I had found a link on Pinterest a while back for these and repinned it so that I wouldn't forget to try out this yummy-looking cookie recipe for myself.
I did some searching through different websites that have posted this recipe throughout the years (including The New York Times and Family Circle magazine) and it appears that most of the postings have been pretty much the same in terms of ingredients, quantities and directions.
In 2000, this recipe by Laura Bush beat out Tipper Gore's gingersnap cookie recipe in a magazine contest. The two potential first wives each submitted a cookie recipe in the months leading up to the election and readers voted for their favorite. This recipe certainly has my vote and will (undoubtedly) become a favorite in my household.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a very large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugars and combine thoroughly.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
(Switch to now mixing with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.)
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
NOTE: You may reach a point when you're blending in the flour and remaining ingredients that you feel like things will never come together. It will ... just keep stirring. This becomes a very thick, hearty dough by the time that all ingredients are incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans (if using).
For each cookie, drop a heaping, rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ... spacing 2 - 3 inches apart. (Eight cookies per large baking sheet works best so that the cookies do not touch once baked.)
Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies are still slightly doughy in the center. (Rotate baking sheet halfway through.) Allow cookies to cool on sheet pan for 2 - 3 minutes on counter, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
11/16/17: Updated photos and made clarifications to recipe/post.
These look awesome! They remind me of cookies my grandmother used to make for me that had cornflakes in them (no coconut)...aside from that, they are to the letter the same. Now I need to take a nostalgia break and plan some weekend baking...:)
ReplyDeleteHi, WC! I have seen cookie recipes with cornflakes in them, but have never tried any! Sounds delicious, too! These are fabulous and I can tell you that the recipe is worth trying! Let me know if ya do! :) Thanks for the comment!
DeleteWord Chef do you know the name of the ones your grandmother used to make or could you post the recipe please?
DeleteWord Chef - was your Grandmother's recipe called a Ranger Cookie? My Mom made them, too. Curious Q - Try a search using ranger cookie. I have to dig through a ton of hand written notes to find my Mom's recipe. Time consuming, but worth it.
DeleteRanger cookies are the best! My sister in law made them and I loved them too so I make them
DeleteRanger cookies were always my father's favorite! I haven't made them in a lont time.
DeleteYes - I remember those cookies with the cornflakes - they are like these without the coconut. We called them Ranger Cookies.
DeleteI’m going to try these tonight and replace the coconut with cornflakes! That’s what I remember as a child too!
DeleteThese look yummy. I remember reading about them years ago. Glad they have resurfaced. I'll make a batch to take when we go visit our grandkids. Actually I'll buy the kids fish crackers these are adult cookies!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cindy! These ARE so divine! I can't wait to make another batch! I think they may be my new favorite cookie! Totally worth making! :) Thanks for commenting! :)
DeleteI have been making these since a friend from Texas shared it with me in '03. She make her cookies large, I make mine normal size. I make them in my large KitchenAid stand mixer because it gets impossible for me to stir after adding the oats, choc. chips, and nuts. Everyone that has tasted them absoultly loves them. Because it makes so many, I use a cookie scoop and make into balls. When I have a cookie sheet full of them, I stick the cookie sheet in the freezer. After the balls are no longer sticky, I put them in freezer bags. That allows me to make as many or as few as I want. When I bake them, I use parchment. Think I'll make a batch this week.
DeleteI just made them again this week and did the same ... froze the dough balls to pull out whenever the craving hits for these amazing cookies! Thanks for sharing and stopping by! :)
DeleteI’ve just made you’re cookie recipe, they look delicious, definitely a workout when mixing by hand , wear a glove and just get there to mix it until thoroughly combined. 😁
DeleteI have made something similar for years. One of my families favorite cookies....called Ranger cookies. I used butterscotch chips or toffee bits in those. They have rice cereal in them as well.
ReplyDeleteThose sound good, as well! Yum!
ReplyDeleteI mixed most of the flour in with my Kitchen Aid and then put all into a large pot. If you have any latex exam gloves, they are perfect for mixing in the remaining ingredients, not difficult at all. The gloves also make it easy to make balls, to freeze or bake, no sticking.
ReplyDeleteI remember them as having sour cherries in them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that cherries could easily be added. Yum! :)
DeleteI have arthritis, but no mixer. Do you think I could still make these cookies since the batter is so stiff?
ReplyDeleteYa know, I'm not quite sure. It definitely is on the stiffer side of the spectrum, but not overly difficult I wouldn't think. You could always try to halve the batch so it isn't as much to have to work with ... and see how that goes. Yes, it would still be a stiff dough, of course, but maybe more manageable? If you've ever made Monster Cookies (with lots of oats, peanut butter and m & m's) ... this would be a similar stiffness.
DeleteDo you think they would be good without coconut? Would the recipe need to be altered any?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm ... I am not sure. I don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient.
DeleteAbsolutely. They would be good without coconut. Coconut is bothersome to my teeth and I leave it out. The recipe is exhausting for we over 70 yrs, but in the end it is worth it. Texas Gal
DeleteThese are great fabulous no matter what you add in place of coconut. I've also added spec.k cereal or brandy flakes and raisins or dates or cherties
DeleteLooks delicous! How about adding rice crispies to the batch-if you add 4 cups, you enlarge the receipe and lower the fat. If you add unsweetened rice cripies, then you lower the sugar too. They will come out crunchy!
ReplyDeleteAdded 1c chopped dates!
ReplyDeleteMy husband isn’t crazy about chocolate chips, so I was thinking about using raisins or butterscotch chips instead of the chocolate. Do you think either of these substitutions will work?
ReplyDeleteHi, Debbie. Absolutely. I think either would be awesome in these. I love both of those, too ... more than chocolate chips. So I would be thrilled with either.
DeleteI absolutely do not like coconut but wanted to stay true to the recipe while I was sharing it with others and I can honestly say that I really couldn't taste much coconut or even tell texturally that it was there.
DeleteI think I will try this in a couple of week's but alter it to leave out the coconut and the pecans see where that get's me. I'm thinking cherries and extra oats would do the trick or maybe instead of the extra oats I might try some Cornflakes or Frosted Flakes. Will let you know what I come up with. Thanks for posting this recipe ...
ReplyDeleteNice website! I wanted to know before I make these, if I used unsweetened coconut flakes, would it be alright or should I amend the sugar measure?
ReplyDeleteI have used both at different times and had no issue either way. :)
DeleteI only had instant oatmeal on hand, salted caramel and vanilla bean. I tried it with them not knowing how they would turn out, I'm saving this one!!! Flavor overload! Delicious
DeleteAre these cookies thick and chewy? They look pretty flat and my hubby likes them thick!
ReplyDeleteThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps.
DeleteThey are not super thick or fluffy, but they do have a chewy center that gets kinda gooey as they bake. Hope that helps.
DeleteBest cookies I have ever had!!!!! I did accidentally put in 3 cups of walnuts because I had a crying baby, husband was hungry, and my 8 n 7 year old was fighting. Since I added too many walnuts I decided to Lee out the coconut and omg!!!! My family inhaled them lol my friends even had some and couldn’t stop praising them. Thank you for the recipe! ��
ReplyDeleteSo glad they were a hit, Leslie. Even with the extra nuts! Lol.
DeleteI just mde these and they are super delicious! Highly recommend!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive feedback.
DeleteThese look amazing! Can’t wait to try them. I love the galvanized scoop in the bowl of oats. Where did you get it?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too.
DeleteYou know, I think that was a thrift store find. I love it, too.
DeleteLove this old recipe. We called them Ranger cookies. Thanks for printing this. About forgot about them. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat could we use to substitute for coconut? Our family doesn't like it.
ReplyDeleteI just left the coconut out and it still was amazing!
DeleteHave been making a similar cookies for years. By following the oatmeal cookie recipe on the box, I decided a long time ago to add all of the extra ingredients such as those which are listed here. The only difference is I decided to add peanut butter too. I'm sure this is an excellent recipe even without the peanut butter. For those who love peanut butter, give it a try sometime.
ReplyDeleteHi! They turned out yummy but not flat like yours. Mine barely flattened from the scooped ball. Do you know what I did wrong?
ReplyDeleteAs odd as it may sound, if any cookies that I make are too fluffy, rounded or poofy, I whack the bottom of the cookie sheet on the top of my oven. You can do this either once or twice. Often, I'll do it halfway through baking, then again as I'm pulling them out of the oven. This helps flatten them out. Otherwise, advising you is difficult. Your puffy cookies could be due to many factors ... the temperature of your butter, the altitude where you live or the potency of your leaveners. My advice is if it's a cookie recipe for which you really enjoy the flavor, remake the recipe while trying something different until the result is how you prefer it.
Deletecould I leave out the chocolate chips without adding something to replace them> Or maybe add more coconut and some special K cereal?
ReplyDeleteI must have overlooked your question. I apologize. I think the chips could be omitted without issue.
DeleteI made these last August for a retreat I went on and everyone loved them! I am making them again for this year's retreat!
ReplyDeleteMade these today. Was a little hesitant due to the comments about the difficult stirring. I have Parkinson’s disease so my cooking abilities are limited. I decided to divide the recipe into three bowls, one original, one cornflakes and raisins, and one ginger and cherry. I am so happy! They turned out amazingly. My husband fell on them. I got 16 out of each bowl and saved and froze enough of each to make another 8 another day. Thank you so much for your delicious biscuit recipe
ReplyDeleteI would love to print this & add it to my recipe note book.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I substitute for the coconut?
ReplyDeleteI don't want to recommend any exact swaps without testing it first. Perhaps maybe a mix of crushed pretzels, more oats, granola and/or chopped nuts. But, honestly, coconut is a key ingredient. I would just try to keep the dry ingredient ratio about the same as written. Maybe swap in some krispie rice cereal or bran flakes etc???
DeleteI make these with whole hazelnuts, people go crazy over them. I have also made a ginger (crystalized, powdered), and a lemon (zest) versions. I freeze the heaping scoop-sized doughs and bake them frozen, about 14 minutes, dont overbake and they stay thick and chewy.
ReplyDeleteI make these with the coconut in them. I use salted caramel chips instead of chocolate chips. They are soooo yummy I don’t think I’ll ever use choc chips again in this recipe.
ReplyDeleteCan I substitute quick oats for the old fashion oats?
ReplyDeleteI need to know also!
DeleteThis recipe yields a lot of cookie dough, is it possible for me to freeze some of the dough for later pr at least refrigerate until next weekend's treat?
ReplyDeleteI freeze raw cookie dough all the time to thaw and bake later! So, yes!!!
DeleteJust the best cookies, thank you. I 1/2 cups chocolate chips added to half the cookie dough 11/2cups cranberries added to the other, this way everyone had a choice and loved the cookies.
ReplyDeleteI add sunflower seeds to my cowboy cookies. Just that much more awesome!!
ReplyDeleteThese cookies were amazing!
ReplyDeleteOMG !! Thick, chewy, gooey, Great !!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby really liked them !! He doesn't like coconut or pecans! This is going into my rotation of cookie's to keep on hand ! Thank you & they were fun to make
Mine do not spread that big
ReplyDeleteMine were good but didn’t flatten out thin.
ReplyDeleteThese cookies are wonderful! I made them last night. They taste even better this morning with coffee! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe. I’ve frozen some, divided the recipe in half and also used half chocolate chips half espresso chips Yum!
ReplyDeleteCan these cookies be Freezed after baking?
ReplyDeleteWould like to try this recipe adding white baking chips and dried cranberries, leaving out the chocolate chips and pecans.
ReplyDeleteWould like to try this recipe adding white baking chips and dried cranberries, leaving out the chocolate chips and pecans.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds wonderful!
DeleteWhy did my cookies come out flat like a pancake ?
ReplyDeleteOh no. I'm so sorry that they didn't turn out. I can't advise what might've went wrong because I have never had an issue with the recipe. Lots of great feedback across social media and here on the blog for these. However, a quick Google search suggests maybe your oven was too hot or you used too much butter. Also flat cookies can sometimes be attributed to over beating the dough. Another possibility is that your baking soda or powder might have not been up to par.
ReplyDeleteI typically make a recipe exactly as written but I did make one change by eliminating the pecans as I don’t like nuts and substituted Heath Toffee Bits instead. I also only had mini semi-sweet chips on hand so I used those.
ReplyDeleteI have severe arthritis in my hands (have had 4 finger surgeries) so I decided to make the entire batch in my KitchenAid mixer assuring I didn’t over mix when adding the goodies in. It worked very well but WARNING, you will have a bit of a mess when you add the chips, oats & coconut but I didn’t care. It was so easy and the cookies turned out great. I did rotate the baking sheet pan half way through as you suggested and banged it on my counter twice as the cookies weren’t flattening as I thought they should
The cookies are fabulous! I needed a big batch of cookies for a group party tomorrow and these are perfect. My husband loves them. I don’t think I will be making Toll House cookies anymore as he told me he wants these from now on! Thank you!
P.S. I love cookie dough and this dough is fantastic.
Oops…I am “anonymous” that used heath chips and did the entire preparation in the KitchenAid. Didn’t mean to post as anonymous.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for coming to share your experience with the recipe and leaving a review. You realizing the Heath chips sounds delicious. And I love you sharing your experience using your KitchenAid. Thank you so much. And I'm so happy that you all enjoyed the cookies.
DeleteI used the whole pound of butter. So tasty!
ReplyDeleteDo you think I could make these into cookie bars using maybe a couple of cake pans? I don’t have the strength to make that many pans of cookies.Sounds so good, I want to try. I’ll let you know if I try and how it turns out
ReplyDeleteI’ve made this twice now and can give some tips. First and foremost these cookies are so good. I love making these as my “fall cookie” ha. These have great flavors, texture and a really good chew. The recipe makes a ton so you could easily half it and still have plenty. When you get to the point in the recipe to add all choc chips, oats, nuts and coconut, I did what one commenter suggested. I put on gloves and used my hands to mix. I did this the 2nd time making this and oh what a difference! So much easier, just like mixing your meatloaf! The first time I mixed by hand with a spoon and thought it took forever and my arm would fall off. I found that baking one cookie sheet at a time worked better than two at the same time. The author is spot on by telling you the cookies are done when the edges are brown. Even though the center still seems loose, it will settle when they sit and cool down, it’s what makes them chewy cookies. If your cookie is browning all over then it’s over baked and won’t have the “chewy” texture but more of a harder crisp texture. I honestly think they could have even more coconut in them. I like coconut so…. That’s just me. Hope this is helpful. Enjoy everyone.
ReplyDelete