Throughout my childhood, and even up until a few years ago, my mom’s parents flew out from Arizona to visit us at least once each year. They almost always came in December to celebrate Christmas, and they sometimes scheduled a second visit during a different month if Mom had a work trip and needed someone to shuttle us back and forth from school, soccer practices, and music lessons.
During nearly every one of their visits, we drove over to our favorite local brunch spot for sky-high slices of their famous blueberry coffee cake (and so Grandma could purchase a humongous bag of their cozy cinnamon-spiced tea to bring home in her suitcase!). With how much everyone adored that restaurant’s meals, we occasionally stopped by a second time, but other months, Grandpa made his special Cowboy Coffee Cake for us instead.
Grandpa found the original recipe in his Good Housekeeping Cookbook from the 1950’s, but he tweaked it enough so it looked completely different. He baked his in the microwave instead of a traditional oven (part of his cowboy magic, I suppose!), and whereas the cookbook called for raisins, Grandpa knew my brother and I refused to eat them in any baked goodies except oatmeal cookies. So…
He substituted Fruity Pebbles, our favorite breakfast cereal! Combined with the thick layer of buttery streusel topping, our entire family fell in love with Grandpa’s coffee cake with those sweet rainbow bits generously scattered throughout every bite, and we all gathered around the counter as soon as the microwave timer rang out, eagerly waiting for a steaming hot slice.
And just about everyone snuck a second piece… Even with its large number of servings, Grandpa’s coffee cake never lasted more than 24 hours!
Later this week, we’re hopping on a plane to visit my grandparents for a few days to kick off the holiday season, and since they’re slowing down and rarely bake anymore, I thought it’d be fun to surprise them with my lightened-up version of Grandpa’s cowboy coffee cake. But when I realized it’d probably turn into a gigantic messy pile of crumbs in my suitcase…
I thought these Pumpkin Cowboy Cookies might be a better idea! They’re perfectly chewy and full of cozy pumpkin flavor, and the “cowboy bits” of pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips make every bite even more irresistible. With how quickly my family went through the first batch, I may have to double the recipe to ensure some actually make it to Arizona!
A few different theories exist as to how cowboy cookies earned their name… Some say they originated in Texas during a time where there were more cowboys than regular homesteaders, and other explanations share that the cookies were hearty enough to survive a trip out into the Wild West. Regardless of the true story, cowboy cookies are full of oats, pecans, shredded coconut, and chocolate chips—an absolutely irresistible combination!
Just like the rest of my clean-eating oatmeal cookies (← have you tried any of the others yet?? they’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog for a reason! sweet, chewy, made with no butter, refined flour or sugar… and they actually taste like regular indulgent cookies!), these start with whole wheat flour and instant oats.
It’s very important to measure both the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either ingredient will dry out the dough and make your cookies taste cakey, rather than chewy. This is especially true for the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up as much moisture from the cookie dough as they possibly can!
For this reason, I highly recommend a kitchen scale. This is the one that I own, and it’s been the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I use it every single day, especially when making every recipe that I publish here on my blog, because it ensures that my treats always turn out with the perfect taste and texture. (And it’s lasted 3+ years without absolutely no issues!)
For that cozy autumn flavor, you’ll mix in lots of pumpkin purée. Just regular ol’ pumpkin purée! Skip the pumpkin pie mix because that contains refined sugar, which we’re avoiding in this healthier recipe. Instead, you’ll sweeten these cookies with pure maple syrup. Avoid pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups since those include corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re also avoiding. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online here at a slightly discounted price!)
Just before baking, you’ll want to flatten the cookie dough to your desired thickness and width using a spatula. (This is my favorite spatula—isn’t it cute??) These cookies barely spread in the oven, so flattening ensures that they don’t turn out looking like cookie balls! And of course, don’t forget to press a few extra mini chocolate chips (these are my all-time favorites!) into the tops to make them look even more tempting!
So… Ready to bake? And eat? And maybe even bake again, if your cookies magically disappear as fast as mine did around my family? ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Pumpkin Cowboy Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (14g) finely chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp (10g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the pecans, coconut, and 1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to your desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will also work, if measured like this.
It’s important to cut the pecans to be very small, no larger than the size of miniature chocolate chips, to ensure that the cookies bake evenly. Any nuts may be substituted for the pecans.
Shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted for the unsweetened.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Pumpkin Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Healthy Pumpkin Monster Cookies
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
♥ Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodles
♥ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
♥ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
♥ Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
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