Inspired by the delicious recipes and adventurous lifestyle of the Pioneer Woman, these Cowboy Cookies are thick, chewy, and full of rich chocolate and molasses flavor. Made with sweet and tangy The Pioneer Woman Apple Brown Sugar BBQ sauce, they’re like no other cookie! This post is sponsored by The Kraft Heinz Company. All comments and opinions are my own.
Best Ever Cowboy Cookies (Inspired by The Pioneer Woman)
It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to raise my family out in the country, and over the summer that dream finally came true! Our family just moved into a rustic farmhouse-style home on 5 rolling acres of Texas countryside. I’m in heaven!
Needless to say, Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman), has always been a big influence to me. I love her adventurous spirit and the focus on family that is evident on both her blog and television show.
With the start of football season we decided to have a cookout at our new country home, since there is plenty of space for company.
And no cookout is complete without an amazing dessert…or two!
These Cowboy Cookies are inspired by The Pioneer Woman, and believe it or not, they are made with her brand new barbecue sauce! Trust me, this sauce is like no other, and it makes for a cookie that is like none you’ve ever tasted!
What Are Cowboy Cookies?
Cowboy cookies are chocolate chip cookies with LOTS of other goodies thrown in the mix. There’s no “right” way to make them — you can add your favorite mix-ins to the ingredients list!
For our cowboy cookies recipe, we started with classic chocolate chip cookie dough, with big chunks of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Next we added a few fun ingredients: toffee bits, chopped pecans, and pretzel pieces. So much yumminess!
Now for the “secret” ingredient…The Pioneer Woman’s NEW Apple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce. Made with chunks of tart apples and brown sugar, this is a sweet and tangy homestyle barbecue sauce. It adds a molasses-like flavor to our cowboy chocolate chip cookies and takes them to the next level! The sauce makes the cookies!
There are three NEW varieties of Pioneer Woman BBQ Sauce you can find at your local H-E-B store:
The Apple Brown Sugar flavor is my personal favorite, but they are all delicious! Any one of them would taste great in this cowboy cookies recipe!
You can find The Pioneer Woman’s BBQ Sauce in the BBQ/condiment aisle at your local H-E-B. Click here to learn more about The Pioneer Woman Apple Brown Sugar BBQ (my personal favorite!)
Cowboy Cookies Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup pretzels, chopped
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons of The Pioneer Woman’s Apple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
How to Make Cowboy Cookies
First, cream the butter and sugar together in standing mixer until light and fluffy. You can also use an electric hand mixer and large mixing bowl.
Add eggs and vanilla and continue mixing, then add your dry ingredients.
Add pretzel pieces, toffee bits, chocolate chips, pecans (if using) and barbecue sauce and mix until just combined. I’d recommend doing this on a low speed to avoid over-mixing.
Use a medium cookie scoop to portion dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Depending on the size of your scoop, you should get about two dozen cookies.
Bake for 15 minutes at 325°F, then remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Cowboy Cookies Recipe (Printable Copy)
If you liked this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup pretzels chopped
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3 Tablespoons The Pioneer Woman's Apple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar in standing mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and continue mixing.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until well incorporated.
- Add pretzel pieces, toffee bits, chocolate chips, pecans (if using), and Pioneer Woman Apple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce and mix until just combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 325°F.
Notes
Nutrition
More of our Favorite Cookie Recipes:
- West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls - October 18, 2021
- Homemade Apple Pie Spice - October 15, 2021
- Instant Pot Apple Cake - October 13, 2021
Vanessa says
Made these today! Pecans sure would have been a great addition, unfortunately it wasn’t listed on the ingredients list print out. Still a yummy treat.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Oh no! I’ll fix that – thank you for pointing it out!
Tiffany says
Idk if im doing something wrong ive made the twice now and the come out fluffy like a cake texture can someone help