Description
Cowboy Cookie Bars are hearty, chewy dessert bars loaded with oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. These bars combine the best flavors and textures in a convenient sheet, perfect for slicing and sharing. Easy to prepare and baked to golden perfection, they make a delicious treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This ensures a tender texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to incorporate fully. Stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This helps distribute the leavening agents evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Overmixing can toughen the bars.
- Add Oats, Coconut, Pecans, and Chocolate Chips: Stir in the rolled oats, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Spread and Bake: Spread the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 22–26 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 24 bars. This helps them set and hold together when cut.
Notes
- You can swap pecans for walnuts or omit nuts entirely for a nut-free version.
- Use dark chocolate chips for a richer chocolate flavor or add butterscotch chips for extra sweetness.
