Lighter Skillet Cookie

Half the Sugar Baker

This lighter skillet cookie is reminiscent of that perfect classic chocolate chip cookie with its chewy texture and gooey chocolate. It’s designed for those lazy days or times when you have a sudden craving but don’t want to go through all the work of making cookies. There’s no softened butter, no cooling in the fridge, and no rolling out individual balls. Everything comes together in your skillet and you can start digging in with just 25 minutes. This skillet cookie is also meant to be a lighter version than your traditional one while also being decadent and satisfying. It’s made with almond flour, whole wheat flour, and reduced butter but you won’t even tell! Lastly, don’t get me started on the add-ins – you can go completely wild (popcorn in cookies anyone?) or go with traditional chocolate chips. This is of course YOUR skillet cookie!

Let’s talk method for a second. This skillet cookie is so simple which is one reason I love it. The dry ingredients get mixed together in a bowl and then everything else gets mixed together in the skillet. There are virtually no dishes to do afterwards which makes the baking experience even sweeter (see what I did there?) The butter gets melted in the skillet first and here’s the trick: if you just let it cook in the skillet for a little longer, you will see the butter start to foam up and the milk solids separate from the fat. You basically just made brown butter! It adds more depth to this skillet cookie and the flavor is amazing.

After the butter is browned, you add in the sugar and then the eggs. This is the part where you want to be careful because we don’t want the heat from the butter to cook the eggs. I like to let the butter mixture rest for just 3-5 minutes before adding the eggs as a precaution. The most important part is just to keep whisking, seriously, don’t stop whisking. As long as you keep stirring the batter, the eggs should mix in without cooking!

Now the exciting part, the ingredients. This skillet cookie includes milk powder and espresso powder which I think adds a beautiful element of flavor that compliments the cookie. I really recommend trying it but if you don’t have these two ingredients, don’t worry, you can still make this skillet cookie and it will still taste sooo good! Moving on to the add-ins – this skillet cookie is really just a blank canvas for you to make into whatever you like. If you were feeling a little wild like me, you could add some of your favorite snacks for a little sweet and salty action. For example, popcorn, chips, and pretzels. They also add a nice crunch to the skillet cookie which I think makes the texture so interesting. You could also add cereal for more crunch and your favorite nuts, I personally added walnuts and pecans. Most importantly, this skillet cookie includes A LOT of chocolate for a gooey, chocolatey piece of happiness. I used some semisweet chocolate chips along with some chopped up milk chocolate.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 1 12 inch skillet

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon applesauce
8 ounces chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350º F.
In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk powder, and espresso powder. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
Heat a 12 inch oven safe skillet (I used cast iron) over low heat. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the skillet. Let the butter melt and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. After the butter melts, continue to let it heat in the skillet until the milk solids separate and you are left with browned butter. Then add the brown sugar to the butter and whisk until it is incorporated, then turn off the heat.
While the butter mixture cools, whisk together the two eggs in a small bowl. Then add the eggs to the butter mixture little by little while constantly whisking.
Add the vanilla extract, and applesauce to the skillet and whisk to incorporate.
Prepare your chocolate and/or other add-ins. Add your flour to the skillet and whisk to combine. Then fold in your add-ins with a spatula. Using the spatula, scrape down the sides of the skillet and smooth out the top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cookie is still soft but the top is set.
Scoop out and serve warm with a large spoonful of ice cream.