I had no idea that Ranger cookies even existed until just a few years ago. We were fortunate enough to walk into the delicious atmosphere of Ambrosia Bakery in Hot Springs, Arkansas during our annual family vacation where, there among the cakes, tarts and trays and trays of confections, was a whole tray of something called… Ranger cookies. Being completely unfamiliar with this cookie, we of course had to buy a dozen of them (how bad could they be? They are still cookies.)
So what are Ranger cookies?
Delicious.
Okay, okay, I’ll be more descriptive. Ranger cookies are chewy and crunchy all at the same time. They are full of coconut, oatmeal, nuts and (my favorite!) rice krispies cereal. And y’all…they are so dang good.
Ranger Cookie Variations
So, there are a couple of different ways you could shake these cookies up (not that they need shaking up. Just if you wanna). You could substitute crushed cornflakes for the rice crispies. You could throw in some of those mini chocolate chips instead of coconut flakes. Possibilities are endless, really.
Freezing and Storing
If you are like me, Christmas is prime time for cookie baking. This recipe makes quite a few cookies and you could easily divide the dough and freeze the rest for later. The best way to freeze cookie dough is by portioning out the dough on to a wax paper lined tray and freezing until solid and then throwing the individual unbaked cookies into a zip top bag and storing in the freezer.
If you are thinking that you will be able to resist the urge to eat all of these cookies before they go stale, then you should know that they will last about 5 days in an airtight container. I recommend serving them with a tall glass of cold milk.
More Cookie Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups oats
- 2 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, cream the sugars and butter together. Add in the vanilla, salt and the eggs and mix until well combined. Turn the mixer to low and stir in the flour, baking soda and baking powder until all the lumps are gone. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Using a spoon or a melon baller, form the batter into balls and place 2 inches a part on each baking tray. You should be able to get 12 per tray and will probably need to bake in batches.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Excellent, I added some white chocolate chips.
Love the addition of Rice Krispies
Didn’t have rice crispness on hand. But did have Crispix rice cereal, crushed it a bit and they were delicious.