Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 110 g light brown sugar, packed
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Dry Base
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Mix-ins
- 90 g rolled oats
- 150 g semisweet chocolate chips
- 60 g pecans, roughly chopped
- 45 g unsweetened shredded coconut
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 152 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 91 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 18 mg
- Potassium
- 63 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 30 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 37 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 3 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 4 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly dispersed.
Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry streaks of flour remain.
Using a rubber spatula, manually fold the rolled oats, semisweet chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and unsweetened coconut into the dough until evenly distributed.
Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into 35g mounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) of space between each dough ball to account for spreading.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft and underbaked.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- For enhanced flavor, toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant before adding them to the dough. Let them cool completely.
- Resting the dough in the refrigerator overnight hydrates the flour and oats, allowing the cinnamon and vanilla to thoroughly permeate the dough resulting in a deeper, more complex flavor profile.
- Because of the high volume of mix-ins, these cookies may bake up slightly domed. If you prefer a flatter cookie, gently press down on the dough balls before baking.
- To achieve a bakery-style aesthetic, reserve a small handful of chocolate chips and press them lightly into the tops of the dough balls right before they go into the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store unbaked dough in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze portioned dough balls on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the baking time.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread completely flat during baking
Cause: Butter was too warm or melted, or the baking sheet was placed into the oven while hot from a previous batch
Fix: Refrigerate remaining unbaked dough for 30-60 minutes before baking the next batch
Prevention: Use properly softened butter that yields to gentle pressure but holds its shape, and chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking
Cookies are tough and dry
Cause: Too much flour was added or the dough was overmixed after the flour was incorporated
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but storing in an airtight container with a slice of sandwich bread can slightly soften them overnight
Prevention: Weigh your flour precisely using a digital scale and only mix until dry streaks disappear
Cultural Context
Often referred to as Cowboy Cookies or Ranger Cookies, this style of heavily loaded drop cookie became an American staple in the mid-20th century. By incorporating hearty pantry staples like rolled oats, coconut, and nuts, the recipe was originally designed to provide sustaining energy while maximizing texture and flavor.
