Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

By Amy Dong
Updated Feb. 22, 2024

Welcome to the ultimate Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. This easy skillet cookie boasts crispy edges and a chewy center, thanks to our trusty cast iron pan.

skillet chocolate chip cookie cake in cast iron pan. — This Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is soft, melty, and chewy – the perfect cozy dessert!

Why This Recipe Stands Out

For the situations that call on a giant cookie that can easily be dressed up or down: say hello to this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Here’s why we love this recipe:

Amazing Texture: This skillet cookie is crispy around the edges and delightfully chewy in the center – all courtesy of your humble cast iron pan.
Easy to Make: We love how easy this is to make. Just mix all the ingredients together, pour them into the skillet, and bake!
Delicious: Whether it be Bakery Style Cookies or Brown Butter Cookies, we simply can’t get enough chocolate chip cookies. And this cookie cake offers all the chewy, chocolatey goodness of our favorite treat.
Versatile: There are endless mix-ins and toppings you can experiment with in this recipe.
Comforting: This skillet cookie is quite possibly the most comforting dessert ever. Enjoy it sliced or dig right in with a spoon; you can’t go wrong!

Why Cast Iron?

Evenly Heats: Cast iron holds heat much better than other types of bakeware; and once preheated, it heats evenly so all the edges are equally browned.
Non-Stick: It actually improves in performance with more use; as you continue to use your cast iron pan and care for it, it develops a natural nonstick surface (patina) and allows you to release food easily without sticking. You get the benefits of a nonstick surface — all naturally.
Sturdy: It’s the most sturdy kitchen tool you may ever own. A hardy cast iron skillet more than pays for itself, as it can last a lifetime and beyond.
Easy to Wash: A gentle wash and dry after every use is all it takes to care for your cast iron. Some pans, such as Lodge cast irons (it’s what we use) come pre-seasoned, so there’s no need to worry about pre-seasoning your pan.

Key Recipe Ingredients

chocolate chip cookies ingredients including eggs and butter.

Butter: Softened butter gives this skillet cookie irresistible flavor and will have your kitchen smelling like a dream.
Brown Sugar: We use part granulated sugar / part light brown sugar to give our cookie the perfect balance of fluffy, dense, and chewy.
Egg Yolk: One extra egg yolk helps create a beautiful crisp, golden exterior.
Chocolate Chips: What chocolate chip cookie would be complete without the chocolate? Semi-sweet chocolate chips give this skillet cookie a rich, decadent, gooey texture.

Substitutions And Variations

This Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is super versatile. Take a look at some of our favorite variations:

Decorate: To dress up your skillet cookie for a birthday or to resemble a cookie cake, pipe your favorite frosting or Stabilized Whipped Cream around the edges of cooled cookie. Don’t forget to add sprinkles!
Mix-Ins: Feel free to add white chocolate chips, roughly chopped peanut butter cups, M&M’s, pretzel pieces, or chopped walnuts to your cookie dough.
For the ultimate decadent treat, serve a warm slice of baked cookie with Creamy Vanilla Bean Ice Cream on top, drizzled with Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauce or Warm Caramel Sauce.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix.
Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Scrape dough into greased cast iron skillet and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.

How To Prep Ahead

Check out our favorite tips and tricks for making this treat ahead of time:

Mix Dry Ingredients: The dry ingredients can be measured and mixed several days in advance. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to mix the dough.
Mix the Dough: For super easy prep on baking day, you can actually mix the dough up to 2 days ahead of time. Just wrap the dough in plastic and keep it in the fridge. Make sure to give it some time to warm at room temperature before baking.
Store Slices: After your skillet cookie has cooled, you can either store the slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

skillet chocolate chip cookie cake being eaten.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I substitute vegetable oil for the butter in this recipe?

We recommend sticking with the butter. Vegetable oil will give your skillet cookie more of a fluffy, cake-like texture rather than that thick, chewy texture we’re going for. Plus, the butter helps the edges brown and crisp.

Can I make this skillet chocolate chip cookie cake gluten-free?

Although we haven’t tried this yet, we think 1:1 Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour would work just fine in this recipe. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

What are some other things you can make in a cast iron skillet?

Cast iron skillets can make almost anything! Check out this Sweet Honey Cornbread. The cast-iron skillet leaves it super soft on the inside, yet slightly crispy on the outside. We also use it for our Easy Skillet Tamale Pie and our Pan Seared Halibut.

Why are my skillet cookie slices falling apart?

If you’re slicing into this cookie while it’s still warm, expect it to fall apart (that means you baked it just right). If you want the slices to hold together better, simply wait for it to cool completely before slicing.

What size cast iron skillet does this recipe use?

This recipe uses a 12 in. cast iron skillet. You could also use a 10 in. skillet. Just note that the 10 in. will result in a thicker cookie, which will require a little more time in the oven.

Did you make this?

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