Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

This easy chocolate chip skillet cookie gives you everything you love about a classic chocolate chip cookie, but baked in a single 10-inch cast iron skillet so you get crispy, buttery edges and a soft, gooey center all at once.

Why Make This Recipe

You skip the scooping, the chilling, and the multiple baking sheets. One skillet, one bowl, and about 25 minutes from start to finish. The edges get that deep golden crunch while the middle stays almost underbaked, which is exactly what you want. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it looks like you tried much harder than you did.

How to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Directions:

1. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 22 minutes. Serves 8. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats so it gets warm.
2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Whisk again until the mixture looks thick and slightly shiny, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and fine salt. Switch to a spatula and fold just until no dry streaks remain. Don’t overmix.
5. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
6. Pull the hot skillet from the oven and add a small pat of butter, swirling to coat the bottom. Pour the dough in and spread it gently to the edges with the spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. The edges should be set and pulling away from the sides; the center should still look a little underdone and glossy. It firms up fast as it cools, so err on the shorter side.
8. Sprinkle flaky salt over the top as soon as it comes out. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the pan.

How to Serve Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Serve it warm, right in the skillet, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the center. You can also slice it into wedges like a pie for a neater presentation. A drizzle of caramel sauce on top is optional but not unwelcome.

How to Store Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Cover the cooled skillet tightly with plastic wrap or transfer slices to an airtight container. It keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop a slice in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it goes soft and gooey again.

Tips to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

• Use the extra egg yolk. It’s the difference between a dry cookie and a rich, fudgy one.
• Don’t skip preheating the skillet. A cold pan gives you a pale, uneven bottom. A hot pan gives you that golden crust right away.
• Brown sugar is doing most of the work here. More brown sugar than white means a deeper flavor and a chewier texture.
• Pull it out when the center still jiggles slightly. Overbaking is the most common mistake. The residual heat keeps cooking it after it leaves the oven.
• Room temperature eggs mix in more smoothly than cold ones. Set them out while the oven preheats and you’re set.
• If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a 9-inch oven-safe stainless steel or ceramic pan works. Just watch it closely since it may bake a minute or two faster.

Variation

Swap the semi-sweet chips for a mix of dark chocolate chunks and chopped toasted walnuts. You can also stir in a tablespoon of espresso powder with the dry ingredients, which deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee. For a fun twist, try Fudgy Brookie Cookies if you want that same rich chocolate hit in individual cookie form.

Easy Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

A chocolate chip cookie baked in a single 10-inch cast iron skillet, delivering crispy, buttery edges and a soft, gooey center. One bowl, one pan, and the edges get a deep golden crunch while the middle stays almost underbaked.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted and slightly cooled
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
• flaky sea salt for finishing

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats so it gets warm.
2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Whisk again until the mixture looks thick and slightly shiny, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and fine salt. Switch to a spatula and fold just until no dry streaks remain. Don't overmix.
5. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
6. Pull the hot skillet from the oven and add a small pat of butter, swirling to coat the bottom. Pour the dough in and spread it gently to the edges with the spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. The edges should be set and pulling away from the sides; the center should still look a little underdone and glossy. It firms up fast as it cools, so err on the shorter side.
8. Sprinkle flaky salt over the top as soon as it comes out. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the pan.

Notes

Use the extra egg yolk — it's the difference between a dry cookie and a rich, fudgy one. Don't skip preheating the skillet; a cold pan gives a pale, uneven bottom. Pull it out when the center still jiggles slightly — overbaking is the most common mistake, and residual heat keeps cooking it after it leaves the oven. Room temperature eggs mix in more smoothly; set them out while the oven preheats. No cast iron? A 9-inch oven-safe stainless steel or ceramic pan works, but watch it closely as it may bake a minute or two faster; avoid non-stick. Dough can be refrigerated in the skillet (covered) up to 24 hours ahead — let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes before baking. Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days; reheat slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can mix the dough and refrigerate it in the skillet (covered) for up to 24 hours before baking. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before it goes in the oven. The flavor actually gets a little better with the rest.

Do I have to use cast iron?

Cast iron gives you the best crust because it holds heat so well, but any oven-safe skillet or baking pan in the 9 to 10-inch range will work. Avoid non-stick pans here because they don’t build the same golden bottom.

Can I double this recipe?

A 12-inch cast iron skillet handles a doubled batch well. Add 4 to 5 extra minutes to the bake time and keep an eye on the center. It’s harder to tell doneness in a thicker cookie, so a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Conclusion

This skillet cookie is genuinely one of the simplest easy dessert recipes you can keep in your back pocket. One bowl, one pan, and that combination of crispy edge and soft center that’s hard to replicate any other way. If you’re in a baking mood, Easy Chocolate Ganache Brownie Cups are worth trying next, or go in a completely different direction with No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Bars when you want chocolate without turning the oven on at all. According to FDA food safety guidelines, baked goods stored at room temperature stay safe for 2 to 3 days when covered tightly. For more on why brown sugar behaves differently than white in baking, Wikipedia’s entry on brown sugar covers the molasses content that makes it so useful here. And if you want a reference for cast iron care and use, Lodge Cast Iron’s seasoning guide is the clearest one out there.