Vegan Cowboy Cookies

Yeehaw! Welcome to this post, devoted entirely to Vegan Cowboy Cookies!

What’s a cowboy cookie you may ask? Well, it’s basically an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, elevated with a hefty dose of crunchy pecans and coconut. Some versions I’ve seen also add other nuts, and/or Cornflakes.

The first cowboy cookie I ever had was from Collectivo Coffee, which at the time was Alterra. Something about the combination of chewy oats, crunchy nuts, and oodles of chocolate sucked me right in and I became an instant fan.

Collectivo’s cowboy cookies contained not only pecans, but also walnuts. Seeing as I’ve been a walnut fanatic since I was a tiny tot, this only made me love the cookies more.

My cowboy cookie experience(s) as a youngin’ inspired me to add oats, nuts, and coconut shreds to my chocolate chip cookie creations.

In fact, I’d say more often than not, when I make chocolate chip cookies, I tend to add at the very minimum, oats and a nut.

These beauties combine oats, chocolate chunks, pecans, walnuts, and unsweetened shredded coconut. You can swap out these nuts for others, and/or embellish the cookies further with dried fruits, multiple varieties of chocolate, etc etc.

Now, the cookies at Collectivo were large. Like, toddlers-require-two-hands-to-eat-them large. Personally, I love a big cookie. So if you want giant two-hands-required cookies, I’d suggest using a 1/3 cup measuring scoop or an ice cream scoop to portion the dough. If smaller cookies are your thing, think 2-3 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and adjust the baking times as indicated below.

Last quick note before we get on to the cookies – the dough chilling is optional, but recommended for a more even bake. If you wish to speed it up, either skip it and reduce baking time by a minute or two, or set the cookie dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until chilled.

I hope you enjoy these Vegan Cowboy Cookies! If you make them, let me know in the comments below, and/or reach out on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. Happy baking!

Vegan Cowboy Cookies

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time: 8-15 minutes, depending on size of cookies baked
Servings: 8-16 cookies, depending on size of cookies baked

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup non-dairy butter, softened (I like Earth Balance baking sticks)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cane sugar or raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (can sub all-purpose and/or gluten-free baking flour)
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F if baking immediately. If chilling dough (optional), skip this step for now).
2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, cream softened non-dairy butter and sugars until light and fluffy using an electric mixer (2-3 minutes) or by hand (5-6 minutes). Add vanilla and beat until combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, rolled oats, ground flax seeds, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add flour mixture to non-dairy butter mixture. Add apple sauce and using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix together by hand until just combined. Add chocolate chips, shredded coconut, walnuts and pecans. Mix until just combined.
6. Scoop dough and roll into balls, about 1/4-1/3 cup each (or, if making smaller cookies, 2-3 tablespoons each). Place on prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inch spaces between each cookies.
7. Chill dough balls in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours for best results. If chilling dough, start to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit about 20-30 minutes prior to desired baking.
8. Bake cookies for 8-15 minutes until lightly golden, puffed and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely (cookies will continue to set as they cool). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. Personally, I think they taste great straight from the freezer. Enjoy!

You may also like:

• Levain Bakery-style Vegan Chocolate Chunk Walnut Cookies
• Vegan Snickers Cups
• Vegan Chocolate Lasagna (Olive Garden Inspired)