This right here is complete cookie heaven; a soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie baked in a cast iron pan and served warm with ice cream on top. No rolling or chilling the dough makes this a quick and easy dessert and it’s always a crowd pleaser.
I love taking a traditional dessert like chocolate chip cookies and adding a little twist that makes it even easier to bake (like cooking it in a skillet). I did something similar when I took this chocolate cake recipe and turned it into a mug cake, and turned my favorite sugar cookies into bars.
On nights when my sweet tooth kicks in (ok, who am I kidding, that happens every night) one of my FAVORITE easy dessert recipes is this skillet cookie.
What I LOVE about this recipe:
- Bake it in any oven-safe pan. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, no problem. The cookie dough can be baked in a regular oven-safe skillet (they just wont have the same crisp exterior that the cast iron pan bakes).
- EASY! No scooping, no rolling out 2 dozen cookies, and no waiting to bake multiple batches. Just one giant cookie, that you can dig right into or cut into wedges and serve. How easy is that?
- Crispy and chewy. The heavy cast iron skillet bakes the cookies into total “crispy on the outside, soft on the inside” perfection.
How to Make a Skillet Cookie:
1. Make the cookie dough.
2. Press dough into a cast iron skillet. You could also use a regular, oven-safe skillet if you don’t own a cast iron.
3. Bake at 325 degrees F.
4. Serve. If you ordered a skillet cookie from a restaurant they would bring it out in the skillet, with ice cream scoops on top, and spoons for everyone to dig in! If you’re not comfortable all digging into the same pan, you can cut the cookie and serve individual portions with ice cream on top (and a swirl of chocolate or caramel sauce, if you’re feeling really fancy). You may never go back to plain chocolate chip cookies ever again!
Adaptations:
Mini skillet cookie: Use a smaller, oven-safe pan or ramekins to make mini skillet cookies. Reduce the bake time.
Vary the chips: Substitute white chocolate or butterscotch chocolate chips. I like to add a little milk chocolate AND semi-sweet chocolate chips to my cookie dough. Sometimes I’ll add them in different sizes too, like mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
Add nuts. Add chopped walnuts or pecans.
Blondie skillet cookies: Use my triple chip blondie cookie dough.
Peanut butter skillet cookies Add a big spoonful of peanut butter into your cookie dough or make peanut butter cooke dough.
Chocolate skillet cookies. Use my chocolate cookie dough.
MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
To make ahead: The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days or frozen for 2-3 months.
To freeze: Allow the skillet cookie to cool completely and slice into wedges. Store wedges in air-tight freezer container for 2-3 months.
Consider trying these popular desserts:
- German Chocolate Cake
- Snickerdoodles Bars
- Mississippi Mud Brownies
- Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
- Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Apple Crisp
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Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Video
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons butter 1 1/2 sticks melted and cooled until warm
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use half semi sweet and milk chocolate
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Add butter to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds, or until most of it has melted. Allow it to cool for a few minutes.
- Add melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Press the cookie dough into a 10’’ or 12’’ cast iron skillet (or a regular, oven-safe skillet would work).
- Bake for 28-35 minutes or until it looks just barely golden. Don’t over-bake it, especially since it will continue to cook in the hot skillet when you take it out of the oven.
- Allow to cool in the skillet for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting.
- Slice cookie into pieces and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- Mini skillet cookie: Use a smaller, oven-safe pan or ramekins to make mini skillet cookies. Reduce the bake time.
- Vary the chips: Substitute white chocolate or butterscotch chocolate chips. I like to add a little milk chocolate AND semi-sweet chocolate chips to my cookie dough. Sometimes I'll add them in different sizes too, like mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Add nuts. Add chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Blondie skillet cookies: Use my triple chip blondie cookie dough.
- Peanut butter skillet cookies Add a big spoonful of peanut butter into your cookie dough or make peanut butter cooke dough.
- Chocolate skillet cookies. Use my chocolate cookie dough.
Nutrition
*I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated February 2020 with process photos and adaptation ideas.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Angelina says
LOVELY! My kind of cookie for sure. I don’t have the time (4 little ones & a career) and never even previously had the patience to bake several sheets of cookies at a time, so I love making skillet cookies for my family. Definitely use a cast iron pan for the outside crunch. I’m wondering, how did you get an uneven number of servings? I usually cut them into wedges, like cutting a pizza. Luvin’ your site & the recipes. Thanks very much 🙂
Inna says
Incredible! I don’t think I ever WILL go back to regular chocolate chip cookies (plus somehow they never work out for me!). This is such a great idea and won’t disappoint my family when they expect crispy chewey cookies 😂
Jules says
Just made this for the second time and it is THE BEST. So easy too!
Sue says
Feedback please.
I made this recipe last weekend. Following the instructions I believe to the T. Came out beautifully. Later in the evening it became hard. Sealed it in a container.
I’m wanting to make it again for my son’s birthday next week. Also I will be mailing it to him at college.
Input appreciated
Alethea says
Lovely texture…chewy inside & slight crunch outside. Followed recipe exactly. Baked in cast iron pan. Just too too sweet. I don’t say that often about dessert, but too too sweet for us.
CWright says
Looks like it turned out just right !