Easy Dairy-Free Cowboy Cookies Recipe

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Easy Dairy-Free Cowboy Cookies is a recipe made with oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and shredded coconut. Almost like an energy bar in a cookie! Made without milk or butter.

Loaded with hearty oats, sweet chocolate chips, crunchy pecans, and shredded coconut, dairy-free cowboy cookies are a wonderfully rustic, unique, and filling treat.

Serve them up at your next casual gathering, pack them for a family hike, have one as an energizing afternoon pick-me-up snack, or grab one on the go.

Or just have them as a comforting treat with your favorite coffee, tea, or cold drink.

No one seems to know where cowboy cookies originated, but of course the assumption is that they were eaten by cowboys as a high-energy and easy-to-carry snack (not completely unlike our energy bars of today).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for dairy-free cowboy cookies

Can I use a different type of nut other than pecans?

Yes, while pecans add a classic crunch, you can easily substitute chopped walnuts or almonds depending on what you have on hand.

Do I have to chill the dough?

It's preferable to chill the dough for texture, but if you don't have time, they will still be delicious.

How should I store cowboy cookies?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months for long-term freshness.

Can I add dried fruit to these cookies?

Yes, you can easily mix in dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates alongside the chocolate chips and coconut for extra texture and flavor.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the cookie dough and keep it covered in the refrigerator for around 2 days, or scoop the dough balls and freeze them to bake fresh whenever a craving strikes.

Are these cookies healthy?

While these cookies are packed with wholesome, hearty ingredients like oats, pecans, and shredded coconut, they are still a sweet treat containing sugar and chocolate chips.

However, because they are made with oats and nuts, they provide a bit more fiber and substance compared to traditional cookies, making them a great energizing snack!

What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?

The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark brown sugar.

Here is how that change affects your baking:

• White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
• White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
• Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.

When recipes call for "brown sugar," they typically mean light brown sugar, so if you use dark brown, chances are that you will get more of a molasses flavor to whatever you are making, and you may get more of a chewy texture as well.

Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you're completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.

What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.

Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.

Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.

What is the difference between using butter and margarine?

Butter is a dairy product that is made by churning heavy cream until the fats separate from the milk (i.e., buttermilk). Margarine, however, is made from vegetable oil. Butter generally has a lower melting point than margarine as well as a lower water content (and the soft tub margarines have a higher water content than bar margarines).

Using butter in baking cookies can create a crisper, more flaky cookie, while cookies will come out softer and more cakey when made with margarine. It is also generally believed to be better to "cream" using butter rather than margarine.

Using butter adds a kind of toasted nut flavor to baked goods, while margarine doesn't add flavor (however, sometimes with margarine, one might have a waxy feel on the roof of one's mouth after eating something with a high margarine content).

If one wants to make a dairy-free baked good that calls for butter, a dairy-free margarine is a good substitute.

What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?

Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.

I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.

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Yield: 24 cookies

Easy Dairy-Free Cowboy Cookies Recipe

5.0 Stars (2 Reviews)

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Dairy-Free Cowboy Cookies are almost like an energy bar in a cookie! Made without milk or butter.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, not packed
• 1 cup rolled oats (whole oats)
• 1 cup semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips
• ¾-1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, as desired (or you can substitute shredded coconut)
• ¾ cup chopped pecans
• ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
• ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup soft unsalted diary-free margarine or other dairy-free butter alternative
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, real or imitation
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter alternative or margarine, vanilla, and egg, and mix thoroughly.
3. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut flakes until they have spread throughout the dough. *
4. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour. **
5. Make 1" balls of dough (you can use an ice cream scoop) and place them on baking sheets that have been lined with baking paper (leave 2" in between them for spreading).
6. Place the baking sheets in an oven that has been preheated to 375°F and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are showing a golden brown around the edges and are no longer wet to the touch.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely (best on a cooling rack).

Notes

* The coconut flakes may get buried in the dough, so I like to roll some on the outside of the ball of dough before baking so that they are visible.

** It's best to let chill, but if you don't have the time, they still come out great (they just may be a little flatter).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 6gSugar: 33gProtein: 8g

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