This Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie combines the best parts of cookies and cake into one decadent dessert. It features the rich flavors of a chocolate chip cookie and the fluffiness of a cake and pairs perfectly with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. It is simple to make and the perfect dessert for the whole family or a small get together.
While we love savory food, we will never turn down a chocolate chip cookie. We love them all -- the crispy ones, chewy ones, cakey ones, you name it! Sometimes life forces you to make tough dessert decisions, like having to decide between cookie or cake. When that happens, we turn to our delectable Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.
You can slice it up just like a cake and top it off with a heaping scoop of your favorite ice cream. It is a sweet crowd pleaser you will want to make over and over again!
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About This Skillet Cookie
- Taste - It tastes like an extra rich chocolate chip cookie.
- Texture - This skillet cookie features lightly browned and crispy edges and a warm and gooey center.
- Effort - All you need to do is mix the ingredients together then bake them in the cast iron skillet.
- Time - It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and mix the ingredients, then about 30 minutes to bake.
Ingredients
- Butter - Room temperature butter is best for the skillet cookie dough texture and adds a buttery flavor. We prefer to use European butter because it has a higher fat content resulting in a crisper, more buttery skillet cookie. American butter has higher water content, which will make the cookie a little less buttery but still delicious!
- Brown sugar - Brown sugar adds moisture to the cookie dough.
- Granulated sugar - sugar adds sweetness and helps the skillet cookie spread as the sugar melts.
- Eggs - Eggs bind the ingredients together. Use a room temperature egg so it spreads evenly in the dough.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract adds complexity and sweetness to the chocolate chip cookie dough. For a stronger vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean paste.
- All purpose flour - All purpose flour is the foundation for the skillet cookie
- Baking powder - Baking powder helps make the dough soft and tender.
- Baking soda - Baking soda helps the cookie dough spread.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon adds a light yet distinct sweetness to the cookie.
- Nutmeg - Adds a nutty sweetness to the dish.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips - We recommend semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips because they are the perfect combination of sweet and rich.
- Walnuts - Walnuts add rich and crunchy texture.
- Vanilla Bean Ice cream - A megabite of vanilla ice cream and skillet cookie creates the perfect flavor medley.
Substitutions
- Ice Cream - Use French vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, Vegan Matcha Ice Cream or your favorite ice cream instead of vanilla bean ice cream.
- Gluten free - use gluten free all purpose flour to make this skillet cookie gluten free. We recommend this gluten free flour for the best results.
- Vanilla bean paste - use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for a richer vanilla flavor.
- Dark chocolate Chips - if you prefer the intensely flavored and lightly bitter taste of dark chocolate, use dark chocolate chips instead of semi sweet.
- White chocolate chips - Replace semisweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips or toffee bits for added sweetness.
- Pecans - Use pecans instead of walnuts for extra richness and sweetness.
- Milk - Instead of eating the cookie with ice cream, enjoy slices of the cookie dipped or beside your favorite milk.
- Whipped Cream - If you want something lighter than ice cream, add my easy homemade whipped cream.
Variations
- Extra chocolatey - If you want to make this skillet cookie even more chocolatey, add another half cup of chocolate chips to the dough.
- No nuts - If you are allergic to walnuts or simply don't like the taste, you can omit them.
- Peanut Butter - If you want to make this a peanut butter cookie, add ½ cup natural peanut butter to the cookie batter.
Instructions
- Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Melt butter and stir in sugar - In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat until it is completely melted. Stir in granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Whisk wet ingredients - Once the sugar-butter mixture has cooled, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add in vanilla and eggs, and whisk until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients - In a separate mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together - Stir dry ingredients in the sugar-butter mixture just until smooth. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts, and stir just until the ingredients are combined without overmixing.
- Bake in cast iron skillet - Add the cookie dough to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, and smooth the dough so it is evenly distributed. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. The inside of the cookie should be a little gooey.
- Top with ice cream - Top the cookie with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy.
Pro-tip: Be careful to not over bake the cookie since it will continue to cook in the hot skillet when you take it out of the oven.
Equipment
This chocolate cookie recipes requires common kitchen essentials. You will need a strainer or whisk to sift the flour, a mixing bowl, an electric handheld mixer or stand mixer, and skillet.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just be sure to use an air tight container.
The outside will be lightly golden brown and the inside of the cookie will be a little gooey. When in doubt, you can place a cake tester into the dough and see if it comes out clean.
The cookie will be flat if the butter is too warm or melted. In order to avoid this and make sure the cookie is fluffy, use room temperature butter.
Salt enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and makes the cookies just the right amount of chewy.
Storage
Storing this skillet chocolate chip cookie is easy. All you need to do is leave the cookie in the skillet and cover it with aluminum foil. This will be good for up to 2 days. To warm the cookie, heat the oven to 300°F and warm for 8 to 10 minutes. You can also freeze the skillet cookie for up to 2 months. In order to do so, we recommend slicing the cookie into wedges then storing them in an air-tight freezer container. When you are ready to enjoy them, let them thaw before warming them in the oven.
Baking Tips
- Don't over-mix the ingredients - this ensures the cookie spreads evenly and has a light texture. Over mixing can make the cookie tough.
- Bake on the middle rack for even cooking.
- Cool down the cookie a little before consuming. Also make sure the cookie is completely cooled before storing to ensure the cookie maintains its texture.
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How to Make a Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups Semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup Walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup Vanilla Bean Ice cream
Instructions
- Heat the oven - Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Melt butter and stir in sugar - In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat until it is completely melted. Stir in granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.¾ cup Butter, ¼ cup Granulated sugar, 1 cup Brown sugar
- Whisk wet ingredients - Once the sugar-butter mixture has cooled, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add in vanilla and eggs, and whisk until smooth.1 tablespoon Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, 2 Eggs, room temperature
- Mix dry ingredients - In a separate mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.2 cups All purpose flour, ½ teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together - Stir dry ingredients in the sugar-butter mixture just until smooth. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts, and stir just until the ingredients are combined without overmixing.1½ cups Semi sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup Walnuts, chopped
- Bake in cast iron skillet - Add the cookie dough to a 10"-12" cast iron skillet, and smooth the dough so it is evenly distributed. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. The inside of the cookie should be a little gooey.
- Top with ice cream - Top the cookie with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy.1 cup Vanilla Bean Ice cream
Notes
- In order to store, just leave the cookie in the skillet and cover it with aluminum foil for up to 2 days. To reheat the cookie, heat it in the oven at 300°F and for 8 to 10 minutes. You can also freeze the skillet cookie for up to 2 months. In order to do so, we recommend slicing the cookie into wedges then storing them in an air-tight freezer container. When you are ready to enjoy them, let them thaw before warming them in the oven.
- Don't over mix the ingredients - This will ensure the cookie spreads evenly and has a light texture. Over mixing can make the cookie tough.
- Bake on the middle rack so the cookies cook evenly.
- Do not over bake the cookie since it will continue to cook in the hot skillet when you take it out of the oven.
- Let the cookie cool down the cookie a little before consuming. Also make sure the cookie is completely cooled before storing to ensure the cookie maintains its texture.
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