freezing them for a maximum of 3 months. Set them out at room temperature to allow them to thaw before serving.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Cowboy cookies are believed to have been enjoyed by cowboys when they had long rides on trails. These cookies are loaded with ingredients, making them incredibly filling and packed full of nutrients. They also keep well and can withstand long days in a cowboy's saddlebag. Some claim that cowboy cookies originated in Texas where many cowboys live.
Absolutely! If you are not a fan of coconut or have a coconut allergy, you can skip the shredded coconut. You could substitute for other add-ins like dried cranberries, crushed cornflakes, or pretzels instead!
Sure! Place any leftover cookies in a freezer-safe storage container or Ziploc bag and enjoy within 3 months. Make sure to thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving.
🍪 More Delicious Christmas Cookies
- Italian Christmas Cookies - This guide covers all of the best Italian cookies to gift this holiday season!
- Polar Bear Paw Print Cookies - These adorable paw print cookies are fun to make with little helpers!
- Christmas Gumdrop Cookies - Delicious and soft sugar cookies are filled with fruity gummy candies!
- Christmas M&M Cookies - These festive chocolate chip cookies with green and red M&M's are perfect for holiday cookie baskets!
- Eggnog Meringue Cookies - Take your holiday cookie spread up a notch with these rich eggnog meringue cookies!
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies - These dark chocolate cookies are incredibly easy to make and everyone will love them!
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📖 Recipe Card
Christmas Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cup butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and level)
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
- 1½ cups white chocolate chips
- 1½ cups M&Ms candies (red and green)
- 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (chopped)
- 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- First, go ahead and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. When the butter and sugars are well combined, switch the mixer to high speed and mix until light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Next, add the room-temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each one. Add the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Slowly add in your flour, mixing until just combined.
- Gently fold in the old-fashioned oats, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, M&Ms, peanuts, and shredded coconut using a rubber spatula.
- Scoop your dough into ¼-cup portions and roll them into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 3-inches of space in between each ball.
- Bake the cookies at 400°F (205°C) for about 15-17, or until the edges have begun to brown (making sure to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time). If you want to make smaller cookies, reduce the baking time to accommodate them.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for about 15 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- To ensure some extra thick cookies, roll them into balls and then place them in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. This will prevent them from spreading as much in the oven.
- Room temperature ingredients are the key to having perfectly mixed ingredients without having to overwork your dough. Plus, your cookies will bake evenly!
- You should never scoop your flour with your measuring cup, as this packs the flour into the cup and creates dense cookies. Instead, fluff the flour with a fork and then use a spoon to add it to your measuring cup before leveling off the top.
- To store: Your cowboy cookies can be stored at room temperature in a zip-top storage bag or an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Allow your cookies to cool completely before placing them into a sealed storage container and freezing them for a maximum of 3 months. Set them out at room temperature to allow them to thaw before serving.
Jenny says
These cookies are so filling and yummy. I was happy to find a good recipe that did not contain tree nuts since my daughter is allergic.
Debbie says
Easy to make dough ahead of time. I made these for our cookie exchange. Perfect size and everyone loved them. They are know a Christmas staple.