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With the holidays approaching, we wanted to share a throwback to one of my favorite recipes from The Collegiate Cook: USF Gameday Recipes, the cookbook Nate and I developed in 2014. It’s designed for University of South Florida fans—hence its green and gold color scheme—though I’ll be honest: You could sub in any color combo you’d like here. Green & Goldies are a riff on classic cow pie or “cow patty” cookies, aka chocolate cookies loaded with mix-ins. The original name was always funny, albeit a bit unappetizing, but the treat itself is so good, we thought it deserved a rebrand. (And, being that our alma mater’s mascot is a bull, it felt like a fitting tribute.)
Our version calls for M&Ms and peanut butter chips—rather than nuts and fruit—but feel free to riff on the mix-ins and make this your own. Just be prepared for these cookies to disappear first at the cookie swap. (And on that note, maybe you should make a double batch…)

Green & Goldies Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. As it heats, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg and vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then gradually stir in the butter/sugar mixture and the oats. Once those are all mixed together, fold in the peanut butter chips and crushed M&Ms.
- Place one-inch blobs of dough on a baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges have set and the center still appears moist. (It will finish cooking as it cools.) Once cool, transfer to an airtight container, where they'll keep for up to a week.




