Ranger cookies are the perfect everything cookie — featuring oats, crunchy cornflakes and sweet coconut flakes. I take them up a notch by browning the butter, adding chocolate and topping them with flaky sea salt.
I fell in love with ranger cookies when I first had them at my in-laws. They are the perfect snack cookie. I am pretty sure I ended up eating five in one sitting the first time I had them and immediately asked for the recipe.
Ever since then, it is my go-to snack to make before a trip. They are generally crowd pleasers since there is a little bit of something for everyone.
Until recently, I never altered the recipe. However, when a friend asked “Hey, what are those cookies you made for me that I loved…I think they have white chocolate in them?” I knew she was talking about ranger cookies, but they don’t typically have white chocolate in them. But, that gave me the idea to try different versions of the recipe.
So, I set out to find the very best version of a ranger cookie. So I made SIX different versions:
- Ranger Cookie (regular and made with plain softened butter)
- Chocolate Chunk Ranger Cookie (plain softened butter)
- White Chocolate Ranger Cookie (plain softened butter)
- Browned Butter Ranger Cookie
- Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Ranger Cookie
- Browned Butter White Chocolate Ranger Cookie
I also lowered the amount of baking soda in the original recipe and added flaky Maldon sea salt on top of the warm cookies after they came out of the oven.
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How browning butter affects cookies
Browning the butter in cookies creates a deeper flavor profile due to the caramelized flavor of the browned milk solids. It also creates a softer cookie that retains moisture longer.
Regular softened butter in this recipe produced crispy, chewy cookies. Both are great fresh, but in the long run I preferred the browned butter cookies as they remained softer and more moist. The regular softened butter cookies also spread more in the oven, whereas the browned butter versions spread less and stay thicker.
Once I browned the butter, I set it in the fridge to cool completely and solidify. I would be curious to know how the cookies would turn out if I continued the recipe without re-solidifying the butter. If you’ve tried this, let me know!
Ranger cookie ingredients
- butter
- sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- corn flakes
- oatmeal
- coconut
Recipe adapted from the Good Taste Collection cookbook.
Tips:
Press more chocolate into the top of the cookie dough before baking for prettier tops.
While cookies are still warm, take a glass or cookie cutter and swirl it around the sides of the cookie to shape it perfectly round.
Sprinkle sea salt on the tops of the cookies just as they come out of the oven so it sticks.
📖 Recipe
Ranger Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g) softened or browned, see note
- 1 cup granulated sugar (210g)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (235g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups corn flakes (80g)
- 2 cups oatmeal (200g)
- 1 cup coconut (90g)
Optional add-ins
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a medium bowl with hand beaters), combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cream together the butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time and vanilla, mixing after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to the dough and paddle just until combined.
- Add corn flakes, oatmeal and coconut and paddle just until combined. (Add chocolate chunks or white chocolate, if adding, now.) Do not overmix.
- Using a small cookie scoop, space out balls of dough on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
