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 improved version is easier to work with, and stays crunchy/chewy for days!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: about 60 cookies 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or lard)
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 Tablespoons)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup quick oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies or similar)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F and spray a couple of cookie sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you’ll be mixing by hand), cream the shortening, butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt, and beat until the mixture is smooth, scraping the bowl if necessary.
Mix in the flour, baking soda and baking powder until no dry bits remain. Add the oatmeal and mix, then the chocolate chips and coconut, and mix again until well combined. By hand, add the rice cereal and carefully stir and fold to combine. Although the dough will be quite stiff by this point, try not to crush the cereal too much.
Drop by generous teaspoonsful onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. (They will spread a fair bit as they bake.) Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a spatula, immediately remove the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Keywords: ranger cookie, chocolate chip cookie, oatmeal cookie, cookie recipe