Easy Cowboy Cookies Recipe for Kids-20 Minutes

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Quick cowboy cookies recipe perfect for cooking with kids in just 20 minutes. Packed with wholesome ingredients for 12 servings. It just takes a little planning to learn how to teach kids cooking classes.

• Get a complete ingredient list and step-by-step cooking instructions you can follow with children in 20 minutes
• Discover practical tips for making cooking with kids fun, safe, and stress-free in the kitchen

These cookies are super soft and moist, plus they have fruit and whole grains that make them a winning choice for snacks for you and your kids to share. And who doesn’t want to eat cowboy cookies?

Healthy cowboy cookies

Get in the kitchen with your kids today! You’ll love the time you spend together. Click on the category cooking with kids to the right for more recipes to cook with your kids. For more recipes kids can make, click here.

Each year, I make a cookbook full of recipes I make with the kids and it shows pictures of them cooking them. I give it to the parents for Christmas. I think it’s a wonderful gift! Click here to check them out.

When cooking with kids, I always have everyone wash their hands first thing. We need to be relentless about not spreading germs and about teaching kids how to prevent that.

Once their hands are clean (and ours are too) let them peel the sticks of butter and add them to the recipe.

Next they can add sugar and applesauce.

Then they can add the eggs and vanilla and mix it up well.

Best ever cowboy cookies

When I cook with my kids I measure everything out ahead of time and have it ready in containers. It depends on the age of the kids whether this can be done by them or you.

Baking does require fairly exact measurements, so if they are young, it’s best to make sure the measurements are accurate for them. When cooking, I tend to let them have more of artistic decisions in the amounts.

Once the wet ingredients are well incorporated, add the dry ingredients to the recipe. Mix well and then add the chocolate chips and coconut. Stirring is a great step that gives all the kids a chance to take a turn if you have multiple children you are working with.

Once the best ever cowboy cookies are mixed well, let the kids drop them by spoonful onto a cookie sheet and get them in the oven. I use a cookie scoop with my kids which is also great for building motor muscles in their hands. Plus they are so darned cute doing it!

More Little Sprouts cookies:

• Best soft Christmas chocolate chip cookies (I’m world famous for these as well)
• Air fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Air fryer peanut butter cookies (cook in 8 minutes)

What Is a Cowboy Cookie?

A cowboy cookie is a hearty, chewy cookie filled with more texture and flavor than a basic chocolate chip cookie. Most cowboy cookie recipes include oats, chocolate chips and coconut. Some versions also contain chopped nuts, but this recipe is nut-free.

Our easy cowboy cookies are made with whole-wheat flour, oats and applesauce, which help make them wonderfully soft and moist. They are simple enough for children to help prepare and bake in about 20 minutes. However, cooking with younger children may take a little longer—and that extra time together is part of the fun!

Tips for Cooking With Kids

Cooking with kids can be messy, but it is also a wonderful way to teach practical skills, build confidence and make special memories together. These simple tips will make the experience easier and more enjoyable:

• Wash hands first. Have every child wash their hands thoroughly before touching the ingredients or cooking equipment.
• Prepare the workspace. Clear the table and place the ingredients, bowls and utensils where the children can reach them safely.
• Measure ingredients ahead of time. Preschoolers can pour premeasured ingredients into the bowl. Older children can practice measuring with supervision.
• Give everyone a job. Children can unwrap butter, pour ingredients, stir the dough or scoop cookies onto the baking sheet.
• Take turns. When cooking with several children, give each child an opportunity to add or stir something.
• Use a cookie scoop. Squeezing a cookie scoop helps children strengthen the small muscles in their hands.
• Expect spills. Place the mixing bowl on a rimmed baking sheet or washable mat to help contain the mess.
• Do not taste raw dough. Raw flour and uncooked eggs can contain harmful germs, so wait until the cookies are completely baked before sampling them.
• Let an adult handle the oven. Young children can help prepare the baking sheet, but an adult should place it in the oven and remove it when the cookies are finished.
• Focus on the experience. The cookies do not have to look perfect. The skills, confidence and memories children gain are far more important.

Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

• Soften the butter: Let the butter soften at room temperature before beginning so children can mix it more easily. Do not melt it unless the recipe specifically directs you to do so.
• Measure the flour correctly: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour and make the cookies dry.
• Use old-fashioned oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats provide the heartiest texture. Quick oats can be used, but the cookies may be slightly softer and less chewy.
• Choose your chocolate: Use milk, semisweet or dark chocolate chips. Miniature chocolate chips are especially easy to distribute throughout the dough.
• Leave out the coconut: If your family does not enjoy coconut, replace it with an equal amount of additional oats or chocolate chips.
• Add dried fruit: Raisins, dried cranberries or finely chopped dried cherries can replace some of the chocolate chips.
• Add nuts if desired: Chopped pecans or walnuts are traditional additions to some cowboy cookies. Only add them if everyone eating the cookies can safely have nuts.
• Make smaller cookies: Use a small cookie scoop for child-sized portions. Smaller cookies may finish baking a minute or two sooner, so watch them carefully.
• Do not overbake: Remove the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to firm as they cool.
• Allow them to cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
• Make them gluten-free: Replace the wheat flour with a dependable cup-for-cup gluten-free baking flour and use oats labeled certified gluten-free.
• Make them dairy-free: Use a dairy-free butter substitute and dairy-free chocolate chips.
• Check every label: Chocolate chips, coconut, oats and other packaged ingredients may be processed around common allergens, so check labels when preparing the recipe for children with food allergies.