Christmas Cowboy Cookies
These Christmas Cowboy Cookies are packed with holiday-colored M&M’s, chocolatey goodness, and the perfect chewy oatmeal-coconut texture. A festive, filling, and satisfying cookie that’s perfect for holiday baking and Christmas cookie exchanges.
Try my Monster cookies, easy oatmeal cookies or chewy oatmeal craisin cookies next!
Easy Christmas Cowboy Cookies with M&M’s
This Christmas Cowboy Cookies recipe is adapted from my recipe for classic cowboy cookies. Laura Bush help make these cowboy cookies famous if you love her cookies your going to love the Christmas ones.
I made half a batch of old fashioned cowboy Christmas cookies and also made them a bit smaller.
If you want to go big, you can use the original recipe and just add in the red and green M&M’s. Either way, you’re gonna love these cookies!
Why you’ll love this cookie recipe
- Simple ingredients and no fancy equipment is required
- Customize this recipe for any holiday season! Use Valentine’s M&M’s in February and so on!
- A sturdy cookie to make for bake sales and gift boxes, that will ship and package well.
- Can make ahead and freeze the dough to bake when ready
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients, see the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Butter & eggs – should both be at room temperature.
- Chocolate chips – use your favourite
- Pecans
- Brown sugar – I like to use light brown sugar in this recipe
- Rolled oats – I use quick oats in this recipe. If you’re out, you can use large oats, but pulse them two or three times in a food chopper or food processor first to break them down.
- Coconut – I use sweetened flaked coconut. You could easily use unsweetened because these cookies have a lot of sweetness already!
Substitutions
Use your favorite dark, milk or white chocolate chips or a mixture of them in these holiday cowboys cookies.
Walnuts can be used instead of pecans in this fun cookie recipe.
Step by step instructions
This recipe comes together pretty quickly. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or you could even mix these cookies by hand if you wish.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Start by mixing together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon salt. Stir until well-combined and set aside.
Be sure to fluff up your flour before scooping it into your measuring cup with a spoon. Scoop it in and level it off with a knife.
Next, add butter to mixing bowl and beat it for one minute until it’s smooth. The butter should be softened at room temperature. If the butter is too soft, the cookies will spread too much.
Add in both granulated sugar and brown sugars and beat until it’s nice and fluffy.
Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Use a spatula to wipe down the side of your bowl often.
Gradually add in the flour mixture using one-half cup at a time. Stir just until combined.
Add in rolled oats and give them a quick stir just until combined.
Next, add in the pecans, chocolate chips, red and green M&Ms and coconut. (You may want to mix these ingredients in by hand as the batter will be quite thick. A stand mixer can easy handle it, but the dough might be too thick for a smaller hand mixer).
Drop the batter by heaping tablespoon onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake in 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes. The edges will be lightly browned and the cookie will still be a bit soft when you take them out of the oven.
They will continue to bake as you let them sit on the cookie tray for two to three minutes.
Transfer baked cookies to a wire cooling rack and enjoy!
Variations
Use your favorite flavoured chocolate chips or try Nestle Toll House Holiday morsels with walnuts instead or pecans.
Peanut Butter holiday M&M’s are also a great way to make and enjoy these Cowboy cookies.
Sandra’s tips for making the best Christmas cowboy cookies
- Use room temperature butter and eggs
- Measure the flour correctly using the scoop and level method
- I use quick oats in this recipe. If you’re out, you can use large oats, but pulse them two or three times in a food chopper or food processor first to break them down.
- A smaller hand held mixer may have trouble mixing when you add the pecans, chocolate chips and M&M’s as the dough will be thick. Mixing by hand or a stand mixer will be better
Why are they called Cowboy cookies?
What are cowboy cookies? Several sources stated that Cowboy Cookies got their name from the days when cowboys would enjoy cookies out on the trail. These would be the ideal cookie for the trail, or backpacking or hiking. They travel well and are so filling and delicious!
Storage
Store in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days or in the fridge for 7 days.
Store them in a freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months.
You can also freeze the dough and bake them later. Measure cookies using a ¼ cup scoop, place the balls on a flat baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes, then place them in Ziplock freezer bags. You will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time when ready to make.
Christmas Cowboy Cookies
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
Description
These Christmas Cowboy Cookies are packed with holiday-colored M&M’s, chocolatey goodness, and the perfect chewy oatmeal-coconut texture. A festive, filling, and satisfying cookie that’s perfect for holiday baking and Christmas cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed lightly
3 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats (quick oats)
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans
1 and 1/2 cups red & green holiday M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In an extra-large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir well to combine, then set aside.
- Beat butter on medium speed for one minutes until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add in granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add in eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each.
- Beat in vanilla.
- In the large mixing bowl that has the dry ingredients, add in wet ingredients and stir well to combine. Use a wooden spoon or clean hands to mix in.
- Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. (again, this is easier with clean hands).
- Use a quarter cup scoop or measuring cup and drop onto ungreased baking sheet. Leave three inches between the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake in 350°F degree F oven 13 to 18 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Rotate sheets halfway through baking. I took my cookies out at the 17 minute timer when the middles were still soft. Let them cool for one to two minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Storage: These cookies remained fresh and chewy in a covered container for up to five days.
- Freezing: These cookies can be frozen by layering them in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.
- Freezing the cookie dough to bake later: Store them in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. You can also freeze the dough and bake them later. Measure cookies using a 1/4 cup scoop, place the balls on a flat baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes, then place them in Ziplock freezer bags. You will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
- Use a stand mixer or electric mixer for the first part of the recipe when you mix the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Then, transfer it to an extra-large mixing bowl and complete the mixing by hand. The amount and density of the ingredients can be too much for your stand mixer to handle.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
