Description
Cowboy Cookie Bars are a deliciously chewy and hearty dessert bar packed with oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. These bars offer a delightful combination of textures and flavors with a rich buttery base, perfect for a sweet treat or snack any time of the day. Easy to prepare and bake, they make a great addition to your dessert repertoire or to bring to gatherings.
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 and Prepare: 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 light and fluffy using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the bars.
- Incorporate Add-ins: Fold in the oats, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and semisweet chocolate chips until these are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Spread and Bake: Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Cut: Remove bars from oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 24 bars and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or omit nuts altogether for a nut-free option.
- Use dark chocolate chips if you prefer a richer cocoa flavor.
- For an extra sweet twist, try adding butterscotch chips along with or instead of chocolate chips.
