If you have a sweet tooth craving that feels impossible to resist, the Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is here to brighten your day like a warm hug from your oven. Imagine a giant, gooey cookie baked right in a cast-iron skillet, with perfectly melted chocolate pockets and a rich, buttery flavor that’s both comforting and decadent. This recipe is one of those delightful treats that brings everyone together, whether it’s a casual family night or a spontaneous dessert party. You’ll love how it combines simple ingredients to create a dramatic, delicious result that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe calls for straightforward, pantry-friendly ingredients that each play a crucial role in building the cookie’s texture and depth of flavor. From the golden browned butter that adds nutty warmth, to the dual chocolate chips that create those irresistible gooey bites, every element works in harmony to delight your taste buds.
- Unsalted butter (13 tablespoons): Using unsalted butter allows you to control the saltiness of the cookie while providing that rich, creamy base; browning most of it develops a nutty complexity.
- All-purpose flour (1¾ cups): The backbone of the cookie’s structure, giving it just the right touch of chewiness.
- Baking soda (½ teaspoon): Helps the cookie rise and attain a perfect spread.
- Dark brown sugar (1 cup): Adds moisture and that deeper caramel tone essential for a luscious cookie.
- Granulated sugar (¼ cup): Brings balance with its crisp sweetness to contrast the chewiness.
- Pure vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Elevates all the flavors with its aromatic warmth.
- Kosher salt (1½ teaspoons): Enhances the sweetness and rounds out the cookie’s rich taste.
- Large egg and egg yolk: Provide richness, tenderness, and help bind the dough.
- Semisweet chocolate chips (½ cup): Classic chocolate flavor that melts into delightful pockets.
- Milk chocolate chips (½ cup): For a sweeter, creamier chocolate bite that pairs perfectly with the semisweet chips.
How to Make Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Prep Your Oven and Skillet
Set your oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to 350°F to ensure the skillet bakes the cookie evenly. Then, prepare your trusty 12-inch cast-iron skillet by generously buttering it with a tablespoon of butter followed by a light spray of nonstick cooking spray. This combo prevents sticking and helps achieve that irresistibly golden crust.
Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. This simple step ensures even distribution of the baking soda, which is key to your cookie’s perfect rise without any bitter flavors creeping in.
Step 3: Brown the Butter
Melt 9 tablespoons of butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until it turns a dark golden brown. You’ll notice the bubbling slows down and the aroma becomes nutty and irresistible in about 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely during the final minute so it doesn’t burn! Once browned, transfer it to a heat-proof bowl, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted and smooth. This browned butter is the magic behind the cookie’s depth.
Step 4: Combine Sugars, Egg, and Vanilla
Into the browned butter, whisk in the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and vanilla extract. Then add the whole egg and egg yolk, whisking until fully incorporated and silky smooth. A special tip here: let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk again for 30 seconds. Repeat this rest-and-whisk cycle four times. This technique thickens the batter and makes it glossy, which means your cookie will bake up incredibly tender and chewy.
Step 5: Incorporate the Flour
Gently stir in your flour mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Avoid over-mixing here to keep your cookie delightfully soft and tender, rather than dense.
Step 6: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Adding both semisweet and milk chocolate chips gives you a rich variety of melting chocolate throughout. Stir just until they’re evenly dispersed for gooey pockets in every slice.
Step 7: Bake the Cookie
Press the dough evenly into your prepared skillet and pop it into the oven. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, rotating the skillet halfway through to ensure even baking. The cookie is done when the center looks just set but still a bit soft – this will give you that luscious gooey texture once cooled a bit.
Step 8: Cool and Slice
Allow the cookie to cool for 5 to 10 minutes right in the skillet before slicing into wedges. This cooling time helps everything firm up just enough to serve warm, perfect for sharing straight from the pan.
How to Serve Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
Consider sprinkling flaky sea salt over the warm cookie slices just before serving for an elegant contrast to the rich chocolate and brown butter flavors. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top makes it an indulgent dessert dream. You can also drizzle warm caramel sauce or scatter chopped nuts for texture.
Side Dishes
While this skillet cookie shines beautifully on its own, you can offer accompaniments like fresh berries or a shady mint sprig to add brightness. A glass of cold milk or a warm cup of coffee complements the cookie’s sweetness wonderfully, making the experience cozy and satisfying.
Creative Ways to Present
For a fun twist, serve the cookie straight from the cast iron skillet at the table, letting everyone dig in family-style. For parties, try slicing smaller wedges and topping each with a mini scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup for irresistible individual desserts that look as good as they taste.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled completely, wrap your leftover skillet cookie tightly with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days, maintaining its chewy texture nicely if stored properly.
Freezing
You can freeze slices individually by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil, or storing in a freezer-safe container. This way, your Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe treats are ready to defrost and enjoy anytime within a month.
Reheating
To bring your leftover or frozen cookie slices back to life, gently warm them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. You’ll get that fresh-baked softness and melty chocolate experience all over again, making every bite taste like it just came out of the oven.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
Absolutely! Chopped chocolate bars, white chocolate chunks, or even flavored chocolates can be delightful substitutes. They melt differently, so expect slight texture variations but equally delicious results.
Do I need a cast-iron skillet specifically for this recipe?
A cast-iron skillet is ideal because it evenly distributes heat and creates a lovely crust, but you can use any oven-safe skillet that’s about 12 inches in diameter. Just be sure it’s well buttered or greased.
Why do I have to whisk and rest the batter multiple times?
This unusual technique helps develop the dough’s texture by encouraging the sugar to dissolve properly and the batter to thicken, resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie that shines with gloss and depth.
Can I halve the recipe if I don’t want such a big cookie?
While you can scale down the ingredients, the cast-iron skillet size and baking time are less flexible. Using a smaller skillet and reducing bake time works, but expect some changes in texture and thickness.
Is it possible to make this recipe gluten-free?
You can experiment with gluten-free all-purpose flour blends. Choose one with xanthan gum included for best results. The texture might vary, but with good blends, you’ll still enjoy a delicious cookie.
Final Thoughts
There’s something truly special about a giant skillet cookie fresh from the oven, and this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe offers a perfect combination of rich browned butter, melty chocolate, and tender chewiness that’s hard to beat. It’s an effortless crowd-pleaser that invites sharing and smiles. So gather your ingredients, heat that skillet, and treat yourself and your loved ones to this sensational cookie experience that’s absolutely worth every moment spent in the kitchen.
Print
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings (slices)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Deliciously rich and chewy skillet chocolate chip cookies made with browned butter and a mix of semisweet and milk chocolate chips. This recipe yields a perfectly golden, gooey cookie with crisp edges, baked effortlessly in a cast-iron skillet, ideal for sharing.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3 grams)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (5 grams)
Wet Ingredients
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter (184 grams, divided; 1⅝ stick)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (213 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8 grams)
- 1 large egg (50 grams)
- 1 egg yolk (14 grams)
Chocolate
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (85 grams)
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips (85 grams)
Other
- Nonstick cooking spray for skillet
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) for perfect baking temperature.
- Prepare Skillet: Generously butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter, then spray it with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Bread Butter: In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt 9 tablespoons of butter. Continuously swirl the pan to brown the butter until it turns dark golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 3–5 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and transfer to a large heat-proof bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.
- Mix Sugars and Eggs: Whisk in the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk, whisking for about 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk and rest three more times, resulting in a thicker, shiny batter.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in the flour and baking soda mixture just until no flour remains visible, careful not to overmix.
- Incorporate Chocolate Chips: Gently stir in semisweet and milk chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape and Bake: Evenly press the cookie dough into the prepared skillet and bake in the preheated oven for 23–28 minutes, rotating the skillet after 13 minutes. Bake until the center is just set but still slightly soft.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookie cool in the skillet for 5–10 minutes before slicing into 8 wedges to serve warm and gooey.
Notes
- Use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for best results and even baking.
- Be very attentive when browning butter to avoid burning, as it can quickly turn from perfect to burnt.
- Resting and whisking the egg-sugar mixture multiple times helps develop a smooth, glossy batter and a tender texture.
- For a more intense chocolate flavor, you can add an extra ¼ cup of chocolate chips or use dark chocolate chunks.
- Leftovers can be warmed up slightly before serving to restore softness.
