Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies — Chewy oats, sweet coconut, crunchy pecans, peanut butter, and plenty of chocolate!! A true ‘kitchen sink’ cookie that stays soft and chewy! Everyone (not just cowboys) loves these cookies!!
Cowboy Peanut Butter Cookies
You don’t have to be a cowboy or cowgirl to love them. I’m neither, but am a huge fan of these cookies because they’re hearty, loaded with texture, and have so many wonderful flavors going on in every bite.
Since everything is better with peanut butter, I incorporated it into the recipe and love the results. Present but it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors.
Throw in pecans and Cornflakes, and you’ve got yourself texture galore which I love.
The pecans add a firmer crunch while the Cornflakes add a lighter, crispier crunch. The crunchiness plays off the chewiness from the oats and coconut beautifully.
I’ve seen Cowboy Cookies called Kitchen Sink Cookies and rightfully so. Almost everything but the kitchen sink is included.
Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookie Ingredients
To make these cowboy cookies with peanut butter, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Old-fashioned oats
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cornflakes
- Sweetened shredded coconuts
- Pecans
How to Make Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies
This recipe for cowboy cookies couldn’t get much easier! Here’s how the cookies are made:
- Beat together the egg, butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla.
- Add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined.
- Add the chocolate chips, Cornflakes, coconut, pecans, and beat on low speed until just combined.
- Using a 1/4-cup measure, form approximately 15 equal-sized mounds of dough and flatten slightly.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving.
Can Instant Oats Be Used Instead of Old-Fashioned Oats?
No, instant oats are more finely milled than old-fashioned (rolled) oats and will result in drier, more crumbly cookies.
Does the Cookie Dough Have to Be Chilled?
Yes, absolutely! If you bake unchilled dough, your cookies will flatten out and be crispy around the edges rather than soft and chewy.
Tips for Making Cowboy Cookies with Peanut Butter
If you want to swap walnuts for the pecans, swap raisins for the chocolate chips, use Special K rather than Cornflakes, or make tweaks given the ingredients in your pantry, these cowboy peanut butter cookies probably turn out just fine.
Just make sure to use a traditional no-stir peanut butter in the cookie dough. I prefer using peanut butter from brands like Jif or Skippy when baking cookies.
Note that unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, not quick-cook or instant
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup Cornflakes or Special K cereal, Frosted Flakes or a similar cereal may be substituted
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped (walnuts or almonds may be substituted)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the egg, butter, peanut butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, Cornflakes, coconut, pecans, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 15 equal-sized mounds of dough and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes (I baked 11 minutes), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So hearty and yummy! I need to make these cookies :)
Pinned. Yes, I love cowboy cookies and adding peanut butter sounds like a wonderful addition.
Thanks for pinning!
YES-peanut butter definitely makes cowboy cookies even better!!!
Blown away by these cookies and totally drooling over the pix! Can’t go wrong with all of these mix-ins! Definitely worth the wait for dough chilling time!
Hey there, I only have quick cook oats on hand, is it ok to use them, or should i just scratch oats from the recipe? thanks!
You’d want to go to the store and buy old-fashioned oats because that way the recipe will work out. By using either quick cook or omitting, it won’t.
oh my word! These look amazing! Yummy!
Oh these look delicious! I’ve had cowboy cookies before but never with peanut butter!
these look SO soft and chewy and moist, I’m dying for a bite!!! and I couldn’t agree more, peanut butter makes everything better :)
I love cowboy cookies, but the pb aspect is just brilliant here.
I love cookies that are thick and full of texture. These will disappear in record time around here. I agree with the sentiments above. Thin cookies are not my idea of a cookie.
Oh my gosh I would inhale these!! They look absolutely perfect.
How can you go wrong with these???
Cant wait to make these cookies. What can i substitute for coconut? Thanks.
You can play around with the dough and see what other dry ingredients you’ll need to firm it up – more flour, oats, cereal. Since I haven’t tried without coconut, I can’t give exact measurements.
I love how thick these are Averie! My husband prefers thin, crispy cookies (LAME) which means this batch is all for MOI! (PS. Pinning for my next baking weekend!)
Thanks for pinning and thin, crispy cookies…ahh. Unless it’s a Girl Scout Thin Mint, thin and crispy isn’t in my vocab :) LMK if you try them!
I forgot how many yummy ingredients are in these cookies but adding some peanut butter sounds like a good fit. I love a loaded up cookie or bar!
It’s a nice way to clear out your pantry a bit, too :)
I kind of need these, oh, rightnowplease. It’s been a rough week! And these are so thick and chewy and there’s so many good things inside! Definitely not just for cowboys. I’m guessing nobody can stop at one?
They are filling but with cookies, no matter how hearty they are, stopping at one is pretty tricky for me!