Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
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Warm from the oven, this BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP SKILLET COOKIE is puffed and golden brown on top, studded with puddles of chocolate, gooey in the middle and slightly crisp on the outsides. Serve with vanilla ice cream (a must). SWOON.
A major time saver in this skillet cookie recipe is not having to portion out cookie dough into individual cookies. The dough is simply pressed into a skillet and baked like that. You can easily whip up this BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP SKILLET COOKIE to satisfy a sweet craving, or just as easily make one or two of these to bring for sharing at gatherings. It is always well received. The best moment is digging the spoon in while the skillet cookie is still warm and fudge-y in the middle. Serve with vanilla ice cream…because to do it any other way is criminal.
Drop any questions you have about the recipe in the comments section below. I’m always happy to help!
Eat well and be well,
What you’ll need:
Ingredients for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Unsalted butter - we transform the butter into brown butter, which adds an incredible rich, nutty aroma and depth of flavour
Light brown sugar - adds a butterscotch note and helps create a fudge-y texture
Granulated sugar - adds neutral sweetness that also helps aerate the dough by whisking it vigorously with the brown butter
Chocolate chips - use semi sweet or dark chocolate chips, depending on your preference. This is where I usually splurge on higher quality chocolate chips. Brands I like include Callebaut, Guittard, Lily’s, Enjoy Life and Valrhona. For this cookie, I used Callebaut 54.5% Dark Callets (chips) which I bought online in a large 2.5kg bag which is big but is overall a better deal.
Chocolate chunks - take any chocolate bar and chop it up! I usually have one or two grocery store chocolate bars in the pantry. I prefer using 55-70% cocoa bars to balance the sweetness of the cookie dough.
All purpose flour
Baking soda and baking powder - for leavening
Vanilla extract
1 large egg
Kosher salt - every sweet recipe should have salt to enhance and balance the flavours
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Steps at a glance:
How to make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe)
Melt and cook butter until it turns from light yellow to dark amber with flecks of toasted milk solids at the bottom. Transfer immediately into mixing bowl to cool
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
Once brown butter is cooled, add light brown sugar and granulated sugar
Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes to aerate the mixture. This step helps the skillet cookie bake up a bit more light/crisp (versus dense/hard) so don’t skip it
After whisking the sugars and brown butter, add vanilla extract and egg
Whisk until vanilla and egg are incorporated
Add the flour mixture
Switch to a spatula to mix just until a dough forms (don’t over mix)
Fold in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks
Press cookie dough into buttered skillet
Bake in 350f (180c) oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or whenever top is puffy and golden brown, the outer edges slightly crisped but the centre is still a little bit soft and fudge-y
If you have an instant thermometer, the middle should reach approximately 180f (80c) when the skillet cookie is perfectly done
If baking this for the first time, check doneness earlier and be careful not to over bake! An ideal skillet cookie is scoopable and gooey soft in the centre
Place skillet on wire rack to cool and set for 10 minutes (if you have the self-restraint)
Scoop into bowls or dig in communal style but definitely serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
Tips & FAQs
What is Brown Butter? Also known by its French name “beurre noisette”, brown butter is butter that’s been cooked until it separates into a deep amber coloured liquid and caramelized milk solids that appear as many pin dot specks at the bottom. Brown butter is rich and nutty and adds an incredible aroma and depth of flavour in many dishes and baked goods.
Can I use dark brown sugar? Dark brown sugar has more molasses compared to light brown sugar. My preference is to use light brown sugar in this recipe so the molasses flavour doesn’t overpower. But if you love the more intense flavour of dark brown sugar, feel free to sub the same amount.
Other mix-ins - I love using a combo of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks for this skillet cookie, but this type of recipe is also super customizable! Here are some other mix-in options: butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts (or use a chocolate bar that already has nuts in it), crushed up potato chips, pretzels, cereal, leftover Halloween candies, etc. Have fun but my advice is to be mindful of how sweet your cookie will be depending on your mix-in choices. I love dark chocolate to balance out the cookie’s inherent sweetness where by contrast, something like butterscotch chips would add more sweetness to the overall flavour profile. You do you!
Make Ahead - You can absolutely make this in advance. I have made it and stored the whole thing (skillet and all) in the fridge for half a day before bringing it to bake in my friends’ oven so we can enjoy it fresh. I keep the unbaked cookie in the fridge to slow down any activation of the leaveners (baking soda and baking powder). It will likely take an extra 1-2 minutes to bake from chilled.
I don’t have a 10” Cast Iron Skillet. What else can I use? - First, you can use 11” or 12” cast iron skillets. The dough will be spread thinner therefore reduce baking time by 1-3 minutes. You can use mini skillets as well to make individual portions but check doneness earlier to avoid over-baking. Second, if you don’t have cast iron skillets, you can use any oven-safe stainless steel skillet or round cake pan to bake the cookie. However the cookie may not have the same crisp on the edges.
Reheat - The cookie reheats very well and become soft with crisp edges again. Warm it in a 350f oven for about 10 minutes. You can also microwave it to reheat but that method won’t crisp the edges.
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Recipe Notes for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
1. Should you wish to skip browning the butter to save time, reduce amount of butter by 1 tablespoon (14g. Melt and cool to use in the cake batter.
2. To reheat, place in a 350f (180c) oven for 10 minutes or whenever centre is warm.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below to let me know or tag me on Instagram @saltnpepperhere so I can see. Or drop a note if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!