Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie from the kitchen

Skip making a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies and instead make this warm, soft-centered Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie that's a strong match for up to 4 people! Made in a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet, its nutty, aromatic flavors from the browned butter and rye flour paired with semi-sweet chocolate chips make this short and straightforward treat absolute perfection!

This brown butter chocolate chip skillet cookie, adapted from King Arthur Baking rye chocolate chip cookies recipe, is the latest addition to the Sovuh recipe box! It's made using one medium-sized mixing bowl (with a few other helpful tools) and baked in a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet.

The star ingredients in this chocolate chip cookie skillet are the melted brown butter and rye flour, both lending a truly nice nutty flavor and chewy texture with each bite. I do, however, include substitutions below if you would prefer to just make a familiar or gluten-free chocolate chip cookie skillet.

When baked, the cookie has a nice golden brown crispy shell with a slightly under-baked, chocolate chip soft-centered inside. You can even sprinkle on a little sea salt flakes if you like! It's a short and straightforward dessert that tastes fantastic and doesn't make a massive mess of the kitchen. Plus, it's a strong match for up to 4 people—or you can always make it for yourself!

And if you enjoy this method, check out my Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies!

What goes in

• Unsalted Butter. This gets melted into a beautiful nutty-flavored brown butter.
• The Sugars. Both the light brown and granulated sugars lend themselves to a nice balance of a part crispy, part chewy skillet cookie.
• Baking Soda & Salt. Both use just 1/8 teaspoon each. If you don't have a 1/8 teaspoon in your stash of measurement tools, you can take a pinch of each with your fingers.
• Vanilla Extract. Enjoy the flavor it brings to this method.
• Egg Yolk. Just one. And you can save the egg white for your breakfast the next day or for another recipe!
• Rye Flour. Partners with the brown butter for a little more nutty flavor and chewy texture. I used King Arthur Baking Medium Organic Rye Flour.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. I went with the Ghirardelli's Grand Chocolate Chips, which are much bigger than the typical size chocolate chips.

Variations / Substitutions

All-Purpose Flour. To make this a regular chocolate chip cookie skillet, you can easily swap out the rye flour for the same amount of all-purpose flour.

Gluten-Free Flour. If you would like to make this gluten-free, Try using the 1:1 gluten-free flours that are available right now.

Unsalted Butter. You can skip browning the butter if you would rather have this as a regular chocolate chip cookie. You will still need to melt it before adding it to the cookie dough mixture.

Chocolate Chips. I used Ghirardelli's Grand Chocolate Chips, but you can easily swap those out for regular-size semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or chunks of chocolate.

Nuts. While not used in this method, you can add pecans, walnuts, or almonds to your cookie skillet! Reduce the amount of chocolate chips from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup, and add 1/4 cup of your favorite nuts.

I did not test this with any other butter substitutes like plant butter, egg substitutes, or any sugar-free options.

Baking Tools

Below are the necessary baking tools you'll need to make this chocolate chip cookie skillet!

• 6.5 inch Cast Iron Skillet. I used one of my Lodge 6.5 inch cast iron skillets, but use whatever brand you prefer! Lodge also makes these 3.5 inch mini skillets that are genuinely adorable.
• Small Saucepan. This is for browning the butter, which is only 1/4 cup, so a 1 quart size saucepan will work evenly here. See my tips below for browning the butter! If you plan to just melt the butter and skip the browning part, you don't need to use this. Just melt the butter in the microwave!
• Small Glass Bowl. You'll need a small glass or heat-proof bowl for pouring the melted butter into after you're done browning it. I just used one of my small Pyrex bowls Use for prepping ingredients. Use whatever you have on hand, just don't leave it in the saucepan!
• Medium-Size Mixing Bowl. The only bowl you'll need to bring it all together! Well, that and the small one I just mentioned above for the butter.
• Whisks & Spatulas. You can use either a silicone whisk or spatula for browning the butter. For mixing all of the ingredients together, I start with a whisk for the dry part and then switch to a spatula to finish the rest.

How it comes together

This is a brief overview of how to make this skillet brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. For the full detailed recipe, scroll down to the method card.

Step 1. Brown the butter. Use a small saucepan and either a silicone whisk or spatula. And make sure you stay with the butter the whole time. This can quickly go from browned to burnt if you're not paying attention.

Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients. This includes your light brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. The rye flour gets added in at the very end.

Step 3. Add in the wet ingredients. This is the brown butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Your cookie batter at this stage should be soft and gritty looking—kind of like a thick sugar scrub. And it should be a warm golden or amber color.

Step 4. Stir in the rye flour. It's best to use a spatula here. You'll mix it together until you don't see any of the flour left.

Step 5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Again, use your spatula. If you want to add any additional chocolate chips to the top, you can do this now or wait until right after it's done baking. Optionally, now would be the time you sprinkle on some sea salt flakes.

Step 6. Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350ºF. Your brown butter chocolate chip skillet cookie will be puffy and come about right up to the top of the skillet. It might have a slightly caved in center too. The color should be a nice medium golden brown. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then enjoy!

Brown Butter Tips

Use a light colored or stainless steel pan. The first time I tried to brown butter I had used a dark non-stick coated saucepan, making it truly difficult to see when the butter had actually browned. Using a light colored or stainless steel pan will help tremendously!

Continually stir. For the best results, continually stir the butter as it melts and then begins to brown.

Brown bits are good. Don't discard them. They help give the brown butter that nice nutty flavor!

Pour into a glass when done. Don't leave the brown butter sitting in the saucepan. Pour it into a small glass or heat proof bowl until it's needed in the method.

For more helpful tips on how to brown butter, check out my Single Layer Carrot Cake that's paired with a wonderful brown butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

Questions on this bake

What size cast iron skillet should Use?

For this method, I used a 6.5 inch cast iron skillet. Mine is from Lodge, but you can use any brand you wish!

Can Use all-purpose flour in place of rye flour?

Yes. Substitute it for the same amount listed for the rye flour.

Can I skip browning the butter?

Genuinely, but you will still need to melt the butter before adding it to the cookie dough.

How can I tell when my cookie skillet is done?

The cookie will be puffy and come right up to the edge of the skillet. It might even have a slight dip to the center of it as well. The over color should be medium golden brown.

What is the consistency of this chocolate chip cookie skillet?

The outside should be a medium golden brown crispy outside with a slightly under baked inside. If you prefer an even softer cookie, you can reduce the amount of flour to 1/2 cup.

Can I bake this in another pan?

I didn't test this in any other pan, but you could try a 6 inch cake pan. You could also try making this chocolate chip skillet cookie in mini cast iron skillets.

Try These Other Chocolate Chip Dessert Recipes!

Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake