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Enjoy our small batch Cowboy Cookies, inspired by Laura Bush’s famous Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies. These hearty cookies are filled with oats, chocolate chips, and pecans, with an optional touch of coconut for extra flavor.
If you’ve enjoyed this half-batch cowboy cookies recipe, be sure to check out our other small batch cookie recipes. Try the gooey perfection of our Chocolate Chip Cookies, the rich, buttery flavor of Butter Cookies, or the delicate, crumbly texture of our Shortbread Bites. Each one is perfectly portioned and just as delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big, Bold Cookies: These are Texas-sized cookies packed with flavor, perfect for anyone who loves a hearty, oversized treat.
- Tried and True: This small batch recipe has been tested and perfected to capture all the classic flavors of the original Cowboy Cookies.
- Ideal for Gifting: Their sturdy texture makes them perfect for mailing in care packages or sharing with loved ones.
- Versatile Treat: Whether as a quick breakfast, afternoon snack, or late-night indulgence, these cookies are great anytime.
In 2000, Family Circle Magazine hosted a cookie bake-off featuring recipes from the wives of that year’s presidential candidates, Laura Bush and Tipper Gore. Laura Bush’s Texas Cowboy Cookies, loaded with chocolate, pecans, oats, and coconut, stole the show and won the contest. These oversized, flavor-packed cookies quickly became iconic for their hearty texture and rich, satisfying taste.
Years ago, while living in Austin, I came across this recipe in our community newspaper, known as both Cowboy Cookies and Laura Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies. These oversized, ingredient-packed cookies were an instant hit in my kitchen, proving they’re anything but ordinary.
The original recipe yields dozens of cookies, perfect for feeding a crowd. Our small batch version, more of a half-batch, captures all the flavor and texture of the original but is scaled down—ideal for when you’re baking for yourself or a small group.
RELATED: The Best Cookie Recipes For One
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch cowboy cookies recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Use softened salted butter for the best flavor and texture.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: A combination of brown and granulated sugar creates the perfect balance of sweetness and chewiness. The molasses in brown sugar adds moisture and a soft texture. Low on brown sugar? Make a quick batch using our simple brown sugar recipe.
- Egg: This recipe uses one whole egg plus an extra yolk for richness and structure. Save the egg white for another egg white recipe like mini Texas Sheet Cake, Two Vanilla Cupcakes, or a small White Cake.
- Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon: These key ingredients enhance the flavor, adding warmth and depth to every bite.
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides consistent, reliable results in these cookies.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents ensure the cookies have the perfect lift and texture.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a classic choice, but feel free to use dark chocolate, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips. Leftovers? Try them in a Chocolate Chip Muffin or a Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie.
- Oats: For the best texture, stick with old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Shredded Coconut: This optional ingredient adds a classic touch reminiscent of Texas Governor’s Mansion cookies. Not a fan of coconut? Leave it out. If you have leftover coconut, use it in a small batch of refreshing Ambrosia.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a delightful crunch, though walnuts are a great alternative. Extra pecans? Make a mini Pecan Pie!
RELATED: 15 Dessert Recipes For One
Recipe Variations
The classic cowboy cookie is always a hit, but if you’re looking to try something new, here are a few fun variations:
- Nut-Free Cowboy Cookies: Skip the pecans and replace them with extra oats or sunflower seeds for added crunch without the nuts.
- White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut: Swap semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips, and use macadamia nuts instead of pecans for a creamy, rich twist.
- Dark Chocolate and Almond: Use dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds. The dark chocolate adds depth, while almonds bring a slightly bitter crunch.
- Peanut Butter Chip and Peanut: Replace chocolate chips with peanut butter chips, and toss in chopped peanuts for a double dose of peanut flavor.
- Butterscotch Chip and Walnut: Use butterscotch chips in place of chocolate chips and walnuts instead of pecans. The sweet butterscotch pairs beautifully with earthy walnuts.
- Mint Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut: Try mint chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts for a refreshing and nutty variation that’s a little unexpected.
How To Make Cowboy Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl until smooth and well blended.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each dough ball.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Expert Tips
- Use Softened Butter: For the best results, the butter should be softened but still cool to the touch. Press your finger into the butter—if it leaves an indentation, it’s ready. Let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Use the spoon-and-level method for accurate flour measurement. Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly with the cup, as this can compact the flour and throw off the recipe.
- Evenly Sized Cookies: Use a medium ice cream scoop to portion the dough. This ensures uniform cookies that bake evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the cookies in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Absolutely, they freeze well for up to 3 months.
This half batch cookie recipe will yield between 12-18 cookies depending on how large you make the cookies.
No, the dough does not need to be chilled first.
Yes. Walnuts are a great substitute for pecans in this recipe.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch cowboy cookie recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons salted butter -softened (1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup pecans -chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the egg and egg yolk, beating until well combined.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop ¼ cup of dough for each cookie and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use Softened Butter: For the best results, the butter should be softened but still cool to the touch. Press your finger into the butter—if it leaves an indentation, it’s ready. Let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Use the spoon-and-level method for accurate flour measurement. Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly with the cup, as this can compact the flour and throw off the recipe.
- Evenly Sized Cookies: Use a medium ice cream scoop to portion the dough. This ensures uniform cookies that bake evenly.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Joanie I plan on making your half batch cowboy cookies tomorrow and I realized the amount of butter called for in this recipe is the same amount for the full recipe. Should it be 3/4 cup or the 1&1/2 cups it says to use? Thank you for your time.
For our small batch recipe, use 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of butter.
Made them and enter in my county fair. I won reserve grand championship! They are sooo good! Instead of semi sweet chips I did 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/2 white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips!
That’s great! Congratulations.
I made these today and I think they are my new favorite cookie! Thank you for the recipe!
I used medium scoop &. This batch made 44 cookies!
Hi there!
Thanks for your comment and for trying our Cowboy Cookies recipe! Just to clarify, as mentioned in the instructions, the portion size of dough to scoop out is 1/4 cup. We suggest using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, not a typical cookie scoop. These cookies are meant to be large, so using a regular cookie scoop, even a medium-sized one, would result in more, smaller cookies.
When you use a medium ice cream scoop or measure out 1/4 cup of dough, you should get about 12 to 18 large cookies from the batch. So if you used a regular cookie scoop and ended up with 44 cookies, that makes sense!
I hope this helps, and I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.
What is wrong with this recipe ? Is it 1 & 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and oatmeal OR SHOULD IT BE 1 – half cup of each ??????? Made these cookies and really had TOO much chocolate chips cookies did not melt down at all. HELP !!!
The recipe specifies 1 1/2 cups each of oats and chocolate chips. If your cookies had too many chips and didn’t melt well, it could be due to inaccurate measurements of other ingredients. Additionally, the melting issue might be due to the type of chocolate chips used. High-quality chocolate chips, like those from Guittard or Ghirardelli, often melt better due to fewer stabilizers like soy lecithin. Ensure your measurements are precise, and you might want to try a different brand of chocolate chips for better melting.
A huge ‘THANK YOU’ to you and Ed Stagney — Mr Stagney for his insightful suggestion and you for keeping his post showing allowing others to see it…When I saw the amount of cookies this recipe made AND both the egg yolk and whole egg, I immediately knew that was too many for me and wasn’t interested…I did check out the comments because I usually learn something — plus they are interesting — and learn something, I did!!! Mr Stagney’s comment definitely made me wonder why I hadn’t thought of it when I realized the recipe was too large for my needs. I have followed his suggestion and have had great success…I had to use simple math instead of algebra since I managed to flunked it twice — just can’t get the concept of the equations, although I somehow can get the answers…LOL…Sorry for all the words but had to let you know how much I appreciated both of you for the help…BTW, keep up the good work and the great recipes…THANK YOU
Love these cookies! They have become a family favorite. I omit the cinnamon altogether, add toffee and leave out the pecans and coconut for the haters but add it in for me after I have baked a few batches. Works perfect and we all get the cookie we love. Not all cookie recipes are keepers but this one is perfect every time!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Pam!
Love, love, love this recipe! BUT, mine turned out hard as rock! But the flavor is great and hard as they are, I use them for “dunkers”, and they taste wonderful. Any idea why mine came out so hard??
Hi Jeanette, I’m so happy you love the recipe. One of the most common reasons why cookies come out hard can be that the cookie dough may have been mixed too much. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten starts to form and the gluten is what holds the cookies together. When there is too much gluten from overmixing, the cookies can be tough and hard. Another possibility could stem from using inaccurate ingredient amounts. If your cookies were rock hard, it could be that more sugar was added to the dough than was necessary. One final possibility could be that the cookies were baked too long. I’ve actually baked these cookies, forgot that they were in the oven, and left them in for 5 or so minutes longer and that was all it took for that batch to be harder than the rest. Hope this helps.
Love the taste of original recipe but left out pecans for a friend. Texture was more like an oatmeal lace cookie. Wondering if leaving out nuts was the reason? What can I replace nuts with to keep original texture and thickness?
Hi Carol, leaving out the nuts will make the cookie dough a little loose but should not make it as thin as a lace cookie. If the butter was melted or almost melted, it could make the cookie dough more liquidy.
If your algebra is good, you could make 2/3 of a batch eliminating the egg yolk or 1/3 of a batch eliminating the whole egg. Of course you would have to modify all the other ingredients. (2/3 of 1 1/2 cups is 1 cup and 1/3 of 1 1/2 cups is 1/2 cup, etc..
If you are not the greatest with math, make the whole batch and give some away or store some in the freezer.
I just realized the recipe make 18 cookies and you can make 12 or 6 by changing quantity before you start to print, change the 18 number of cookies in the top right to 12 or 6 and print out the exact measurements (except for the eggs).