Bourbon Oatmeal Cowboy Cookies
Packed with coconut, dark chocolate, oats and bourbon soaked raisins, these cookies are sure to fill the tummy of any hungry cowboy.
Did I mention I live in Northwest Montana?
It’s one of the most beautiful places with stunning mountains, trout filled streams and lakes.
Ah- the Big Sky.
We are lucky to border one of the loveliest guest ranches in the state- the Bar W, so trail rides and sleigh rides are just a five-minute drive away. The Bar W sits on a large piece of land bordering, Spencer Mountain, a beautiful private lake and miles and miles of pristine forest filled with wildlife.
I stopped by the Bar W this week to have a few cowboys and wranglers sample my Bourbon Oatmeal Cowboy Cookie. After Jeff, the ranch manager sampled one, he asked “how much do you want for these?”
Did I just get hired to be a ranch cook?
These cookies are good enough to satisfy the tummies of the hungriest ranchers and your family.
Add this to your “Must Bake” recipes this year.
I’m not horsin’ around- these cookies are the real deal.
Why this recipe is a standout:
- Bourbon-soaked raisins not only add moisture to the dough, but a deep caramel flavor to the cookie. If you don’t want to use alcohol, soak the raisins in apple cider, but the bourbon burns off in baking- so amp up that flavor!
- Coconut adds moisture as well as texture.
- Dark chocolate elevates the recipe and keeps the cookie from being too sweet.
- Flakey smoked sea salt hits your tongue and amplifies all the flavors.
- Yes- I add ginger AND black pepper. The little bit of heat from the ginger and black pepper is a spice game changer.
- Speaking of spice– The spices which include, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice are unusual and make this cookie extra interesting. It’s not the same ole cinnamon you’d expect from an oatmeal cookie.
- This cookie is approved by the trail horses & wranglers alike at the Bar W.
How to bake this recipe:
Make sure your butter is very soft. I leave my butter out overnight. Stiff butter will not cream correctly with the sugars.
Butter that is melted will cause the cookies to spread out too thinly and the edges will burn.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Soak the raisins in the bourbon for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar together until fluffy and pale. Use a hand mixer with a large bowl or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the coconut.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices to a very large bowl and mix well with a spoon.
Pour off the extra bourbon from the raisins.
Add the raisins and chocolate to the butter mixture and then add in the flour and oats, one cup at a time. Mix slowly.
I use a heavy wooden spoon or a large rubber scraper to mix everything completely. Be sure to scrape in the little bits from the bottom of the bowl.
Use a large cookie scoop. See my favorite HERE. Scoop out the cookies on the parchment lined tray about 3-4″ apart. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with just a few flakes of the smoked sea salt.
Bake for 12-14 minutes- you want them just barely set in the middle. Cool on wire racks.
Equipment you need to bake these cookies:
- An electric hand mixer or stand mixture- this dough is very thick and hard to mix by hand.
- Large cookie sheets- I like these insulated sheets because the cookie bottom never burns.
- Parchment paper- HERE is my favorite brand.
- Large mixing bowl for the dry ingredients. I love this bowl by Mason Cash.
- A large scoop to create uniform cookies.
- Wire rack for cooling.
Special ingredients you need for this recipe:
- Bourbon or Apple cider.
- Old fashioned rolled oats.
- Flaked sweetened coconut.
- Dark chocolate chips- I like Hersey’s special dark. See my taste test here.
- Vanilla paste or extract.
- Flaked Smoked Sea Salt – this is the brand I use.
- Spices: Ginger, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, ground black pepper, cardamom
- Light brown sugar.
Other oatmeal and chocolate chip recipes to try:
- Oatmeal Pecan Pumpkin Scotchies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Met Market Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookie
- No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls
- Blackberry Cherry Walnut Oat Crumble
- Smoked Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate Christmas Crackers
Bourbon Oatmeal Cowboy Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: American20
servings1
hour45
minutes20
minutesAn oatmeal cookie packed with bourbon soaked raisins, chewy coconut and tons of flavor from 5 spices for the hungriest cowboy in your house. Don’t let the long list of ingredients put you off- this is an easy and fantastic cookie you will want to try this baking season.
Ingredients
1 cup 1 raisins
1/2 cup 1/2 bourbon
3 cups 3 rolled old fashioned oats
2 cups 2 all purpose flour
1/2 tsp 1/2 ground ginger
1/2 tsp 1/2 cardamom
1/2 tsp 1/2 ground cloves
1/2 tsp 1/2 pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp 1/4 ground black pepper
3/4 tsp 3/4 Kosher salt
1 tsp 1 baking powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 baking soda
1 1/8 cups 1 1/8 unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks, plus 1 TBSP)
1.5 cups 1.5 light brown sugar
1/2 cup 1/2 granulated sugar
2 tsp 2 Vanilla Paste or extract
2 large 2 eggs- at room temperature
1/2 cup 1/2 lightly packed flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup 1/2 dark chocolate chips
3 tsp 3 flaked smoked sea salt
Directions
- In a small glass or ceramic bowl, soak the raisins in the bourbon. Let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, ginger, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, black pepper, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk well to fully incorporate.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter until light and pale. Add in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add in vanilla and eggs. Add in the coconut. Mix in until completely blended. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the butter sugar mixture, one cup at a time. Do not over-mix.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drain the raisins and add in the bourbon soaked raisins. Do NOT add in the bourbon. - Using a heavy spoon or rubber scraper be certain to mix in all the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl.
Scoop the dough into round balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place SIX cookies on each baking sheet. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with a few flakes of the smoked sea salt. - Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Chill the cookies for 30 minutes then bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges are deep brown and the center is just set. Let cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then cool completely on wire racks.
Recipe Video
Notes
- You can freeze this cookie dough by rolling it into 2-3 logs, wrap in parchment paper, twisting the ends up, then place in a zip top bag. The dough will last up to three months frozen.
- Slice and bake frozen dough at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt just before baking.
The best cookies!
Insanely good! This cookie has everything and is sure to impress everyone you make it for. It is THE cookie!
Omggg these are LITERALLY the best cookies. They taste like a warm hug from your grandmother who liked to spike the drinks at every family gathering
Thanks Suzen- Grammies that spike the drinks are the best.
a little complicated but they taste good
I make these at least once a month they’re amazing