The Best Cast Iron Skillet Cookie

When Two Delicious Worlds Collide

What could be better than a freshly-baked cookie? That's right... a GIANT freshly-baked cookie. Imagine that warm, ooey-gooey texture extended out to the size of a small pizza.

And it's not just a size thing. Baking a chocolate chip cookie in a skillet not only gives you more cookie to enjoy, but it makes that cookie thicker and deeper, like a deep dish pizza but with COOKIE. The comparisons to pizza don't end there. Some that have noticed the parallels have taken to calling skillet cookies "pizookies" - which makes sense when you consider that with a cookie this size, you can actually divide it up into slices and eat it like you would a pizza.

When To Make It

The pizookie is the perfect dessert to test out when you're entertaining a small group, or want to surprise the family with a cool new dessert. Remember that it's not exactly a light snack, and will be best enjoyed when served to a group that's not already stuffed with food.

If all of this sounds good to you, the good news is there's a way to do it, and you're about to learn how.

What You'll Need

The first thing you'll want to have on hand is the cookie container. A cast iron skillet works best for this recipe, and fortunately they aren't too expensive. But if you can't access cast iron, an oven-safe skillet will work as well. You'll want a mixing spoon you can hold comfortably, since you'll be doing a lot of stirring.

You'll also need:

• butter
• brown and white sugar
• 2 eggs
• vanilla
• flour
• baking soda
• salt
• chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Instructions

Set your oven to 325, and get that mixing spoon ready.

Melting The Butter

• Step #1 is browning the butter in your skillet. Start by melting 1 cup of butter over the stove on medium heat, stirring frequently until the melted butter flows smoothly.
• Next, turn the stove's heat to low and add 1 cup of brown sugar and a 1/2 cup of white sugar. Keep stirring until you get a glossy, caramelly mixture.
• Once the butter and sugars are melted together nicely, chill the contents of your skillet for at least 10-15 minutes. (Note: You won't want to add in the eggs while the mixture is hot, or your eggs will scramble and you'll end up with breakfast instead of dessert!)

After The Mixture Is Chilled

• After the pan is nice and cool, take your skillet out of the fridge and add in 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir everything together well.
• Add 2 cups and 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the mixture.

Pour In Those Chips

• The next thing you'll want to do is verify the mixture is room temperature or cooler, so when you add your chocolate chips, they don't start to melt. When you're sure, toss in the star of the show: your chocolate chips! A 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chunks and 3/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips is what is typically used for this recipe, but add as many as you feel. (We're not here to judge your life choices.) Feel free to experiment with different varieties of chocolate and sizes of chips.

Into The Oven!

• Once you've found that perfect chocolate chip ratio, pop that skillet in the oven at 325 degrees. You'll want to keep checking on it after about 20 minutes, since the cookie is almost done when the edges start turning brown. (Just like a pizza!) This part is fun, because you get to decide on the cookie's doneness. So if you like your cookie extra gooey you can take it out a little earlier, but fans of a more well done, crunchy approach will want to leave it baking longer. Another thing to keep in mind is that baking times will vary according to skillet size. So, a 10-inch skillet will take a bit longer to cook than a 12-inch.

Ice Cream Option

• Add a scoop of ice cream to the top if you think you can handle it. But be warned, the pizookie serves six and is a lot. So unless you want to come back to it the next day and deal with liquefied ice cream puddles, try topping individual cookie slices with their own scoops of ice cream, just to be safe.

Bear in mind, while your skillet cookie is hot, the pieces nearest to the center will be quite soft and fragile. Keep an eye out for falling melted chocolate! (Not a bad problem to have, if you ask us.)

Variations To Try

Now if your skillet cookie is successful and you find yourself hooked on the concept, there are plenty of variations to try out and experiment with!

• Make a skillet cookie sundae by hollowing out the cookie center to create an edible bowl of cookie.
• Bake other dessert types in skillets to create giant, gooey gingerbread skillets, snickerdoodle skillets, chocolate Nutella cookie skillets, peanut butter cookie skillets, and more!
• Try baking a brownie in a skillet to make a brownie pizza that can be eaten by the slice with optional ice cream as well.
• Layer graham crackers, melted chocolate, and marshmallows to create a summery s'mores skillet.

Feeling adventurous? Add your favorite chocolates, candies, nuts, and other toppings to customize future pizookies in endless combinations.

Imagine the possibilities!