Vegan cowboy cookies are loaded with oats, coconut, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and pecans! These bakery style cookies are super thick, fluffy, soft, and chewy. The easy recipe is made with one bowl, pantry staples, and there’s no chilling required.
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How did cowboy cookies get their name?
Simply put, these delicious cookies are the original “energy bar” for cowboys! Legend says that the hearty ingredients – including oats, coconut, and pecans – fueled cowboys during their long journeys. Due to their size and texture, this treat kept well inside the saddlebag during travel.
What exactly are they? Cowboy cookies contain everything you love about a regular cookie, but with MORE goodies added! They have the classic sweet flavor, pockets of chocolate, and gooey interior of regular chocolate chip cookies. However, their delicious texture and unique flavor makes them stand out from the O.G.
These cookies are packed with 5 key ingredients: oats, chocolate, coconut, cinnamon, and pecans. They are hearty, fluffy, buttery, soft and chewy all at once!
These cowboy cookies are:
- Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly
- A one-bowl, no chill cookie recipe
- Bakery style // super thick, fluffy, and chewy
- Melt-in-your-mouth gooey inside
- Subtly spiced with ground cinnamon
- Easily transportable & great for gifting
- Freezer-friendly
What are cowboy cookies made of?
- Flour: We’ll use all-purpose flour, otherwise known as plain flour, for these vegan cowboy cookies. If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can use gluten-free baking flour instead. I recommend varieties that contain xanthan gum for the best results.
- Vegan butter: Vegan butter from a tub, rather than buttery sticks, is the best choice when it comes to baking dairy-free cookies.
- Sugar: We’ll primarily use brown sugar, which has a toffee-like flavor due to the presence of molasses. Granulated sugar provides extra sweetness and helps the cookies spread.
- Oats: Be sure to use rolled oats instead of the quick or steel cut variety.
- Coconut: Shredded coconut, also known as desiccated coconut, is fresh coconut that has been finely shredded and dried. I use the Let’s Do Organic brand by Edward & Sons.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a crunchy texture and buttery flavor.
- Chocolate chips: Use your favorite type of chocolate chips, whether they’re a dark, semisweet, or non-dairy milk variety.
- Flax egg: A flax egg is made from ground flaxseed and water. It takes just 5 minutes to create and acts as a substitute for real eggs in vegan baking.
- Almond milk: If you don’t have almond milk, feel free to use another type of plant-based milk.
- Cinnamon: This warm spice gives the cookies a subtle sweet and woody flavor.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds extra sweetness. No cookies are complete without it!
- Salt: A pinch of salt is needed to balance the sweet sugars and rich chocolate.
How to make vegan cowboy cookies
For the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
First, create the flax egg by combining ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will gelatinize, like a real egg!
Then, combine vegan butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add almond milk, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Cream together once more to combine.
Next, add all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Mix together just until the flour is evenly incorporated. Add shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. Stir together.
Finally, scoop the cookie dough into balls and transfer to the baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes or until the edges begin to firm. Remove cookies from the oven while the center still appears slightly underbaked. Let them cool on the baking sheet; they will firm and de-puff while cooling. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top. Enjoy!
Tips for making the best oatmeal pecan cookies
How to properly measure flour: Flour should never be scooped and packed into the measuring cup. This will cause you to use way too much. Instead, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top with a flat object (such as the back of a knife). Alternatively, you can weigh the flour using a food scale.
Double check your ingredients. Be sure to use rolled oats instead of quick cooking oats. The shredded coconut should be unsweetened and the pecans should be raw (not roasted, candied, or salted).
Top with flaky sea salt. I highly recommend adding a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of your freshly baked cookies! Extra salt contrasts the rich chocolate, hearty oats, sweet coconut, and buttery pecans in a delicious way.
Nut-free option: If you’d like to make these cookies without nuts, you can simply omit the pecans. Don’t forget to use a nut-free non-dairy milk, like soy milk or oat milk.
How to store these vegan oatmeal coconut cookies
Got leftovers? Store these cookies inside a sealed container at room temperature for 3-5 days. In fact, I find they taste even better the day after baking. No wonder cowboys brought them on their long journeys! 😉
If saving longterm, you can either freeze the cookie dough or freeze the pre-baked cookies. Keep balls of dough or pre-baked cookies inside a tightly sealed ziplock bag, using parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Be sure to let the cookie dough come to room temperature before baking.
More vegan desserts with oats
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Vegan Cowboy Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan cowboy cookies are loaded with oats, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, and cinnamon! This dairy-free dessert is made with one bowl and there’s no chilling needed. These bakery style cookies are super thick, chewy, soft, and fluffy. Legend says, they were the original energy bar for cowboys during their long journeys! #cowboycookies #vegancookies #vegandessert #cookierecipes #oatmealcookies #oatmeal #coconut #pecans #veganbaking
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter, slightly softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free baking flour), measured correctly*
- 1 ¼ cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup Let’s Do Organic unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅔ cup raw chopped pecans
- ⅔ cup vegan chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Create the flax egg: Combine ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will gelatinize, like an egg.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the vegan butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add almond milk, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Cream together once more to combine.
- Add dry ingredients: Add all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Mix together just until the flour is evenly incorporated. Add shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. Stir together.
- Bake cookies: Scoop cookie dough into balls and transfer to the baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges begin to firm. Remove cookies from the oven while the center still appears slightly underbaked. Let them cool on the baking sheet; they will firm and de-puff while cooling. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top (optional but recommended). Enjoy!
Notes
- *How to measure flour: Flour should never be scooped and packed into the measuring cup. Instead, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top with a flat object (such as the back of a knife). Alternatively, you can weigh the flour using a food scale.
- How to store: Store leftover cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- How to freeze: If storing longterm, you can freeze the cookie dough or the pre-baked cookies. Keep balls of dough or pre-baked cookies inside a tightly sealed ziplock bag, using parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Be sure to let the cookie dough come to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
Keywords: vegan cowboy cookies, vegan oatmeal coconut cookies, oatmeal pecan cookies
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Delicious! Moist and chewy – not too sweet. I used white all purpose flour, subbed walnuts for pecans and coconut sugar for brown sugar because that’s what I had on hand.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Stephanie! 🙂