Take your cookie cake to the next level with this Cowboy Cookie Cake. Instead of spending time frosting layered cakes, bake giant cowboy cookies and stack them with cream cheese frosting for an easy, impressive dessert. These cookies are packed with chocolate, coconut, walnuts and oats — all of which pair beautifully with a tangy cream cheese frosting.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips (semi-sweet or your preferred kind)
- Old-fashioned oats
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped walnuts
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
Equipment:
- Baking sheet(s)
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, wooden spoon, or hand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Kitchen scale (recommended) or measuring cups
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Cooling rack (optional)
- Spatula
- Piping bag & tip (optional)
Recipe Notes
Cowboy cookies have been a favorite since childhood for many bakers. These flavors—chocolate, oats, walnuts and coconut with warm spices—translate perfectly to a stacked cookie cake. The cream cheese frosting balances the chewiness and richness of the cookies, making a fun party-ready cake that’s simpler than a traditional layer cake.
Tips & Storage:
Flatten each dough ball to about 4–5 inches in diameter before baking; they will spread to roughly 6–7 inches when baked. Weighing the dough balls helps keep them even.
Shape each ball as round as possible and flatten to about ½ inch high before baking. Right after they come out of the oven, press a flat edge (like the back of a spoon) around the perimeter to restore a neat circle if needed.
A large closed star tip creates a decorative finish, but you can also spread frosting with a knife or spatula if you don’t have piping tools.
Chill the assembled cake in the refrigerator for at least one hour before slicing — this firms the frosting and makes cleaner slices.
Keep the cake refrigerated for up to one week or freeze for up to one month. Do not store at room temperature because of the cream cheese frosting.
Yes. Freeze formed dough balls and bake later, or bake cookie layers ahead and freeze them. The frosting can be made a few days in advance — chill it and let it soften before assembling.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Maple Pecan Cookies
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Easy Banana Snack Cake with Frosting
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Mini Brownie Bites
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Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Cowboy Cookie Cake
Kayla Burton
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
Baking sheet(s)
-
Parchment paper (optional)
-
Mixing bowls
-
Whisk
-
Spatula
-
Measuring cups or scale
-
Measuring spoons
-
Piping bag & tip (optional)
Ingredients
Cookie Layers
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (135 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (72 g) old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (1 package) (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookie Layers
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a medium bowl.
-
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until very smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
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Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Fold in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut and walnuts until evenly distributed.
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Divide the dough into four even balls. Place them on the prepared sheets at least 3 inches apart (two per sheet). Press each to about ½ inch height and roughly 4–5 inches in diameter.
-
Bake 13–17 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Centers may seem slightly underdone; they’ll finish from residual heat. Baked cookies should measure about 6–7 inches in diameter.
If edges aren’t perfectly round, use a flat edge right out of the oven to neaten the shape.
-
Allow cookies to cool on the pan until firm enough to transfer, then finish cooling on a rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
-
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
-
Spread or pipe frosting between each cookie layer and on top to assemble the cake. Chill the cake for about an hour before slicing for cleaner cuts. Enjoy!
Notes
Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.
Make ahead: Freeze shaped dough balls for up to one month and bake from frozen when ready. Alternatively, bake cookie layers ahead and freeze them. The frosting keeps for a few days in the refrigerator — soften at room temperature before assembling.
Nutrition information shown is an estimate for the entire cake; accuracy is not guaranteed.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.