Many of you will recognize these keto cookies from my cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. It’s easily one of the most popular recipes from the book and I am always getting emails and messages about how good they are.
And you can see why. They are big and beautiful, and chockfull of delicious additions like pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips.
They are so good, in fact, that a lot of sites have republished it without my permission. This is the price of doing business as a creator sometimes. But I’m a little tired of it, to be honest.
I decided to fight fire with fire and post the full recipe here. Because if it’s going to be out there on the internet for all to see, I want to get the credit!
And I am so glad I made them again. They are easily one of my favorite keto cookie recipes!
What are cowboy cookies?
Imagine, if you will, a mashup of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies with some coconut and pecans thrown in for good measure. And also imagine that they are considerably larger than your average cookie. Now you have the famous cowboy cookies.
For a keto version, we have to change things up a little. So we skip the oatmeal, switch up the sweeteners, and use almond flour instead of wheat flour. But the resulting cookies are just as mouthwateringly delicious, just as chockfull of goodness, as the original.
And with the addition of a little gelatin, they also have the ideal crispy-chewy texture. The edges get thin and crisp, but the center becomes soft and chewy!
Reader Reviews
These Keto Cowboy Cookies are extremely popular in All Day I Dream About Low Carb, a Facebook group devoted to my readers and followers. Please feel free to join us over there! Here’s what some of the members say:
“I caved and made Cowboy Cookies last night. They are fabulous! My daughter who struggles with giving up carbs but has committed to doing it said “these are SHUT UP GOOD!” That’s high praise indeed.” — Crystal
“I kept seeing the Cowboy Cookies over and over and over and over (you get the point…haha) from the Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking Cookbook, so I finally broke down and bought the cookbook. Wow, now I see what all the fuss is about, they are incredible!!!! You’d never even know they are Keto!” — April
“I went to the trouble of buying Carolyn’s cookbook, and so far (after nearly two weeks) I have managed to make exactly ONE recipe out of it: the Cowboy Cookies. EVERY time I suggest something else, hubby says “No, I want some more of those COWBOY Cookies!” — Georgene
Ingredients you need
- Butter: Make sure it’s well softened so you can beat it until creamy.
- Sweetener: I prefer an erythritol based brown sugar replacement, to get that crispy-chewy texture. See the Expert Tips section for more sweetener options.
- Almond flour: Always use well ground, blanched almond flour.
- Gelatin: A little grassfed gelatin helps give the cookies a chewier consistency. It is entirely optional.
- Coconut: I like to use the big coconut flakes but you can use shredded if that’s all you have. Make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Pecans: They can be raw, but it’s also really nice if they are lightly toasted.
- Chocolate chips: Both Lily’s and ChocZero work well in this recipe.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step by step directions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium high. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just mixed together. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.
- Form the dough into 2-inch balls and space at least 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with silicone or parchment paper. Press the balls down with the heel of your hand to about 3/4 inch thick. These cookies will spread so give them room!
- Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, switching the pans and rotating them halfway through. Let cool completely on the pans.
Expert tips
These keto cowboy cookies like to spread so make sure you give them plenty of room on the pans. If you prefer thicker cookies, try adding another 1/4 cup of almond flour and don’t press them down too much.
I prefer silicone baking mats to parchment paper, as they protect the bottoms of your cookies better. They also cause the cookies to spread more slowly.
The gelatin is entirely optional, but it does give the cookies that perfect chewy but crisp texture. The edges get crisp on the pan while the centers stay chewier.
This makes a big batch of big cookies! But you can easily cut the whole recipe in half for twelve large cookies. You can also make the cookies smaller, if you prefer.
Sweetener Options
Only erythritol will give you a crispy cookie, which is why I used PureCane Brown in this recipe. Any amount of allulose or xylitol will keep the cookies from crisping up properly. You can use those if you don’t mind a softer texture.
If you don’t have access to a brown sugar replacement, regular granulated erythritol sweeteners will suffice.
More delicious recipes you will enjoy
Keto Cowboy Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) brown sugar substitute
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (220 g) blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (2.03 tablespoons) grassfed gelatin, optional, adds chewiness
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (85 g) unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup (109 g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (180 g) dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line 2 cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Set the oven racks to the second highest and second lowest positions in the oven.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium high. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, gelatin, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just mixed together. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and the chocolate chips.
- Form the dough into 2-inch balls and space at least 3 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Press the balls down with the heel of your hand to about 3/4 inch thick. These cookies will spread so give them room!
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, switching the pans and rotating them halfway through. Let cool completely on the pans.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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These cookies are truly the bomb. I make them almost every week now! 😁
I was hoping these would be crispy, at least on the edges but no way. They are good but soggy to me. I cooled them on the pan and all. Did I do something wrong??
If they were “soggy” then yes, something went wrong. What kind of sweetener did you use?
Mine came out the same way, I followed the recipe to the T.
These are amazing!! I have made them 3 or 4 times. The last time I stared a new bag of brown swerve…not realizing I had run out of my old stash the original version. What the heck? They flattened …and browned in 15 min! Then I remembered reading your remarks about the new version of brown swerve with allulose. Ran and grabbed the bag and sure enough!! Still yummy. There is a great buy on Amazon for golden monkfruit with erythritol..what needs to be added to that to make brown? Thank you for all the amazing recipes and the time and diligence you put into the research!
I have some King Arthur Keto Wheat Flour. Can I sub this for Almond flour in this recipe and would it be 1:1? Could it also be subbed in other recipes using almond flour?
I love your recipes.
No, you can’t use it to replace almond flour. It’s much more dry and works more like regular flour.
Love these cookies, thank you! Great combo of ingredients. Just wondering if there’s a way to get it crunchy rather than on the softer side?
I followed the recipe as written, using the ingredient weights, and these turned out so good, exactly as you said – crispy crunchy edges and chewy middle. I used your brown sugar substitute recipe.
Wonderful!
So if I don’t want the gelatin (I like a crunchier cookie not a chewier one) do I have to change the recipe at all or can I just keep it out? Thank you!
Just leave it out.
These are truly delicious. This keto cookie is not a compromise to the traditional version.
In the last month, I have made your Carrot Cake, Layered Chocolate Cake with frosting and now the Cowboy Cookies. I have to say that I hate chocolate chip cookies! I used Lillie’s dark chocolate chips, finely shredded coconut; unsweetened, and pecans. I did use Monkfruit light brown sugar and after mixing I chilled the dough 20 minutes. Then I followed your directions the rest of the way.
OMGosh!!! These were absolutely, positively DELICIOUS!!
ANOTHER FABULOUS RECIPE OF YOURS I HAVE TO KEEP!
The chocolate layer cake, and carrot cake (made into cupcakes) were all delicious!!
Thank you for sharing your talents with all of us who eat gluten free and sugar free!!
I am wanting to try this delicious looking recipe but I am allergic to coconut and wonder what would happen if I leave it out or if there is a sub that I could use
Add the same amount more almond flour.
These taste just like the original of many years ago! Delicious!
These are to die for. I gave some to a friend along with the recipe. A week later I asked if he had made them…he sheepishly replied ..3x’s:) Definitely my favorite cookie recipe ever!!
Haha! That’s fabulous!
I love your recipes!! These cookies turned out and tasted amazing! I wondered if it was possible to reduce the sweetener in them? I find my sweeth tooth has gone now I’m keto and I’m enjoying the dark chocolate, gorgeous coconut and pecans.
Yes, you can probably reduce by a few tablespoons.
taste and texture of a bakery cookie
Made them today, I added a tsp of cinnamon! Delish!! Thanks.
These are yummy!!!! I followed the half recipe exactly (except for the sweetener) and got 12 large yummy cookies. I used the brown Swerve and they came out a little dark and probably a little softer than yours but I still love them and don’t regret using the Swerve at all. I love the combo of pecans, coconut and chocolate, and don’t understand people who don’t!