Cowboy cookies

Cowboy cookies are chunky, flavor-packed American cookies made with oats, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and chopped nuts, often baked into oversized, chewy rounds with crisp edges and soft centers. Built on a hearty oatmeal cookie base, they're beloved for their rich texture and bold mix-ins—the oats add chewiness, the coconut brings a sweet, nutty depth, while chocolate chips and pecans (or walnuts) create a perfect balance of gooey and crunchy in every bite.

Thought to have roots in the American West or Southwest, cowboy cookies evoke the rustic, filling snacks that might've fueled long days on the range—hearty, energizing, and made to last. They are particularly associated with Texas and Wyoming.

Their popularity skyrocketed in 2000 when Laura Bush's version beat Tipper Gore's in the Family Circle Presidential Bake-Off, featuring a loaded, Texas-sized variation with cinnamon and double the decadence. Today, cowboy cookies are a nostalgic bake sale staple and a cozy kitchen favorite—rustic, generous, and unapologetically indulgent.