Stuffed with delicious goodies, these Almond Flour Cowboy Cookies are packed with oats, pecans, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips! A delicious cookie for the person who loves it all, these dewdrops of joy are magnificent for anyone seeking a great time.
In case you aren’t familiar, cowboy cookies are classic chocolate chip cookies that have been enhanced by outstanding additions like oats, pecans, and shredded coconut.
Why are they called cowboy cookies? Great question, I’d love to tell you.
Legend has it, real life cowboys used to eat cookies just like this during a long day of work. They are sometimes called ranger cookies for that very reason. Is the tall tale a little too tall? Who knows, but It’s a good story and I’m sticking to it.
In 2000, former first lady Laura Bush entered her version of Cowboy Cookies into a competition led by First Circle Magazine, and won. Her recipe was published, and its popularity exploded thereafter.
For many, Cowboy Cookies are a household name and an active participant at all bake sales. I, however, was slower to adopt, but after discovering these baddies back in 2021, I instantly became addicted.
A regular chocolate chip cookie dressed in a fun little outfit? Don’t mind if I do!
If you prefer baking with a gluten-free flour blend over almond flour, make my Gluten-Free Cowboy Cookies recipe.
Looking for sugar-free cookies? Make my Keto Cowboy Cookies, which call for sugar-free sweetener and oat fiber instead of oats for a low-carb approach.
Let’s chat about the main ingredients for almond flour cowboy cookies! The great news is you should be able to find the full list of ingredients at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Cowboy Cookies:
Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we use finely ground almond flour as the base of the recipe.
I love using almond flour in gluten-free baking and grain-free baking because it has a light texture and adds healthy fats, fiber, and some protein to treats.
I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour for all of my almond flour recipes. In cookies, it produces a chewy texture, so I recommend sticking with a fine grind over almond meal, which is coarser.
Quick Oats: Classic cowboy cookies require oats for that nutty flavor that no other ingredient is capable of mimicking. I recommend using quick oats for the best texture over old fashioned oats or rolled oats.
To keep the recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Eggs: We need a couple of eggs to help bind the cookie dough together and to give it a lovely rise.
I haven’t tested this recipe without the eggs, but I suspect they would turn out crumbly with an egg replacement like flax egg if other adjustments aren’t made.
Brown Sugar: The sweetener! I like using brown sugar because it contains a little richness and some moisture, which makes cookie recipes so tasty!
Unsalted Butter: We need some form of fat to produce the soft, fudgy texture, and unsalted butter is the ingredient for the job.
It it responsible for the rich flavor, fudgy texture and the spreading during the baking process.
We need softened butter, so take the butter out of the refrigerator long before you intend to make the recipe for the best results.
Raw Pecans, Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, Chocolate Chips: The classic add-ins that make a cowboy cookie a cowboy cookie! Chopped nuts, flaked coconut and chocolate chips add amazing flavor and texture to these hearty cookies.
Use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or switch it up with butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips.
Pure Vanilla Extract and Ground Cinnamon: A splash of pure vanilla extract and a touch of cinnamon brings warm flavor to the cookies.
Sea Salt: Salt is a big flavor enhancer! Be sure to include it to make the most out of the tasty ingredients.
Looking for ways you can change up this recipe? Here are some options.
Recipe Customizations:
To keep the recipe entirely grain-free, replace the oats with ¼ cup of tapioca flour.
Use regular white sugar instead of brown sugar if you’d like. You can also use sugar-free sweetener, or coconut sugar for refined sugar-free options.
Want to skip the shredded coconut? Simply omit it and add another ½ cup of almond flour.
Use chopped walnuts instead of pecans if you prefer them.
For a coconut flour version, make my Coconut Flour Cookies and add nuts, oats, and shredded coconut to them accordingly.
For a dairy-free version, use 10 tablespoons of softened coconut oil instead of butter. The coconut oil version doesn’t spread as well during the baking process but the cookies still taste great. Vegan butter also works here too.
Now that we have covered the key ingredients and some potential changes, let’s bake a batch of cookies!
How to Make Almond Flour Cowboy Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have two baking sheets, prepare two as this recipe makes about 22-24 cookies.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl using a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the wet ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides of the mixer with a rubber spatula once again.
Stir together the almond flour, oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt (dry ingredients) in a separate bowl.
Add the dry ingredients into the mixer. Beat on medium-high until the dough is very well combined, thick, and sticky.
Add in the chopped pecans, shredded coconut and chocolate chips and mix until the goodies are well-incorporated throughout the cookie dough.
Note: If the cookie dough seems very sticky, refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes before baking. If the dough isn’t overly sticky, you can bake right away.
Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to transfer mounds of cookie dough to the prepared cookie sheet. Be sure to leave some space between the dough balls, as the cookies will spread during the baking process.
Bake for 8 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, depending on the size of your cookies. For regular sized cookies, bake for 8-11 minutes, and for large cookies, bake for 11-13 minutes. I make my cookies fairly large, so I bake for about 12 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before serving. If you attempt to move the cookies while they are still warm, they are likely to crumble.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container or large zip lock bag for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Transfer any leftovers to a large zip lock bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
The next time you’re in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, whip up this upgraded version!
I love the idea of bringing them to holidays and family functions to enjoy with friends and family, or for keeping on constant rotation to celebrate everyday life.
For those times your sweet tooth is looking for something familiar yet unique, these delicious cookies are gold!
If you love baking homemade cookies, try some of my other gluten-free cookie recipes!
More Almond Flour Cookie Recipes:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts
- Paleo Morning Glory Cookies
- Almond Flour Blueberry Cookies
- Paleo Mexican Wedding Cakes
- Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
Yippee ki-yay!
Almond Flour Cowboy Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, not melted
- ½ cup brown sugar packed*
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups finely ground almond flour
- ½ cup quick oats
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ⅔ cup raw pecans chopped
- ⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have two baking sheets, prepare two as this recipe makes about 22-24 cookies.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy.
- Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl using a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the wet ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides of the mixer with a rubber spatula once again.
- Stir together the almond flour, oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt (dry ingredients) in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the mixer. Beat on medium-high until the dough is very well combined, thick, and sticky. Add in the chopped pecans, shredded coconut and chocolate chips and mix until the goodies are well-incorporated throughout the cookie dough.
- Note: If the cookie dough seems very sticky, refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes before baking. If the dough isn’t overly sticky, you can bake right away.
- Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to transfer mounds of cookie dough to the prepared cookie sheet. Be sure to leave some space between the dough balls, as the cookies will spread during the baking process. Bake for 8 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, depending on the size of your cookies. For regular sized cookies, bake for 8-11 minutes, and for large cookies, bake for 11-13 minutes. I make my cookies fairly large, so I bake for about 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before serving. If you attempt to move the cookies while they are still warm, they are likely to crumble.
Notes
Nutrition
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I wonder if these cookies can be turned into a bar. Any thoughts?
Thank you.