Ranger Cookies – A Midwest Classic, with a Twist!

Ranger cookies are a Midwest favorite featuring rolled oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and crispy rice cereal. This version is a little different from the original, and stays crunchy/chewy for days!

I must have made 52 bazillion dozen ranger cookies in my stint as Cookie Baker in Chief (CBnC) for my family in my teens. They were dad’s favorite cookie, and my sibs (and mom!) loved them too. Dad called them “kitchen sink cookies.” That’s because, well, there’s pretty much everything in there except the kitchen sink! They’ve got the goodness of quick oats and the sweetness of flaked coconut and chocolate chips. Oh, and the crunchiness of the crispy rice cereal, all rolled up into one delicious cookie.

I’ve made ranger cookies from time to time over the years since then. When I made them again recently, though, I noticed a couple of problems (to me, anyway). For one, it was really hard to incorporate all the mix-ins, even with my stand mixer. Stray bits of oats, chips, and cereal just refused to cooperate. For two, and this was even more serious, the ranger cookies were great right out of the oven, but turned into “rocks” by the next day
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I’m talking nearly-break-a-tooth hard. Not even fixable with a dunk in a glass of milk or cup of coffee. Actually kind of unpleasant. Hmmm.

Trial and Error

Earlier this year, I set out to try to diagnose what was wrong with my ranger cookie recipe. The recipes in several old spiral-bound cookbooks from my hometown area were identical to my old recipe. So that shouldn’t be the problem.

I’d learned from my MIL that the fat-to-flour ratio affects the texture of a cookie. (Read about it in my Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies recipe.) I also knew from a favorite Fannie Farmer cookie recipe that the type of brown sugar you use, light brown vs. dark brown, affects the texture as well. I tried several combinations in at least four batches. I’m sure my Cookie Taster in Chief (CTnC) was pretty tired of ranger cookies by the end of summer!

Butter vs Shortening vs Lard

While the original ranger cookie recipe called for one cup of shortening, in my first test I substituted a cup of butter. I love the richness that butter gives a cookie but it turns out that was a mistake. A little research showed that butter is actually only about 82% fat (the rest is mostly milk solids), while shortening and lard are 100% fat.

Remember the fat-to-flour ratio I mentioned earlier? Using all-butter in this recipe caused most of my problems with hardness and lack of moisture.

In my teens, I used lard for these cookies because that’s what we used back then for cooking and baking. Whenever we butchered a hog, mom would cook down the clean, white fat for hours on low heat until the lard was clear and the cracklings were crispy. But lard can be hard to find in the grocery store, and it has a relatively short shelf life.

So I compromised. Vegetable shortening (like Crisco) is a lot easier to find these days, so I used a half cup of that, plus a little more than equal that amount of butter for the richness it provides.

Light Brown vs Dark Brown Sugar

I made two half batches of these cookies using light brown sugar in one, and dark brown sugar in the other. (The big difference is that dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content.) While the cookies’ taste wasn’t all that different, at least to me and my official cookie tasters, I noticed an improvement in their moistness a few days after baking.

So between the change in the fat (shortening + butter) and the brown sugar type, now I had a ranger cookie that kept its crunch and chewiness that lasted for a week, easily.

How to Make Ranger Cookies

If you bake cookies a lot, like me, this recipe is like so many others. Cream the fats and sugars until light and fluffy, add the eggs, vanilla extract and salt, and beat to combine. Add the flour and leavenings and combine well, scraping the bowl to be sure there aren’t any dry bits of flour remaining. Start adding the mix-ins, beating after each one, through the chocolate chips and coconut.

You can use a stand mixer for all of the previous steps but mix in the crispy rice cereal by hand to avoid crushing it too much. It will take a little stirring and folding to get all of the cereal incorporated evenly.

Drop by teaspoonsful onto a greased cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

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