Skillet Cookie โ This cast iron skillet cookie combines three of my favorite cookies into one! Chocolate chips, peanut butter, and oatmeal are combined to make the best cookie I’ve eaten in a long time!
3-in-1 Skillet Cookie Recipe
I’ve been wanting to make a skillet cookie for oh, about 3 years, and finally did it. And boy, did I do it. This goes down as one of the best cookies I’ve ever made.
It’s definitely the biggest cookie I’ve ever made. Ten and one-quarter inches in diameter and about 2 inches thick.
But bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to taste.
I’ve made cookies from various cookbooks that were big but they didn’t wow me. Fine, but nothing earth-shattering. This cast iron skillet cookie cookie, however, knocked my socks off.
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to break in my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 10-1/4-Inch Skillet with a skillet chocolate chip cookie, a peanut butter cookie, or an oatmeal cookie. I love all three and when each is done perfectly in their own right, they each have respective selling points that can’t be beat.
Since I couldn’t decide which type of cookie to make, I made a 3-in-1-cookie. Necessity is the mother of invention.
If you like chewy edges, this cookie has your name on it. It has 32.185 inches of them to be exact.
Circumference = Pi x Diameter
32.185″ = 3.14 x 10.25″
Determining the amount of chewy cookie edge is the only redeeming value of 9th grade math class. Math finally clicked for me. It just took cookies and twenty years time later.
After eating my way around the skillet chocolate chip cookie, I ate my way right into the middle, which is my panacea. The soft, warm, squishy, gooey, happy place that my dreams are made of. Scott can have all the crispy edge he wants, but give me the barely done, super gooey, melty, middle.
While baking, the peanut butter and the sweetened condensed milk mixture thickens slightly and the creaminess of the sweetened condensed milk is intensified, and it takes on a caramel-cream quality. Combined with the slightly salty nature of the peanut butter, the soupy mixture is a creamy, caramely, hot wonderful mess. And of course, warm and melted chocolate chips make everything that’s good just that much better.
Both texturally-speaking and from a flavor perspective, I couldn’t ask for more. My three favorite kinds of cookies in one, complete with chewiness, density, and creaminess. Dense walls of oatmeal cookie hunks, a smooth peanut butter and milky caramel center, and the satisfying quality of melted chocolate woven throughout each bite of this jumbo cookie pie makes it a new favorite.
Although this skillet cookie was best hot and fresh from the oven, the leftovers weren’t too shabby. What we didn’t eat immediately, I slid out of the skillet onto a cutting board (and the whole thing released like a charm) and I chopped it into two-inch bar-sized pieces, and stored them in an airtight container, which we happily nibbled on over the next few days.
What’s in a Skillet Cookie?
To make this cast iron skillet chocolate chip cookie, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Old-fashioned oats
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Creamy peanut butter
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make a Skillet Cookie
The bulk of the cookie dough is largely that of an oatmeal cookie, with all its texture-filled chewy glory. I made the dough by hand, using melted butter, and stirred in the brown sugar, flour, and oats. I didn’t use any granulated sugar because exclusively using brown sugar keeps cookies softer, which is what I wanted. I also wanted to avoid dirtying my mixer and I succeeded.
After mixing up the oatmeal cookie dough and pressing just shy of three-quarters of it into the base of the skillet, I mixed up the Elixir of the Gods, also known as one can of sweetened condensed milk and one half cup of creamy peanut butter that are stirred together. I poured the glistening, tan, creamy sauce over the oatmeal dough.
I normally don’t do pour shots because frankly it’s challenging to steady a five-pound camera and lens setup in one hand and pour with the other, while not missing the action, and obtaining an image that’s remotely in focus.
Evidently though I became inspired in the presence of cookie dough, sweetened condensed milk, and peanut butter. I was tempted to save a little and pour it into my coffee but didn’t. Next time.
After the tan flood, I turned the oatmeal-peanut butter cookie into a chocolate chip cookie by adding one cup of semi-sweet morsels on top of the floodwaters.
Then, I took the reserved portion of the dough, a little over one-cup’s worth, and dropped it by the tablespoon over the top of the chocolate chip-laced flood. While baking, the oatmeal dough meshes with the creamy mixture, and forms a smooth wall, which was especially satisfying to puncture with my fork, knowing the sweet creaminess that awaited beneath.
Do I Have to Use a Cast Iron Skillet?
No, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can bake this giant peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in an oven-safe skillet or in a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan. Don’t use a 9-inch round cake pan because it will likely be too small and the bottom of your oven may be wearing cookie dough.
Can I Use Instant Oats Instead of Old-Fashioned?
No, instant or quick cook oats are too powdery to use in this skillet cookie recipe and would result in a dry cookie.
Can I Use Another Nut Butter?
If you can’t have peanut butter or don’t have any on hand, I’m sure you could use another nut butter, like almond butter. I haven’t tested this recipe with another nut butter before though, so let me know if you make your skillet cookie this way!
How to Store Leftover Skillet Cookie
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also slice and freeze this skillet cookie and reheat individual servings whenever a cookie craving strikes.
Tips for Making a Skillet Cookie
You’re welcome to switch up the type of chocolate chips you use in this skillet cookie recipe. White or milk chocolate would make for a richer cookie, and I bet chocolate chunks could be substituted as well.
I’ve never added other mix-ins to the cookie dough, but I want to try this recipe with chopped nuts. You may be able to add dried fruit as well to make this skillet cookie a fun twist on classic oatmeal raisin cookies.
A few readers have asked about using oil instead of butter in this skillet chocolate chip cookie, but having never tried it myself I can’t say for sure if oil will work in place of the butter. I worry that using oil would make this skillet cookie greasy, but if you give it a go let me know how it turns out!
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Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ยพ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ยพ cup all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 1 ยฝ cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not quick cook or instant
- one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ยฝ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ice cream, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, spray oven-safe skillet with cooking spray (mine is a Le Creuset enameled cast iron and I sprayed liberally with Pam for Baking and it released like a charm; if skillet is well-seasoned cast iron, you may wish to butter or grease it slightly); set skillet aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power (you may microwave butter to a browned-butter state, which makes this cookie especially delicious, by cooking butter for about 3 to 4 minutes; watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
- To the melted butter, add sugar, egg, vanilla, and whisk or stir vigorously to combine, for about 1 minute, slightly fluffing up the batter.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and stir until just incorporated. Add the oats and stir to combine.
- Pour slightly less than three-quarters of the dough into the skillet, reserving about 1ยผ cups (just eyeball it) to be crumbled on at the end; set skillet and large mixing bowl with reserved dough aside.
- In a small bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour mixture over the dough in the skillet.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.
- Drop tablespoon-sized chunks of the reserved dough into the skillet, dispersing then as uniformly as possible over the surface, which forms the crumble topping.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until edges begin to barely crisp up and most of the top surface of the cookie has set. The center may not be completely set; this is okay because cookie will continue to cook in the skillet after it's been pulled from the oven, noting that there is a fairly significant carryover cooking effect with cast iron; so don't overbake in the oven because cookie is meant to be very gooey.
- Cookie may be served immediately; optionally serve it with ice cream.
Notes
- Alternatively, cookie may be baked in a 9-by-9 inch square baking pan that has been lined with foil or sprayed with cooking spray; do not use a 9-inch circular pie dish because it will be too shallow.
- Cookie is best eaten fresh from the oven but due to its size, extra cookie may be sliced and stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, reheating gently in the microwave before serving leftovers if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This looks amazing! I’m out of butter, could I sub vegetable oil?
Gosh the flavor of butter is just so amazing in cookies, I personally wouldn’t skip it. I also am not sure if veg oil will lend sort of a ‘greasy’ texture to the cookie or not. I think you’d be fine if that’s all you have, but I’d probably just go to the store and buy some butter. But if you’re desperate, I think you could get away with oil in a pinch.
this looks delicious!
im just wondering – would this recipe work without the oatmeal? or would I have to adjust the ingredients in some way. sorry new to baking and don’t want to mess up!
thanks so much!
There are plenty of skillet cookie recipes without oatmeal and if you don’t like oatmeal, you may want to make another recipe because they oats play quite a starring role in this recipe and make it what it is! You could likely swap them out and use flour exclusively, about half as much flour as oats (so about 3/4 c + the other 3/4 c that’s already in it) but if you’re not an experienced baker and trying to make substitutions in a recipe like this may not come easy to you so I say just make it as I wrote the recipe :)
This cookie was quite something. Not sure there will ever be one to match it. I have a bit of a tummy ache and my head is pulsing slightly – but my sugar, butter, chocolate high should fade within a few hours. A treat for my husband. A crowd pleasure for certain.
Glad it was a treat, sugar rush and all :) Yes, it’s a special occasion-type cookie and glad your hubs enjoyed it, too!
Upon returning to Cape May after Sandy plowed through, I made this gem for comfort. Dining isn’t grand during a hurricane cleanup (pizza & beer), but this dessert had everyone making yummy sounds.
I am so glad you made it and that it made everyone happy, despite the post-hurricane conditions! Glad you are safe – and that you at least had a nice dessert to enjoy in all of the chaos!
pinned! Wow! love those blue dishes too!
I’ve seen so many skillet cookies but this is the first one where everything has come together so well – the outer texture, the inner texture, the even rise of the cookie…it looks perfect. And I love the use of oats. I never would have thought to start with an oatmeal cookie… I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution as always). Thanks for continuing to inspire me with your creations…
Thanks in advance for the feature and glad you like the way the components came together. Ive seen many, too, and they look like dry bricks. I didn’t want that! And this was anything but a dry brick :)
Wow! I need to go out and buy a skillet today! That looks so good!
Is that a pool of delicious chocolate and cookie dough that I see!? I am drooling!
That is a pool of heaven :)