• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Humbly Homemade
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Seasonal
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Summer Baking
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Seasonal
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Summer Baking
×
Home » Recipes » Drop Cookies

Healthy Cowboy Cookies

Published: Aug 13, 2022 · Updated: Aug 14, 2024 by Carissa Erzen · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

Jump to Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
5 from 1 vote

You may or may not have heard of cowboy cookies before, but they are delicious! Cowboy cookies are traditionally from Texas, made with oats, pecans, brown butter, toasted coconut, and chocolate chips. However, I do declare that my Dad makes the very best cowboy cookies. He leaves the shredded coconut out, and instead adds flax meal and raisins for extra nutrition. These healthy cowboy cookies are soft yet crunchy, chewy yet crumbly, and packed to the brim with flavor.

a stack of three Healthy Cowboy Cookies

This cowboy cookie recipe goes easy on the sweetness. Sometimes cowboy cookies just add way too much sugar. But the raisins add a natural sweetness, alongside the brown sugar and chocolate chips. Oats and nuts add more texture to each cookie, and ground flax seeds add fiber.

These cookies are perfect for taking on a road trip, hike or camping. They stay fresh for several days when stored in an airtight container. And all the add-ins bulk up each cookie with potassium, fiber, healthy fats and protein. Well, and sugar too, of course.

If you're looking for more snacks that keep well on long trips, try homemade trail mix, peanut cashew energy bites which can be made with just about any type of nuts, or crispy apple chips.

a hand dunking a chewy cookie into a glass of milk

Why You Should Make This Recipe

  • These healthy cowboy cookies are the ultimate cookie, packed with raisins, nuts, oats, chocolate chips and flax meal.
  • The high fiber content makes these cookies super filling!
  • Make a batch to take on a trip or to a party!
  • These are great "kitchen sink" style cookies, so if you have leftover ingredients from other recipes like dried fruit, seeds, coconut or little candies, mix them in!
Healthy Cowboy Cookies laid out on a cooling rack and a while tile background

Ingredients Needed

  • All-purpose flour - You can substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for even heartier cookies, per my Dad's recommendation.
  • Baking powder and Baking soda - Allow the cookies to rise in the oven while baking.
  • Salt - Salt is a key ingredient to balance all the sweet flavors in cookies.
  • Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon adds a hint of warm spice.
  • Unsalted butter - Soften your butter to room temperature either by leaving it on the counter for about an hour, or warming it in the microwave on 10 second bursts.
  • Granulated sugar - Sometimes my Dad leaves the granulated sugar out completely in his cowboy cookies recipe, toning down the sweetness a bit.
  • Brown sugar - More brown sugar is used than white sugar in these cookies, to bring forth a rich, caramel flavor.
  • Eggs - Eggs add structure and the golden brown color to cowboy cookies, along with helping them rise in the oven.
  • Vanilla extract - Vanilla intensifies all the other flavors in cookies.
  • Milk chocolate chips - You can substitute dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips.
  • Nuts - Traditional cowboy cookies use pecans, but you can add any type of nuts you like. My Dad often uses chopped walnuts.
  • Rolled oats - Don't use quick-cooking oats; it'll create a more mealy texture.
  • Raisins - Add potassium, fiber and natural sweetness.
  • Ground flax seeds - Also called flax seed meal. My Dad usually adds equal amounts of wheat germ and flax meal to his healthy cowboy cookies, but both are optional.
a stack of two oatmeal raisin cookies with one cookie leaning on the stack

How to Make Healthy Cowboy Cookies

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

dry ingredients to make chewy cookies in a glass bowl

Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar with a stand mixer, electric hand whisk, or a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Continue beating until it is well combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter and beat until well combined.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until there is no visible dry flour.

wet ingredients to make chewy cookies in a metal bowl

Add the rest of the ingredients: Fold in the chocolate chips, chopped nuts, rolled oats, raisins and ground flax seeds.

Shape and chill the dough: Scoop and roll the cookie dough into ¼-cup dough balls. Place them on the baking sheet spread out at least 2 inches apart. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!

half a dozen Healthy Cowboy Cookies laid out next to raw rolled oats and a glass of milk

Importance of Chilling Cookie Dough

I used to wonder, is it really that important to chill cookie dough before baking? So I conducted a little experiment. I chilled balls of cookie dough for different times in both the fridge and freezer to compare the results on the baked cookies. I used an ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet, to ensure they were all the same size and shape. Here are the results!

five cookies on a baking sheet with labels of baking times

The best amount of chill time for these healthy cowboy cookies is 1 hour in the fridge. This allows the oats and raisins to soak up moisture in the cookie dough so they aren't too hard when you bite into your baked cookie. It also allows the dough sufficient time to cool to it doesn't spread too much in the oven. This results in a thick, chewy cookie that isn't flat or overbaked.

three oatmeal raisin cookies on a baking sheet with labels of baking times
  • The cookie that wasn't chilled at all spread more and because of that, it was a little overbaked at the 15 minute mark. If you don't have time to chill your dough, reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
  • The cookie that was chilled in the freezer for an hour came out of the oven still a bit raw on top. It spread the least while baking and therefore didn't quite have enough time and surface area to cook all the way through. If you freeze your cookie dough to bake at a later date, increase the baking temperature by a few minutes.
  • The cookies that were chilled for 30 minutes in the fridge and 30 minutes in the freezer turned out pretty similar to the cookies that were chilled for a full hour in the fridge.
three chewy cookies on a baking sheet with labels of baking times

Overall, chill time does have an effect on how your cookies spread and bake in the oven. If you're short on time, stick with a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer.

If you're looking for easy no chill cookies, try my German coconut macaroons, chewy vegan molasses cookies, chocolate chip almond butter oatmeal cookies, chocolate corn flour cookies, and coconut pecan cookies.

a stack of two Healthy Cowboy Cookies
with a bite taken out of one cookie

FAQ

Where did cowboy cookies originate from?

Most sources say cowboy cookies are from Texas. The old myth says they were able to withstand long horse rides in a cowboy's saddle bag.

Why are my cowboy cookies flat?

Your cookies may come out of the oven flat because you didn't chill the dough or because your oven is too hot. Be sure to chill your dough at least 30 minutes in the fridge and heat your oven to 350°F.

What is the secret to chewy cookies?

Brown sugar contains more moisture than white sugar, so more brown sugar in your cookies will make them chewier. A longer chill time (an hour or more in the fridge) also gives the flour in cookie dough time to absorb moisture, resulting in chewy cookies.

What is the best butter to make cookies with?

Unsalted butter is the best because it allows you to control the amount of salt added into your recipe. If you use salted butter or sweet cream butter, salt has already been added by the manufacturer. And no one wants a salty cookie!

a hand dunking a Healthy Cowboy Cookie into a glass of milk

Healthy Cowboy Cookies

Carissa Erzen
These healthy cowboy cookies are chewy, filling, and packed with flavor! Oats, nuts, raisins, chocolate chips and ground flax seeds are mixed into the dough for added fiber, potassium and natural sweetness.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Chill Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 18 cookies
Calories 319 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (your choice: almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1½ cups rolled oats
  • ¼ cup ground flax seeds (also called flax meal)

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar with a stand mixer, electric hand whisk, or a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Continue beating until it is well combined.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter and beat until well combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until there is no visible dry flour.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, rolled oats and ground flax seeds.
  • Scoop and roll the cookie dough into ¼-cup dough balls. Place them on the baking sheet spread out at least 2 inches apart.
    Chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge or just 30 minutes in the freezer.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until golden around the edges. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 213mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 186IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg
Keyword healthy cowboy cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @humbly-homemade on social!

More Easy Cookies Recipes

  • A dozen chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies piled on a plate.
    Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies with Brown Butter
  • A hand holding a cookie packed with rolled oats over a plate of more cookies.
    4-Ingredient Oat Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
  • Easy Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookie Bars
  • A thick chocolate cookie with a bite taken out of it in a pile of more cookies.
    Thick and Chewy Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies

About Carissa Erzen

Growing up in Germany, I fell head-over-heels in love with ALL the German baked goods, from Lebkuchen to pretzels. Now I'm the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Humbly Homemade, where I test and share German sweets lovingly created from scratch. So pull up a chair, and stay a while!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Azilde

    August 25, 2022 at 7:47 pm

    I was looking at the pioneer woman's website and saw these. And then I saw your post. Omg it's meant to be that I make these ASAP 🤤

    Reply
    • Humbly Homemade

      September 01, 2022 at 9:30 pm

      Haha YES it's a sign you need more cookies! lol If you've never made cowboy cookies, they are SO GOOD!! I feel like they're way more filling than your standard chocolate chip cookies too. 😊

      Reply
  2. Yum-number1

    August 15, 2022 at 8:40 pm

    These are some BIG boy cookies 😍

    Reply
    • Humbly Homemade

      August 20, 2022 at 10:27 pm

      Hahaha that's right! 😝

      Reply
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

I'm eggcited to hear from you :) Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

A girl in a pink apron sitting on a kitchen counter.

Hello, I'm Carissa!

I'm the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Humbly Homemade. Inspired by my childhood growing up in Germany, I share recipes of delicious German bakes from scratch.

Learn More

Stay Connected

  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Sign Up + Never Miss a New Recipe!

Summer Baking

  • A purple cake topped with fresh lemon slices and dried lavender flowers.
    Moist Lemon Lavender Cake with Lemon Drizzle

  • Easy Streusel Plum Yogurt Cake (without oil)

  • Peach Strudel with Fresh Peaches & Phyllo Dough

  • Cherry Strudel | Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

Trending Recipes

  • Easy Black Forest Chocolate Brownies from Scratch

  • Old Fashioned German Poppy Seed Cake | Mohnkuchen

  • Pie sliced on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
    Easy Fresh Strawberry Blueberry Pie

  • Strawberry Strudel with Phyllo Dough

Footer

Let's Get Baking!

No baking experience? No problem! I've spent the past five years developing fool-proof recipes that anyone can create.

About

  • About
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Shop

Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Cookies
  • Cake
  • Bread
  • Dessert
  • Breakfast

Connect

  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Copyright © 2025 Humbly Homemade. All rights reserved.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rate This Recipe!

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe - it was absolutely delish!!

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.