Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

From the author, Honor: This sweet treat is almost a cross between a cookie and a pie. The cast iron pan gives the edges and top a nice, crisp crust and the interior stays a bit soft and chewy. Would be extra decadent served with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream! If you don't have a cast iron pan, you could use another round or spring-form baking pan with a diameter of 10". Be sure to grease the pan and/or line it well with parchment paper. From Plant-Based on a Budget: This vegan skillet chocolate chip cookie recipe (aka a snookie/pizookie/ frying pan cookie) bakes a giant 10-inch cookie in a cast-iron pan, combining crispy edges and light crust with a soft, chewy, gooey interior. Serve this vegan skillet cookie up alone or with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream for a decadent sweet treat!

Crispy, Gooey, Decadent Vegan Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

If you have yet to try a skillet chocolate chip cookie, I recommend changing that right now! Not only does this large 10-inch cast-iron cookie skillet look incredibly decadent, but it tastes ah-mazing and is so easy to make too - with no rolling, scooping, or batch cooking necessary! All you need is 8 ingredients, one bowl (two max), and just minutes of prep time. Plus, there’s no worrying about cookies spreading too much and becoming too crispy, not crispy enough, too flat, etc. This cast iron cookie skillet is the ultimate fool-proof vegan chocolate chip cookie! Best of all, by using a combination of sugar and molasses (or brown sugar), this cast-iron cookie recipe yields a wonderfully soft, moist interior, dotted throughout with chocolate chips for a chocolatey treat. It’s pure cookie perfection! Are you looking for more vegan chocolate-chip treats? You might like these soft chocolate chip cookies, Keebler chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, or coconut flour chocolate chip cookies!

What Is a Cast-Iron Cookie Skillet?

A cast-iron cookie skillet (aka a skookie/frying pan cookie) is a cookie baked in a cast-iron pan rather than scooped into individual vegan chocolate chip cookies. The result is a single giant cookie somewhere between a cookie and a pie. The outside is crisp with a tender, gooey middle and chewier edges, so no matter which type of cookies you love, you’re covered! Similarly, a ‘pizookie’ is a cookie baked in a deep-dish pizza pan (and served with ice cream) - invented by the US chain BJ’s restaurants. Other than the baking dish used, though, the two are basically the same dessert, so feel free to adapt this vegan skillet cookie into a homemade pizookie, too!

The Ingredients and Variations

• Flax meal: Or chia meal, used as a vegan egg replacement/binder
• Oil: I used canola oil, but feel free to use another neutral cooking oil; coconut oil, vegetable, etc.
• Sugar: I used white sugar. You may be able to use coconut sugar or another sugar; however, the texture of the chocolate chip skillet cookie may be affected. You could definitely use brown sugar (read below).
• Molasses: To substitute this, use brown sugar (which naturally contains molasses) for your recipe instead. One cup of brown sugar naturally contains around 1tbsp molasses. You could alternatively, substitute it with dark treacle.
• All-purpose flour: I’ve only tried this recipe with AP flour. For a gluten-free skillet cookie, I recommend trying a GF all-purpose flour like Bob’s red mill.
• Baking soda: To leaven/ provide lift to the cast iron chocolate chip cookie.
• Salt: Just a little to help balance and enhance the flavors in the skillet cookie.
• Vegan chocolate chips: Use your favorite brand of ‘milk’/dark chocolate chips or chunks.
• Alternatively, use a chopped chocolate bar or even chopped-up vegan peanut butter cups to create a peanut butter chocolate chip skillet cookie!

How to Make a Skillet Cookie?

The beginning of this cast iron cookie skillet recipe is very similar to any other cookie;

1. Cream the wet ingredients (flax meal, water, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla) until it looks smooth and caramel-like.
2. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing until just combined (this dough is thick!). Once mixed, fold in the chocolate chips. Avoid overmixing the cookie batter, as it will impact the texture and lift of your vegan skillet cookie. Once the chocolate chip cookie dough is mixed up, it’s time to have a little fun and get the cast-iron skillet involved.
3. Transfer the cookie dough to a well-seasoned, 10” cast iron pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Then bake in the oven until slightly puffed up on the edges, golden, and slightly tender in the middle, but cooked through.
4. Finally, muster up your patience to allow the chocolate chip skillet cookie to cool slightly before slicing into wedges and serving (or eat it with a spoon straight from the pan, I won’t judge you!).
5. Enjoy a slice alone, top with some ice cream, or even a drizzle of vegan caramel sauce!

How to Store?

First, allow the skookie to cool entirely before removing it from the pan and storing it in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze the deep dish cookie for up to two months, wrapped tightly. To reheat it, place it back in the skillet, covered in foil, and bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until warm. For smaller portions, you can heat in the microwave in 15-second increments until warmed (this shouldn’t take long at all!).

Tips for Baking!

• Add extra chocolate: For even more decadence, press a few more chocolate chips/ chunks into the top of the cast iron cookie before baking for even more decadence.
• Use this as a base: This skillet chocolate chip cookie makes for a wonderful base. Once you have this recipe down then you could experiment with other add-ins; crushed nuts, dried fruit, fruit zest, vegan toffee, etc. I recommend orange zest with dark chocolate!
• Slightly underbake the cookie: Unlike regular cookies, this egg-free vegan chocolate chip skillet cookie is perfect for just slightly underbaking, for a super gooey center. In fact, you have to be careful not to overbake the cookie as it will continue to bake for a few minutes out of the oven.

FAQs:

• Can I use a different-sized skillet or a different pan entirely? Yes, I use a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (also perfect for skillet cornbread). However, this cast iron cookie skillet recipe would also work with an 8-inch skillet (with a few extra minutes of baking time), or a 12-inch skillet (with a few minutes less). To make mini skillet cookies, divide the cookie batter between two 5 or 6-inch mini cast-iron skillets and bake for between 15-20 minutes. You can even sub out the cast-iron skillet entirely and use any type of greased and parchment-lined oven-safe skillet, spring-form baking pan, or a deep-dish pizza pan (to make a chocolate chip vegan pizookie).
• Will a stand mixer work for this recipe? You sure can - if using a stand mixer I recommend using the paddle attachment. Alternatively, you could even use a hand mixer. Just make sure not to overmix the batter. Overmixed dough is more likely to collapse within the skillet and end up with a flatter, tougher (not gooey) cookie.
• Can I make this skillet chocolate chip cookie ahead? Yes - feel free to prepare the cookie dough and leave it in the refrigerator for between 1-2 days before transferring to the skillet (it may need time to soften a little) and baking, I haven’t tried freezing the cookie dough, though that may also work (for up to a month).

More Vegan Cookie Recipes

• Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
• Triple Ginger Cookies
• Soft Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
• Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Zucchini Cookies
• Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Photos by Alfonso Revilla Print

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