I also can’t seem to find a reason why they’re called “Cowboy Cookies” other than, perhaps, cowboys used them as a quick, easy-to-carry energy snack. Which almost makes them sound like an energy bar but these are way, way better tasting than any energy bar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups flour
- 1 t baking soda
- ¼ t salt
- 1 cup butter, brought to room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg, brought to room temperature
- ½ banana, medium-sized
- 3 t vanilla
- 2 cups oats
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread your coconut and pecans out on the sheet. Bake at 350 for about 4-5 minutes or until everything is toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl add the butter and sugar and mix until smooth – maybe 3-4 minutes. Add in the egg, banana and vanilla (you might want to mush up your banana beforehand, just so it mixes quicker). Mix until the banana is completely broken down and you don’t see any more banana bits in the batter.
Get your dry mixture and slowly add it to the large bowl, mixing as you go until everything is well combined. Put aside your mixer (you’re done with it), eat the half of the banana you didn’t use and smile – you’re making cookies!
Add the oats to this mixture and stir until well combined. Finally add your chocolate chips along with the toasted oats and toasted coconut and stir until everything looks pretty evenly distributed.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and put golf ball-sized balls onto the sheets, 6 to a sheet. 
Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are nicely browned. Remove the sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for a couple minutes to let them set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTE: This recipe makes a lot of cookies – about 5 dozen. If you want you can halve the recipe and all the ingredients except the egg (still use 1 egg) and the banana (eliminate the banana). This will change the flavor slightly, but not a lot and not negatively – the banana, while nice, is not a major flavor component.
Enjoy!
Ugly Desserts 
I always toast my nuts, great idea to also toast the coconut when using in a recipe. I’ve used different recipes for cowboy cookies, this looks good and easy, however, never thought to add a banana. I like bananas, and perhaps I would add one to this recipe, but probably not….! When I have cookies or anything I bake turn out ugly, (my criteria is different than others), I call it rustic. You got me at the coffee shortbread. My mother used to make coffee butterballs or what others call wedding cookies. They are delicious! I’m going to make the coffee shortbread, your recipes in general intrigue me.
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I like the idea of toasting the coconut beforehand. And thanks – I’m glad you’re enjoying everything! I’m trying 🙂
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Nothing like the cowboy cookies I grew up with.
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