Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g kosher salt
Sweet And Salty Mix-Ins
- 80 g dark chocolate chips
- 60 g candy-coated chocolates
- 40 g mini pretzel twists, roughly crushed
- 30 g kettle potato chips, roughly crushed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 432 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 33 g
- Sodium
- 377 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 56 mg
- Potassium
- 195 mg
- Calcium
- 46 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 20 mg
- Phosphorus
- 74 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 113 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 16 mcg
- Water
- 11 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 2 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease your cast iron skillet with a small amount of butter if it is not already well-seasoned.
In the large mixing bowl, combine the melted unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and no sugar lumps remain.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the batter lightens slightly in color and falls off the whisk in ribbons.
Sprinkle the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt over the wet ingredients. Switch to a silicone spatula and fold gently until just combined, leaving a few visible streaks of dry flour.
Add roughly 80 percent of your chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates, crushed pretzels, and potato chips to the bowl. Fold gently to distribute the sweet and salty elements evenly without overworking the dough.
Transfer the dough into the prepared skillet. Press it into an even layer using your spatula or clean hands. Gently press the remaining 20 percent of the mix-ins into the surface of the dough for a bakery-style presentation.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Watch for the edges to become deeply golden brown and set, while the center should still look soft, puffy, and slightly underbaked.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Let the cookie rest in the hot pan for at least 10 minutes. The residual heat from the cast iron will continue to gently cook the center to the perfect texture before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- To build a deeper, nuttier flavor profile, try browning the butter in the skillet first. Let it cool for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar, which provides the chewy texture and robust caramel flavor needed to stand up to the salty mix-ins.
- Because cast iron retains heat incredibly well, carryover cooking is a significant factor here. Always err on the side of underbaking to achieve that iconic gooey center.
- This recipe is highly adaptable. Feel free to swap in whatever pantry odds and ends you have, such as popcorn, toffee bits, or assorted chopped nuts, keeping the total volume of mix-ins similar.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store well-wrapped in the pan or an airtight container. The pretzels and chips will lose their crunch over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice and freeze in individual airtight bags. Thaw at room temperature.
Reheating: Microwave individual slices for 10 to 15 seconds until the chocolate chips are glossy and soft.
Troubleshooting
Cookie is hard and dry instead of gooey
Cause: Overbaking or leaving the cookie in a very hot cast iron skillet for too long after baking
Fix: Serve warm with plenty of milk or top with large scoops of vanilla ice cream to add moisture
Prevention: Remove the skillet from the oven while the center still appears slightly underdone
Potato chips and pretzels turned soggy
Cause: Dough was mixed too aggressively or sat for too long before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold mix-ins very gently at the very end and bake immediately
Cultural Context
The skillet cookie, affectionately known in modern casual dining as a pizookie (pizza-cookie), was popularized by American chain restaurants in the 1990s as a decadent, shareable dessert. Pairing this format with the kitchen sink concept, a wartime frugality practice of using every scrap in the pantry, creates a highly nostalgic, modern treat that celebrates abundance and contrast.
