Peanut butter skillet cookie is the perfect way to celebrate victories big and small. Made with brown butter and dark chocolate, this is a rich and delicious dessert that is easy to make any day of the week!
This warm fresh from the oven dessert is known by many names including skillet cookie, giant cookie sundae, or pizookie.
Like many children in Southern California, my first encounter with a skillet cookie was at the popular chain BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. They were an immediate success thanks to their “pizookie” dessert.
The pizookie is a warm cookie baked and served in a cast iron skillet or a cake pan served with a scoop or two of ice cream.
No need to dine out. You can enjoy this popular dessert at home anytime!
Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie Ingredients
The recipe uses your standard cookie dough ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. The key difference in the dough is the use of brown butter. Here are key ingredient information along with substitution options:
- Brown Butter : You may use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit the salt listed in the recipe. Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette, refers to butter that is melted and cooked until it turns golden brown in color.
- Brown Sugar : Use your choice of light or dark brown sugar.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Use highly quality PURE vanilla extract. Alternatively, you may use vanilla bean paste or scrape out fresh vanilla bean pods. Alternative flavor options: maple extract or almond extract.
- Peanut Butter : Use creamy peanut butter, preferably homogenous no-stir peanut butter like Skippy or Jif for best best results. Natural peanut butters that require stirring before using may separate during baking.
- Chocolate Chunks : Use chopped chocolate of your choice, packaged chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips. Omit all together if you want to make a peanut butter cookie. Or, sub in peanut butter chips.
Recommended Cast Iron Skillet and Options
This recipe was created using this 8-inch cast iron skillet. Alternatively, you make use three 3.5-inch cast iron skillets.
If you don’t have an 8-inch skillet, double the recipe ingredients to fit a 12-inch skillet.
Cast iron pans and skillets are great at retaining heat. They are great for skillet desserts because they keep the cookies warm. Nothing beats a warm cookie fresh from the oven!
And if you don’t have any cast iron pans, this recipe may be baked in an 8-inch square baking pan or any 8-inch oven safe skillet. Or, bake individual portions in ramekins.
Skillet Cookie Variations
Peanut butter skillet cookie. Skip the chocolate chunks and make a pure peanut butter cookie!
Peanut butter chip cookie. Swap peanut butter chips in place of chocolate chunks.
Chunky peanut butter cookie. Omit the chocolate chunks and replace with chopped peanuts. This works well with salted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts.
Baking Tips
In the cast iron skillet, this giant cookie will bake up a little crispy on the outside edges yet remain soft on the inside. As with most cookies, it is better to err on the side of underbaked versus over-baked.
What makes this cookie different?
Nothing beats a warm, fresh from the oven cookie. However, cookies are most fragile when warm.
By serving the cookie in a skillet, you are required to eat the dessert with a spoon (or fork). As such, you can fully enjoy the soft, ooey-gooey cookie experience!
Related Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, (85 g) browned and cooled*
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, (100 g) packed
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, (25 g)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter, (90 g)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, (100 g)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt
- ½ teapsoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks*, (85 g)
- Maldon sea salt flakes, , to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In an 8-inch cast iron skillet (or similar sized oven safe skillet), melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, continue to cook. Swirl pan occasionally. Mixture will bubble and foam as it cooks. Continue to cook until butter smells fragrant and nutty. The milk solids in the butter will turn a rich brown color. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Allow brown butter to cool for 10 minutes. Do not wash skillet. Set aside for later use.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to brown butter. Mix until sugars are moistened. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.
- Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and optional espresso powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Use a sturdy spatula to fold together. Add chocolate chunks and fold until distributed among dough.
- Transfer cookie dough to used 8-inch skillet. Press cooke dough along sides of the pan, ensuring an even layer of dough in the pan. Bake for 10-13 minutes until the edges of the cookie have set and are golden brown, while the center of the cookie is still slightly soft.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle sea salt flakes, if desired. Serve and enjoy warm. For a decadent experience, serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
- Best enjoyed the same day it is baked.
- Unmold leftovers and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Recipe works best with homogenous no stir peanut butter like JIF or Skippy. Natural peanut butter that requires stirring may separate during baking.
- Omit chocolate chunks to make a peanut butter skillet cookie.
- Substitute peanut butter chips in place of chocolate chunks to make peanut butter chip skillet cookie.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Followed the recipe exactly, and after the recommended 10-13 min the cookie was still completely liquid – ended up needing 30 min in the oven!
I can’t think of a better reward for all of your barre-ness!
This is like heaven in a skillet! YUM!
This skillet cookie is seriously calling my name! Love all that chocolate chunk goodness!
Ahhhh, that looks perfect, I WANT!!!
I have got to make this cookie!! YUMMY!!
I love skillet cookies! This looks wonderful!
Oh my gosh, I don’t think I could ever do 40 classes in 60 days! You definitely deserve this skillet cookie! If I get a cookie this delicious as a reward, I can certainly try a few barre classes at the very least!