Have you tried my ULTIMATE Cowboy Cookies? These have a LOT going on, but all those ingredients work together to make a fantastic cookie!
Originally published July 20, 2009, Updated on 7/17/24
In its original form, these chewy cookies started out as my mother’s “Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies”, and they were pretty good.
After moving out on my own, I tinkered with it. I think I added the peanut butter, and .. Maybe the butterscotch chips? I can’t remember. Anyway, suddenly, the “pretty good” cookies were AMAZING.
“Marriage proposal from my gay neighbour” amazing, even. (Though, he’d also “proposed” over my chili, so I think maybe he just wanted a cook, LOL).
When I was in my late teens - before people would look online for recipes - I used to just straight up sell the recipe. I’d bake up a batch or two, crumble them up as samples, and sell the recipe at holiday craft markets.
Just a plain printout on paper, rolled up and tied with a ribbon. Depending on the market, I’d ask $2-5 each, and sometimes walk out with a few hundred dollars - and this was 20, 25 years ago.
Always ran out of both cookie samples AND print outs!
Yeah, they’re THAT good
.
Blogging wasn’t a thing back then.
When I did start blogging, blogs were a completely different beast back then - and this blog was attached to my cake business - so we decided not to call them “Crack Cookies”.
We had no idea what to name them, that would be “blog friendly” - everything kept going back to all the more adult nicknames I’d heard for them over the years.
So, I decided to call them “Sweet Ecstasy Cookies”. Still a throwback to the more, uh, colourful names ... but passable!
Of course, no one is looking for cookies by that name, so I had to rename them. What’s the point of having a delicious cookies recipe, if no one can find it?
Upon research, I found that these were similar to “Ranger cookies”, but closer yet to cowboy cookies. Either way, basically a souped-up oatmeal cookie.
This cowboy cookies recipe goes even beyond those, though.. So “ultimate cowboy cookies recipe”, it is!
What Are Cowboy Cookies?
Anyway, now you know a ton about the name, without knowing so much about the actual cookies. Whoops.
I’ve never really been a favour of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” as a phrase, but it really does apply to these cookies.
There is a LOT going on in these cookies, and you’d think it would end up as some kind of culinary discord, but ... NOPE. Everything really comes together and compliments each other to create basically the perfect cookie.
They have so much flavor, and a fantastic, chewy texture. You get some base texture from the corn flakes, oats, and coconut, and a ton of flavour from the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, pecans, and walnuts.
On the upside, though, it makes a TON of cookies ... and most ingredients purchased will be enough for multiple batches. A bag of chocolate chips is enough for 2 batches, for instance.
These are FANTASTIC for holiday cookie trays, cookie exchanges, and for bake sales. Just remember: If you’re selling them, samples pretty much do all the work for you!
Note: I've since developed a Gluten-Free Cowboy Cookies Recipe, as well as a low carb versions of these! Check out my Keto Cowboy Cookies!
Cowboy Cookies Ingredients
This recipe uses super simple ingredients, just... a LOT of them. Trust me, the finished cookies are absolutely worth the cost and effort of making them!
A few notes:
The Goodies
This cookie recipe is all about the stuff it’s loaded with. The combination of additions give a great mixture of flavours, colours, and textures ... making for an absolutely addictive cookie.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Cornflakes
Butterscotch Chips
Chocolate Chips
Coconut Flakes
Raisins
Chopped Pecans
Chopped Walnuts
I generally use Milk Chocolate Chips, but feel free to swap them out for Dark Chocolate Chips or Milk Chocolate Chunks if you prefer.
Also, a word of advice: Raisins absorb liquid. If you increase the amount of them in this recipe, you may end up with a drier cookie.
The Oats
From the start, I’ve made these with Rolled Oats - AKA old-fashioned oats.
I’ve never tried this recipe with quick oats /instant oats, so I’m not sure how substituting them would affect the outcome.
Everything Else
Rounding out this cowboy cookies recipe, you will need:
All Purpose Flour
Creamy Peanut Butter
Unsalted Butter
Brown Sugar
Granulated Sugar (White Sugar)
Large Eggs
Milk (any kind)
Pure Vanilla Extract
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
I don’t really have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Super basic!!
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How to Make The Ultimate Cowboy Cookies
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here is a pictorial walk through:
Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C), line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine corn flakes, rolled oats, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, and nuts. Set aside.
In a separate bowl (I use a medium bowl), mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars together, until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, beat till incorporated and creamy.
Add eggs, and vanilla, mix well.
Add the dry ingredients mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, stir well - or mix on low speed - to combine.
Add the batter to the bowl of goodies, stir well to combine.
Arrange cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheets leaving at least 2" between cookies.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. For best results, do NOT overbake them. (Baking time is for larger cookies - just keep an eye on them, if making them larger or smaller!)
Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack.
Leftovers and Storage
Once cooled to room temperature, cookies can be transferred to a plastic bag or other airtight container. We generally use a large freezer bag. They will keep well at room temperature for a week or so, in my experience... IF they last that long!
If you’re not using them right away, I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet, the transferring the frozen cookies to a large freezer bag or vacuum bag.
Freeze until the day before you want to serve them, allow to warm to room temperature before serving.
Note: The original version of this recipe baked smaller cookies (1" balls of dough) for 10-12 minutes at 375. Over the years, I started using a cookie scoop, and found that 350 for slightly longer works better.
Leaving that info here for anyone who wants to keep using the original recipe! (It makes more like 70 cookies, that way.)
More Cookie Recipes!
This recipe is great on its own, but also shines as part of a larger cookie spread. Looking for more ideas? I've got you...
Apple Pie Cookies
Black Forest Cookies
Chai Shortbread
Chewy Chocolate White Chip Cookies
Chocolate Haystack Cookies
Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
Cookie Decorating
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Eggless Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Fruitcake Cookies
Hoppy Citrus Macarons
Malted Milk Meringue Cookies
Nightmare Before Christmas Cookies
Noelles
Pecan Pie Cookies
Peppermint Swirl Meringues
Pistachio Macarons
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Tropical Fruit & Rum Cookies
Also, be sure to check our Cookies & Bars section, for more options!
Looking for my Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes? They're now over on my gluten-free blog, Beyond Flour!
Need gluten-free, AND sugar free? Check out my Keto Cookie Recipes over on my low carb blog, Low Carb Hoser!
Sweet Ecstasy Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Cornflakes
- 2 Cups Rolled Oats
- 1 Cup Butterscotch Chips
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Coconut
- 1 Cup Raisins
- ½ Cup Pecans Chopped
- ½ Cup Walnuts Chopped
- 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Butter Softened
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar Packed
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C), line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine corn flakes, rolled oats, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, and nuts. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl (I use a medium bowl), combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl - if using a hand mixer - or the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the sugars. Cream butter and sugars together, until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, beat till incorporated and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, stir well - or mix on low speed - to combine.
- Add the batter to the bowl of goodies, stir well to combine.
- Roll 1" balls out of the cookie dough for smaller cookies, or scoop cookie dough with a large cookie scoop, for larger cookies. Arrange cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheets leaving at least 2" between cookies.
- Gently press the tops of each slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. For best results, do NOT overbake them. (Baking time is for larger cookies - just keep an eye on them, if making them larger or smaller!)
- Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack, to cool.
Notes
Freeze until the day before you want to serve them, allow to warm to room temperature before serving. Note: The original version of this recipe baked smaller cookies (1" balls of dough) for 10-12 minutes at 375. Over the years, I started using a cookie scoop, and found that 350 for slightly longer works better. Leaving that info here for anyone who wants to keep using the original recipe! (It makes more like 70 cookies, that way.)
Nutrition
Thanks for Reading!... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment! |
Diane Decker
Have you tried these with GF flours? Next time I have all those add-ins on hand, I might try using the flour combo from your Oatmeal Butterscotch Cardamom Cookies.
Marie Porter
I haven't, but the combo from that recipe would probably work really well!
Pam Mach
I really messed up on this recipe. Only put in half the butter by mistake. No wonder they are so dry and hard. I couldn’t keep the batter together. Had some morsels left I couldn’t get to meld into the cookies. A shame. All those ingredients and so now will dip in coffee.
I made them for a tea party game, guess the ingredients.
Guess not!! lol
Marie Porter
Oh yeah, they definitely need the full amount of butter!