Name: Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 tablespoon baking soda; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar; 3 eggs; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips; 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 2 cups sweetened flake coconut; 1 cup chopped pecans; Directions:

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wordchefOctober 30, 2012 at 6:15 PMThese look awesome! They remind me of cookies my grandmother used to make for me that had cornflakes in them (no coconut)...aside from that, they are to the letter the same. Now I need to take a nostalgia break and plan some weekend baking...:)ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticOctober 30, 2012 at 10:26 PMHi, WC! I have seen cookie recipes with cornflakes in them, but have never tried any! Sounds delicious, too! These are fabulous and I can tell you that the recipe is worth trying! Let me know if ya do! :) Thanks for the comment!DeleteRepliesReplycurious QJune 2, 2018 at 10:54 PMWord Chef do you know the name of the ones your grandmother used to make or could you post the recipe please?DeleteRepliesReplyMJBNAugust 22, 2018 at 11:55 AMWord Chef - was your Grandmother's recipe called a Ranger Cookie? My Mom made them, too. Curious Q - Try a search using ranger cookie. I have to dig through a ton of hand written notes to find my Mom's recipe. Time consuming, but worth it.DeleteRepliesReplyUnknownJanuary 17, 2019 at 9:17 AMRanger cookies are the best! My sister in law made them and I loved them too so I make themDeleteRepliesReplyHeartwarmers from VickiNovember 8, 2019 at 4:18 PMRanger cookies were always my father's favorite! I haven't made them in a lont time.DeleteRepliesReplyKathyJuly 5, 2021 at 4:48 PMYes - I remember those cookies with the cornflakes - they are like these without the coconut. We called them Ranger Cookies.DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousJanuary 29, 2023 at 5:27 PMI’m going to try these tonight and replace the coconut with cornflakes! That’s what I remember as a child too!DeleteRepliesReplyReplyCindyNovember 6, 2012 at 7:42 PMThese look yummy. I remember reading about them years ago. Glad they have resurfaced. I'll make a batch to take when we go visit our grandkids. Actually I'll buy the kids fish crackers these are adult cookies!ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticNovember 7, 2012 at 7:18 AMHi, Cindy! These ARE so divine! I can't wait to make another batch! I think they may be my new favorite cookie! Totally worth making! :) Thanks for commenting! :)DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 10:58 AMI have been making these since a friend from Texas shared it with me in '03. She make her cookies large, I make mine normal size. I make them in my large KitchenAid stand mixer because it gets impossible for me to stir after adding the oats, choc. chips, and nuts. Everyone that has tasted them absoultly loves them. Because it makes so many, I use a cookie scoop and make into balls. When I have a cookie sheet full of them, I stick the cookie sheet in the freezer. After the balls are no longer sticky, I put them in freezer bags. That allows me to make as many or as few as I want. When I bake them, I use parchment. Think I'll make a batch this week.DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticNovember 11, 2012 at 3:58 PMI just made them again this week and did the same ... froze the dough balls to pull out whenever the craving hits for these amazing cookies! Thanks for sharing and stopping by! :)DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousAugust 5, 2023 at 3:08 PMI’ve just made you’re cookie recipe, they look delicious, definitely a workout when mixing by hand , wear a glove and just get there to mix it until thoroughly combined. 😁DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAnonymousMay 16, 2013 at 10:53 AMI have made something similar for years. One of my families favorite cookies....called Ranger cookies. I used butterscotch chips or toffee bits in those. They have rice cereal in them as well.ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAngela @Joyously DomesticMay 17, 2013 at 7:16 AMThose sound good, as well! Yum!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousDecember 9, 2013 at 5:22 PMI mixed most of the flour in with my Kitchen Aid and then put all into a large pot. If you have any latex exam gloves, they are perfect for mixing in the remaining ingredients, not difficult at all. The gloves also make it easy to make balls, to freeze or bake, no sticking. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousOctober 25, 2014 at 1:09 AMI remember them as having sour cherries in them.ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticOctober 25, 2014 at 3:31 AMI'm sure that cherries could easily be added. Yum! :)DeleteRepliesReplyReplyUnknownOctober 6, 2015 at 1:57 PMI have arthritis, but no mixer. Do you think I could still make these cookies since the batter is so stiff?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticOctober 6, 2015 at 9:45 PMYa know, I'm not quite sure. It definitely is on the stiffer side of the spectrum, but not overly difficult I wouldn't think. You could always try to halve the batch so it isn't as much to have to work with ... and see how that goes. Yes, it would still be a stiff dough, of course, but maybe more manageable? If you've ever made Monster Cookies (with lots of oats, peanut butter and m & m's) ... this would be a similar stiffness.DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAnonymousJanuary 7, 2018 at 8:56 PMDo you think they would be good without coconut? Would the recipe need to be altered any?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticJanuary 7, 2018 at 11:05 PMHmmmm ... I am not sure. I don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient. DeleteRepliesReplyUnknownMarch 7, 2019 at 9:35 PMAbsolutely. They would be good without coconut. Coconut is bothersome to my teeth and I leave it out. The recipe is exhausting for we over 70 yrs, but in the end it is worth it. Texas GalDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousMay 29, 2019 at 3:21 PMThese are great fabulous no matter what you add in place of coconut. I've also added spec.k cereal or brandy flakes and raisins or dates or chertiesDeleteRepliesReplyReplyJennyJanuary 10, 2018 at 5:16 AMLooks delicous! How about adding rice crispies to the batch-if you add 4 cups, you enlarge the receipe and lower the fat. If you add unsweetened rice cripies, then you lower the sugar too. They will come out crunchy!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownMarch 30, 2018 at 6:50 PMAdded 1c chopped dates!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownApril 4, 2018 at 7:37 PMMy husband isn’t crazy about chocolate chips, so I was thinking about using raisins or butterscotch chips instead of the chocolate. Do you think either of these substitutions will work?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticApril 4, 2018 at 8:34 PMHi, Debbie. Absolutely. I think either would be awesome in these. I love both of those, too ... more than chocolate chips. So I would be thrilled with either. DeleteRepliesReplyJenniferJune 20, 2019 at 11:22 AMI absolutely do not like coconut but wanted to stay true to the recipe while I was sharing it with others and I can honestly say that I really couldn't taste much coconut or even tell texturally that it was there.DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAnonymousApril 5, 2018 at 5:11 PMI think I will try this in a couple of week's but alter it to leave out the coconut and the pecans see where that get's me. I'm thinking cherries and extra oats would do the trick or maybe instead of the extra oats I might try some Cornflakes or Frosted Flakes. Will let you know what I come up with. Thanks for posting this recipe ... ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownMay 3, 2018 at 8:11 AMNice website! I wanted to know before I make these, if I used unsweetened coconut flakes, would it be alright or should I amend the sugar measure?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticMay 7, 2018 at 12:02 PMI have used both at different times and had no issue either way. :)DeleteRepliesReplyDianeJuly 3, 2018 at 2:51 PMI only had instant oatmeal on hand, salted caramel and vanilla bean. I tried it with them not knowing how they would turn out, I'm saving this one!!! Flavor overload! Delicious DeleteRepliesReplyReplyRachJuly 30, 2018 at 12:04 PMAre these cookies thick and chewy? They look pretty flat and my hubby likes them thick! ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticJuly 31, 2018 at 10:42 PMThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps. DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticJuly 31, 2018 at 10:42 PMThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps. DeleteRepliesReplyReplyLeslieAugust 9, 2018 at 6:42 PMBest cookies I have ever had!!!!! I did accidentally put in 3 cups of walnuts because I had a crying baby, husband was hungry, and my 8 n 7 year old was fighting. Since I added too many walnuts I decided to Lee out the coconut and omg!!!! My family inhaled them lol my friends even had some and couldn’t stop praising them. Thank you for the recipe! ��ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:50 PMSo glad they were a hit, Leslie. Even with the extra nuts! Lol. DeleteRepliesReplyReplyHCAugust 10, 2018 at 9:47 PMI just mde these and they are super delicious! Highly recommend!ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:50 PMThanks for the positive feedback. DeleteRepliesReplyReplyUnknownAugust 19, 2018 at 1:08 PMThese look amazing! Can’t wait to try them. I love the galvanized scoop in the bowl of oats. Where did you get it?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:51 PMYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too. DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:51 PMYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too. DeleteRepliesReplyReplyUnknownSeptember 1, 2018 at 4:39 AMLove this old recipe. We called them Ranger cookies. Thanks for printing this. About forgot about them. :)ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousSeptember 26, 2018 at 12:22 PMWhat could we use to substitute for coconut? Our family doesn't like it. ReplyDeleteRepliesLeslieOctober 15, 2018 at 3:39 PMI just left the coconut out and it still was amazing! DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAnonymousNovember 17, 2018 at 6:38 PMHave been making a similar cookies for years. By following the oatmeal cookie recipe on the box, I decided a long time ago to add all of the extra ingredients such as those which are listed here. The only difference is I decided to add peanut butter too. I'm sure this is an excellent recipe even without the peanut butter. For those who love peanut butter, give it a try sometime. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyCoriDecember 23, 2018 at 11:36 AMHi! They turned out yummy but not flat like yours. Mine barely flattened from the scooped ball. Do you know what I did wrong?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticDecember 24, 2018 at 10:25 AMAs odd as it may sound, if any cookies that I make are too fluffy, rounded or poofy, I whack the bottom of the cookie sheet on the top of my oven. You can do this either once or twice. Often, I'll do it halfway through baking, then again as I'm pulling them out of the oven. This helps flatten them out. Otherwise, advising you is difficult. Your puffy cookies could be due to many factors ... the temperature of your butter, the altitude where you live or the potency of your leaveners. My advice is if it's a cookie recipe for which you really enjoy the flavor, remake the recipe while trying something different until the result is how you prefer it.DeleteRepliesReplyReplyMicaJuly 5, 2019 at 12:16 PMcould I leave out the chocolate chips without adding something to replace them> Or maybe add more coconut and some special K cereal?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticJuly 11, 2019 at 10:30 PMI must have overlooked your question. I apologize. I think the chips could be omitted without issue.DeleteRepliesReplyReplymdking389August 20, 2019 at 5:11 PMI made these last August for a retreat I went on and everyone loved them! I am making them again for this year's retreat!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyNaomiAugust 21, 2019 at 4:29 AMMade these today. Was a little hesitant due to the comments about the difficult stirring. I have Parkinson’s disease so my cooking abilities are limited. I decided to divide the recipe into three bowls, one original, one cornflakes and raisins, and one ginger and cherry. I am so happy! They turned out amazingly. My husband fell on them. I got 16 out of each bowl and saved and froze enough of each to make another 8 another day. Thank you so much for your delicious biscuit recipe ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousAugust 28, 2019 at 9:44 AMI would love to print this & add it to my recipe note book. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplypamSeptember 23, 2019 at 10:36 PMWhat can I substitute for the coconut?ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticSeptember 24, 2019 at 1:14 PMI don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient. I would just try to keep the dry ingredient ratio about the same as written. Maybe swap in some krispie rice cereal or bran flakes etc??? DeleteRepliesReplyReplyJanisOctober 9, 2019 at 10:21 PMI make these with whole hazelnuts, people go crazy over them. I have also made a ginger (crystalized, powdered), and a lemon (zest) versions. I freeze the heaping scoop-sized doughs and bake them frozen, about 14 minutes, dont overbake and they stay thick and chewy. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyJeanOctober 30, 2019 at 9:56 AMI make these with the coconut in them. I use salted caramel chips instead of chocolate chips. They are soooo yummy I don’t think I’ll ever use choc chips again in this recipe. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyMemeDecember 20, 2019 at 3:37 PMCan I substitute quick oats for the old fashion oats?ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownMay 3, 2020 at 6:29 PMThis recipe yields a lot of cookie dough, is it possible for me to freeze some of the dough for later pr at least refrigerate until next weekend's treat? ReplyDeleteRepliesJoyously DomesticMay 12, 2020 at 7:07 PMI freeze raw cookie dough all the time to thaw and bake later! So, yes!!!DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAnonymousJuly 1, 2020 at 10:44 PMJust the best cookies, thank you. I 1/2 cups chocolate chips added to half the cookie dough 11/2cups cranberries added to the other, this way everyone had a choice and loved the cookies.ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownDecember 9, 2021 at 5:33 PMI add sunflower seeds to my cowboy cookies. Just that much more awesome!!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyUnknownApril 7, 2022 at 6:21 PMThese cookies were amazing!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousOctober 10, 2022 at 5:39 PMOMG !! Thick, chewy, gooey, Great !!My hubby really liked them !! He doesn't like coconut or pecans! This is going into my rotation of cookie's to keep on hand ! Thank you & they were fun to make ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousDecember 15, 2022 at 1:31 PMMine do not spread that bigReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousJanuary 5, 2023 at 4:55 PMMine were good but didn’t flatten out thin. ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousJanuary 9, 2023 at 9:49 AMThese cookies are wonderful! I made them last night. They taste even better this morning with coffee! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousFebruary 11, 2023 at 8:23 PMI love this recipe. I’ve frozen some, divided the recipe in half and also used half chocolate chips half espresso chips Yum!ReplyDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousFebruary 17, 2023 at 10:04 AMCan these cookies be Freezed after baking?ReplyDeleteRepliesReply

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Joyously DomesticOctober 30, 2012 at 10:26 PMHi, WC! I have seen cookie recipes with cornflakes in them, but have never tried any! Sounds delicious, too! These are fabulous and I can tell you that the recipe is worth trying! Let me know if ya do! :) Thanks for the comment!DeleteRepliesReplycurious QJune 2, 2018 at 10:54 PMWord Chef do you know the name of the ones your grandmother used to make or could you post the recipe please?DeleteRepliesReplyMJBNAugust 22, 2018 at 11:55 AMWord Chef - was your Grandmother's recipe called a Ranger Cookie? My Mom made them, too. Curious Q - Try a search using ranger cookie. I have to dig through a ton of hand written notes to find my Mom's recipe. Time consuming, but worth it.DeleteRepliesReplyUnknownJanuary 17, 2019 at 9:17 AMRanger cookies are the best! My sister in law made them and I loved them too so I make themDeleteRepliesReplyHeartwarmers from VickiNovember 8, 2019 at 4:18 PMRanger cookies were always my father's favorite! I haven't made them in a lont time.DeleteRepliesReplyKathyJuly 5, 2021 at 4:48 PMYes - I remember those cookies with the cornflakes - they are like these without the coconut. We called them Ranger Cookies.DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousJanuary 29, 2023 at 5:27 PMI’m going to try these tonight and replace the coconut with cornflakes! That’s what I remember as a child too!DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticNovember 7, 2012 at 7:18 AMHi, Cindy! These ARE so divine! I can't wait to make another batch! I think they may be my new favorite cookie! Totally worth making! :) Thanks for commenting! :)DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousNovember 11, 2012 at 10:58 AMI have been making these since a friend from Texas shared it with me in '03. She make her cookies large, I make mine normal size. I make them in my large KitchenAid stand mixer because it gets impossible for me to stir after adding the oats, choc. chips, and nuts. Everyone that has tasted them absoultly loves them. Because it makes so many, I use a cookie scoop and make into balls. When I have a cookie sheet full of them, I stick the cookie sheet in the freezer. After the balls are no longer sticky, I put them in freezer bags. That allows me to make as many or as few as I want. When I bake them, I use parchment. Think I'll make a batch this week.DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticNovember 11, 2012 at 3:58 PMI just made them again this week and did the same ... froze the dough balls to pull out whenever the craving hits for these amazing cookies! Thanks for sharing and stopping by! :)DeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousAugust 5, 2023 at 3:08 PMI’ve just made you’re cookie recipe, they look delicious, definitely a workout when mixing by hand , wear a glove and just get there to mix it until thoroughly combined. 😁DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticOctober 25, 2014 at 3:31 AMI'm sure that cherries could easily be added. Yum! :)DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticOctober 6, 2015 at 9:45 PMYa know, I'm not quite sure. It definitely is on the stiffer side of the spectrum, but not overly difficult I wouldn't think. You could always try to halve the batch so it isn't as much to have to work with ... and see how that goes. Yes, it would still be a stiff dough, of course, but maybe more manageable? If you've ever made Monster Cookies (with lots of oats, peanut butter and m & m's) ... this would be a similar stiffness.DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticJanuary 7, 2018 at 11:05 PMHmmmm ... I am not sure. I don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient. DeleteRepliesReplyUnknownMarch 7, 2019 at 9:35 PMAbsolutely. They would be good without coconut. Coconut is bothersome to my teeth and I leave it out. The recipe is exhausting for we over 70 yrs, but in the end it is worth it. Texas GalDeleteRepliesReplyAnonymousMay 29, 2019 at 3:21 PMThese are great fabulous no matter what you add in place of coconut. I've also added spec.k cereal or brandy flakes and raisins or dates or chertiesDeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticApril 4, 2018 at 8:34 PMHi, Debbie. Absolutely. I think either would be awesome in these. I love both of those, too ... more than chocolate chips. So I would be thrilled with either. DeleteRepliesReplyJenniferJune 20, 2019 at 11:22 AMI absolutely do not like coconut but wanted to stay true to the recipe while I was sharing it with others and I can honestly say that I really couldn't taste much coconut or even tell texturally that it was there.DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticMay 7, 2018 at 12:02 PMI have used both at different times and had no issue either way. :)DeleteRepliesReplyDianeJuly 3, 2018 at 2:51 PMI only had instant oatmeal on hand, salted caramel and vanilla bean. I tried it with them not knowing how they would turn out, I'm saving this one!!! Flavor overload! Delicious DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticJuly 31, 2018 at 10:42 PMThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps. DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticJuly 31, 2018 at 10:42 PMThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps. DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:50 PMSo glad they were a hit, Leslie. Even with the extra nuts! Lol. DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:50 PMThanks for the positive feedback. DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:51 PMYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too. DeleteRepliesReplyJoyously DomesticAugust 20, 2018 at 10:51 PMYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too. DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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LeslieOctober 15, 2018 at 3:39 PMI just left the coconut out and it still was amazing! DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticDecember 24, 2018 at 10:25 AMAs odd as it may sound, if any cookies that I make are too fluffy, rounded or poofy, I whack the bottom of the cookie sheet on the top of my oven. You can do this either once or twice. Often, I'll do it halfway through baking, then again as I'm pulling them out of the oven. This helps flatten them out. Otherwise, advising you is difficult. Your puffy cookies could be due to many factors ... the temperature of your butter, the altitude where you live or the potency of your leaveners. My advice is if it's a cookie recipe for which you really enjoy the flavor, remake the recipe while trying something different until the result is how you prefer it.DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticJuly 11, 2019 at 10:30 PMI must have overlooked your question. I apologize. I think the chips could be omitted without issue.DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticSeptember 24, 2019 at 1:14 PMI don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient. I would just try to keep the dry ingredient ratio about the same as written. Maybe swap in some krispie rice cereal or bran flakes etc??? DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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Joyously DomesticMay 12, 2020 at 7:07 PMI freeze raw cookie dough all the time to thaw and bake later! So, yes!!!DeleteRepliesReplyReply

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