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Elevate your cookie game with our small batch Cowboy Cookies, a twist on Laura Bush’s famous Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies. These large, flavorful treats are loaded with oats, chocolate chips, and pecans, with an optional coconut addition for an extra punch. This recipe yields a slightly larger batch than our typical offerings, making it ideal for sharing or packing into care packages. For those craving a legendary and satisfying cookie , our Cowboy Cookies are exactly what you’re looking for.
If the rustic charm of this half batch cowboy cookies recipe has won you over, you’ll love exploring our other delightful small batch cookie recipes. Experience the classic joy of our gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies, the melt-in-your-mouth Butter Cookies, and the crumbly, buttery Shortbread Bites.
Table of Contents
Back when my family lived in Austin, I discovered an unforgettable cookie recipe in our community newspaper. Known both as Cowboy Cookies and Laura Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies, these sizable treats come loaded with a medley of scrumptious ingredients. Trust me, they’re not your average cookie!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Enormous Cookies!: We’re talking Texas-sized, my friends. This recipe yields a small batch of incredibly delicious cookies that you won’t be able to resist.
- Tested and Perfected: I’ve made these cookies more times than I can count. This scaled-down recipe maintains all the flavors of the original.
- Great for Gifting: Because they ship so well, these cookies are perfect for college care packages or as surprise treats for loved ones.
- Versatile: Whether it’s breakfast on the go or a late-night snack, these cookies fit the bill.
Exploring The History Of Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies
In 2000, Family Circle Magazine hosted a cookie cook-off featuring recipes from the wives of that year’s presidential candidates: Laura Bush and Tipper Gore. Laura Bush entered the contest with her Texas Cowboy Cookies, a rich blend of chocolate and pecans, and ultimately took home the win. These winning cookies have since become a staple, renowned for their hearty texture and robust flavors.
RELATED: The Best Cookie Recipes For One
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this cowboy cookie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: I use softened, salted butter rather than margarine for the best flavor and texture.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: This recipe calls for a mix of both brown and granulated sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to a softer, chewier cookie when combined with butter. Low on brown sugar? Use our simple brown sugar recipe to make up a quick batch.
- Egg: Use one whole egg plus an extra yolk for added richness and structure. Be sure to save the egg white and use it in one of our many egg white recipes like a mini Texas Sheet Cake, Two Vanilla Cupcakes, or a small White Cake.
- Vanilla extract and cinnamon: These two ingredients enhance the cookie’s flavor profile, making each bite more memorable.
- Flour: Stick with all-purpose flour for consistent results.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These leavening agents give the cookies the perfect lift, making them fluffy and delicious.
- Chocolate chips: While semi-sweet chocolate chips are my go-to, you’re welcome to switch things up with dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even butterscotch chips. Use any extra chocolate chips in a Chocolate Chip Muffin or in a Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie.
- Oats: For the best texture, use old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Shredded coconut: This ingredient is a classic in Texas Governor’s Mansion cookies, but it’s optional if coconut isn’t your thing. If you’ve got a little bit of coconut leftover, consider using it a small batch of refreshing Ambrosia.
- Pecans: Adding chopped pecans gives the cookies a satisfying crunch. Walnuts are a suitable alternative if you prefer. You might enjoy leftover pecans in a mini Pecan Pie!
RELATED: 15 Dessert Recipes For One
Recipe Variations
We all know the classic cowboy cookie is hard to beat, but if you’re in the mood to experiment, I’ve got some interesting twists for you.
- Nut-Free Cowboy Cookies: If you’re dealing with nut allergies, skip the pecans and add in an extra handful of oats or even some sunflower seeds for crunch.
- White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cowboy Cookies: Sub out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips, and replace the pecans with macadamia nuts. You get a creamy, rich texture that feels luxurious.
- Dark Chocolate and Almond Cowboy Cookies: Swap in dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds. The richness of the dark chocolate pairs perfectly with the slight bitterness of the almonds.
- Peanut Butter Chip and Peanut Cowboy Cookies: If you’re a peanut lover, this one’s for you. Use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips and throw in some chopped peanuts for an added crunch.
- Butterscotch Chip and Walnut Cowboy Cookies: Swap the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips and use walnuts in place of pecans. The butterscotch brings sweetness, while walnuts offer an earthy contrast.
- Mint Chocolate Chip and Hazelnut Cowboy Cookies: Replace the standard chips with mint chocolate chips and toss in some chopped hazelnuts. The mint offers a refreshing note, and hazelnuts add a different kind of nutty goodness.
Feel free to let your imagination run wild and come up with your own dreamy combinations. The world of Laura Bush cowboy cookies is as limitless as your creativity!
How To Make Cowboy Cookies
- Begin by creaming the butter and sugars in a bowl until well combined.
- Next, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the mixture, mixing thoroughly.
- In a different bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk these dry ingredients together.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until they are fully incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans into the batter.
- Using a scoop, place balls of the cookie dough onto a baking sheet, ensuring there is a 3-inch space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 15-18 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Softened Butter is Key: For this small batch cowboy cookies recipe, it’s crucial to use softened butter, which is still cool to the touch. A simple test is to press your finger into the butter; it should leave an indentation. The optimal way to achieve this consistency is to let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start baking.
- Accurate Flour Measurement: Utilize the spoon and level technique for precise flour measurement. Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup until it’s slightly heaped. Next, level off the excess using a straight-edged knife or utensil. Avoid scooping directly with the cup as this compacts the flour, resulting in more than the intended amount for the recipe.
- Uniform Cookie Size: For consistently sized cookies, deploy a medium-sized ice cream scoop when portioning out your dough. This ensures each cookie bakes evenly and has a similar size.
Serving Suggestions
Craving more than just a cookie? You’re in the right place! Transform your cowboy cookies into show-stopping desserts with these creative ideas:
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies.
- Cookie Sundae: Crumble one Cowboy Cookie over a bowl of ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
- Cookie Trifle: Layer cookies, whipped cream, and your favorite fruit in a tall glass.
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:
Other Must-Try Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Explore a world of flavors with these other irresistible small batch cookie recipes that satisfy your sweet tooth without overwhelming your kitchen.
For information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
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.
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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
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugars and mix well for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add the egg and egg yolk and beat well.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder baking soda and cinnamon together.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans.
- Scoop out ¼ cup of the cookie dough and place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Space the cookies 3-inches apart.
- Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cookies remain on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to baking rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Softened Butter is Key: For this small batch cowboy cookies recipe, it’s crucial to use softened butter, which is still cool to the touch. A simple test is to press your finger into the butter; it should leave an indentation. The optimal way to achieve this consistency is to let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start baking.
- Accurate Flour Measurement: Utilize the spoon and level technique for precise flour measurement. Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup until it’s slightly heaped. Next, level off the excess using a straight-edged knife or utensil. Avoid scooping directly with the cup as this compacts the flour, resulting in more than the intended amount for the recipe.
- Uniform Cookie Size: For consistently sized cookies, deploy a medium-sized ice cream scoop when portioning out your dough. This ensures each cookie bakes evenly and has a similar size.
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).