Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
This chocolate chip skillet cookie recipe is a dreamboat. It produces a single giant cookie with crispy golden brown edges, a chewy center, and the perfect balance of gooey dark chocolate chunks and sea salt. It’s also remarkably easy to make. The cookie dough requires little prep time and no special equipment—plus, it comes together in one bowl and can be baked in a cast-iron pan or stainless-steel skillet. In short, there really are no excuses not to make this.
A few ingredients make all the difference in a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Obviously, the chocolate is key. You want coarsely chopped pieces that create pools and chunks, which you won’t get from semisweet chocolate chips. Look for chocolate wafers instead, often made from higher-quality chocolate. The vanilla is also vital for a classic cookie flavor: Vanilla paste is best, but good quality pure vanilla extract like Heilala will work nicely(you could even make your own vanilla extract if you’re feeling extra ambitious).
Remember, you want to serve a warm cookie, not a blazing hot one that burns someone’s mouth, so let it cool a bit before serving—with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you please.
Ingredients
8–10 Servings
1
½
⅓
¼
¾
1
1½
1
¼
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in lowest position in oven; preheat oven to 375°. Coarsely chop 1 cup semisweet chocolate wafers, leaving several wafers whole; set aside.
Step 2
Mix ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (133 g) dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (½ stick) plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, and ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until no large lumps remain, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 large egg, room temperature and 1½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract until egg is incorporated and mixture is very loose and resembles cake batter, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp. baking soda and mix until dough comes together and no streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Mix in ¾ cup chocolate, reserving remaining chocolate, until evenly distributed.
Step 3
Scrape batter into a 10" cast-iron skillet (or use an oven-safe stainless-steel skillet coated with nonstick vegetable oil spray). Pat batter into skillet with damp hands, pressing into an even layer so dough extends to sides of pan. Scatter remaining chocolate over cookie and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Step 4
Bake cookie until outer edges are browned and slightly puffed, 20–25 minutes (15–18 minutes for stainless steel). Let cool in skillet 1 hour (if you can resist). Serve in skillet or turn out; cut into wedges.
Editor’s note: This skillet cookie recipe was first printed online in March 2016. Looking for individual cookies? Brown butter CCCs can’t be beat. Or head this way for more easy cookie recipes, like chocolaty peanut-butter no-bake cookies, pecan thumbprints, and iced sugar cookies →
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Reviews (48)
Back to TopThis recipe is pure magic! It’s chewy, sweet but salty, and so simple to make. This is always a hit when I make it!
Markus D.
Powell River, Canada
10/18/2022
Easiest Recipe - had all the ingredients. Only thing I did 'extra' was weighed the butter. Minimal Dishes - Simple - delicious what more can you ask for! Aussie Partner has never had a skillet cookie before so he's in for a treat :)
Anonymous
St. John's, Newfoundland
10/11/2022
Made this last night. Easy and terrific! Kids said it was a perfect combination of salt and sweet. I used a 10" iron pan, which yielded a 1/2" thick cookie. You can definitely use chocolate chips instead of the discs. Next time I'll make sure we have some vanilla ice cream to eat with it.
Anonymous
Washington, DC
1/26/2022
I doubled the recipe for a 12 inch lodge cast iron pan, and it was the perfect quantity with just a few extra minutes of baking time. Great recipe.
Mellow Baker
California
1/6/2022
Excellent recipe. I baked in a Lodge 10.25 inch skillet. Only thing I would have done differently is bake for a shorter time. I baked for 24 minutes and 20 minutes would have been sufficient. I baked it today for my husband’s birthday and served to him, our son and grandson. It was a hit and I will definitely use this recipe again.
Anonymous
Mount Wolf, Pa
2/20/2021
This was easy, delicious and a total crowd pleaser. Made for a birthday person who prefers cookies to cake. The leftovers went fast! I will definitely make it again.
Jules
Seattle
2/8/2021
So I have not done this recipe because I wanted to do it today for my mother´s birthday but I could not get the ingredients for it so I decided to do it on Friday. I cannot wait I am so excited to make it and taste it in my belly! I also am going to make it with my mother, mother and daughter time!
Alma Perez
Lake Arrowhead, CA
11/19/2020
This is easy and delicious. I modified nothing except the flour-I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1, with the recommended 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum for cookies. Happily it was outstanding! We have kids and we would not suggest adjusting the sugar.
Anonymous
Rothesay, NB, Canada
5/6/2020
Made as a small batch of individual cookies and they were great. Super chewy w the perfect density. I browned all but the 2 tbsp of butter and upped the vanilla to 1 tbsp *chefs kiss*. I am a huge fan of the BA’s best choc chip recipe but these are a true contender, and simpler - no egg whites sacrificed.
gerricles
New york
4/25/2020
Yummy! We opted to skip the extra 2TBS brown sugar and subbed coconut sugar for granulated instead. Still a bit too sweet with us (we topped w/ vanilla ice cream, duh) so next time will cut back even more. Also swapped 1/3 flour for rolled oats which made for a yummy texture. Will make again but w/ less sugar. Loved the flaky salt on top :)
Anonymous
Baton Rouge
4/22/2020
Simple and delicious. I will definitely make this one again. I did not have the chocolate specified, but bittersweet chips worked great. I didn't hear any complaints from hubby or kids.
Julie Barber
NJ
4/20/2020
Delicious recipe, I added toasted walnuts, doubled the recipe and baked in a 12" cast iron. Delicious Bon Appetit recipe as always.. #quaratine
Chef_E
San Diego
4/4/2020
I browned 1/4 cup butter in an 8" seasoned cast iron skillet. Then added remaining ingredients as per recipe, all in the same 8" skillet. Only used 1/3 c brown sugar. In almost the same time as the oven took to preheat all the preparation was done and no dirty dishes. Baked as indicated and had a gooey decadent desert 22 minutes later. I couldn't wait 1 hour to cool. 5 minutes was all I could stand. Cut into 8 wedges. So yummy. Thank you.
tam dorow
coronado, ca
3/2/2020
Quick, easy, reliable. Takes less time to prep than the oven takes to preheat. To extra depth, I brown 1/3 (2T) of the butter. Adding hot, brown butter to the remaining cold butter brings my fridge temp ingredients to room temperature instantly!
Anonymous
Riverdale, NJ
12/4/2019
This was incredible. Made it lightning-fast as a dinner party dessert after a more ambitious one failed. It also travels well, and was great as it didn't need refrigeration or more time in the oven-- it cooled for the hour during dinner and then was perfectly sliceable. Added caramel chips as well and it was amazing. Will make again for sure.
Anonymous
Canada
8/26/2019