You’ll love this recipe if you like this Applesauce Coffee Cake and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almond Cluster Fat Bombs.
Preheating the cast-iron skillet inside the oven before the dough goes in is what gives you those crispy, golden edges while the center stays soft and gooey. Melted butter instead of softened butter and an extra egg yolk make the whole cookie richer and chewier than a standard batch of cookies, and the brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note that runs through every bite.
You mix everything in one bowl with a spoon, no mixer needed, and fold the chocolate chips in at the end. The key is not to overmix and to pull it from the oven when the center still looks slightly underdone, because it continues to cook from the residual heat of the cast iron as it rests. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving, then spoon it straight from the skillet over vanilla ice cream or eat it on its own.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in 35 minutes with just 10 minutes of prep.
- Everything mixes in one bowl — no mixer, no chilling, no rolling.
- Baked and served right from the skillet, so cleanup is minimal.
- Crispy edges and a soft, gooey center in every slice.
- Uses simple pantry ingredients you probably already have.
- Easy enough for beginner bakers with no special technique required.
- Great for sharing — or not sharing, totally up to you.
➡️ Ingredients you’ll need
⏲ How to make this skillet chocolate chip cookie recipe
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Butter: Salted butter works too — just reduce the added salt by half so it doesn’t get too salty.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips all work. A mix of chips and dark chocolate chunks gives you more varied texture and pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
- Flour: You can swap half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour for a slightly nuttier, denser cookie. Don’t swap all of it or the texture will be too heavy.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works just as well as light and gives a slightly deeper, more molasses-forward flavor.
- Egg yolk: The extra yolk makes the cookie richer and fudgier — don’t skip it. If you only have whole eggs, you can use two whole eggs but the texture will be slightly less rich.
✨ Variations
- Double chocolate: Replace ¼ cup of the flour with cocoa powder for a brownie-style skillet cookie that’s more fudgy and deeply chocolatey.
- Mini skillets: Divide the dough evenly into smaller oven-safe skillets for individual servings — great if you want everyone to have their own. Reduce the baking time and check early.
- Salted caramel: Drizzle store-bought or homemade caramel sauce over the top right before serving for a sweet, salty contrast.
- Add-ins: A handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, or toffee bits folded in with the chocolate chips adds crunch and makes each slice a little more interesting.
- White chocolate and macadamia: Swap the semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chips and add a handful of chopped macadamia nuts for a classic flavor combination.
〰️ How to serve
- With ice cream — Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a keto frosty right on top — the contrast of warm cookie and cold ice cream is the classic way to eat this.
- With toppings — A drizzle of caramel sauce, a spoonful of whipped cream, or a handful of fresh berries, sliced bananas, or chopped walnuts on the side all work well.
- With a drink — Pairs well with a coffee or creamy drinks like bulletproof peppermint mocha, cinnamon dolce latte, or cold brew coffee.
- On its own — Let it cool slightly, slice into wedges, and serve as is — it holds up well at room temperature and is just as good a few hours after baking.
💬 FAQs
Can I make this in advance?
Yes. You can mix the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before pressing it into the hot skillet, and add a few extra minutes to the baking time since the dough will be cold.
How long do leftovers last?
Store leftover skillet cookie covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to bring back the gooey texture, or warm the whole skillet in a low oven for a few minutes.
Do I need to preheat the skillet?
Yes — don’t skip this step. Preheating the cast-iron skillet inside the oven before adding the dough is what creates the crispy bottom and edges that make this different from a regular baked cookie.
Can I use a baking dish instead of a cast-iron skillet?
Yes — a 9-inch round oven-safe metal or glass dish works fine. Just note that the edges won’t get quite as crispy since a regular baking dish doesn’t retain heat the same way a cast iron does.
Why does the center look underdone when I pull it out?
That’s exactly what you want. The cast iron continues to cook the cookie from residual heat after it comes out of the oven, so pulling it when the center still looks slightly soft is what gives you that perfect gooey middle. Overbaking is the most common mistake with skillet cookies.
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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 grams) melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (255 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Optional Toppings
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep Skillet: Place your cast-iron skillet inside oven and preheat to 350 °F.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well-combined. Whisk in whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add flour, baking soda, and salt to wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a generous handful for the top.
- Assemble in Skillet: Carefully remove hot skillet from the oven using oven mitts. Add cookie dough to the hot skillet and quickly spread it into an even layer using your spatula (it might sizzle slightly). Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and set, but the center should still look slightly soft and underdone. It's better to slightly underbake than overbake for that perfect gooey center.
- Rest and Serve: Carefully remove skillet from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. This allows the center to set slightly while staying warm. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Top generously with scoops of vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
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