Skillet Mini Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies: Crispy Edges, Gooey Center

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Mini Chocolate Chip and Walnut Skillet Cookies deliver everything you love about a classic chocolate chip cookie — but elevated. These individual skillet treats require basic pantry ingredients, minimal effort, and a few small skillets (or one large pan). A brown sugar–forward dough studded with crunchy walnuts and generous chunks of dark chocolate bakes up crisp at the edges and warm and gooey in the center. Serve straight from the oven with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect weekend (or midweek) dessert.

About the Recipe

If I had to pick a favorite cookie, this would be a strong contender. It’s rich, chocolatey, and slightly crunchy from the walnuts, with a molten center that contrasts the crisp, lightly browned edges. These are indulgent cookies meant to be enjoyed — walnuts add a touch of texture, but otherwise this is a decadent treat for special occasions or when you want to brighten a regular night.

The idea for these cookies began with the tiny cast iron skillets themselves. Sometimes we plan food around a favorite pan or dish, and these little skillets were too cute to pass up. After bringing them home and giving them a wash, we developed this skillet cookie recipe. We’d talked about sharing a skillet cookie for a while, and this version finally made it onto the blog — and we think it’s one of our best: sweet, chocolatey, and perfectly gooey in the middle.

Don’t worry if you don’t own mini cast iron skillets. You can bake the same dough in a larger skillet or a single 9-inch pan — just watch the baking time and adjust as needed. No matter the vessel, these chocolate chip and walnut skillet cookies are easy to customize and always satisfying.

Equipment Needed

• Mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer)
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Mini cast iron skillets or one larger skillet

Ingredients

• Salted butter (or unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt)
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Dark chocolate (chopped bars recommended for melty pockets)
• Walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare four 6-inch skillets by spraying them with cooking spray or lightly greasing them. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2/3 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Set the dry mix aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or beater attachment, combine 7/8 cup (or two sticks minus a bit) of softened butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2/3 cup packed brown sugar. Beat just until combined — avoid overmixing. Add two eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in about 2 cups of chocolate (chopped or chips) and 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Spoon approximately 1 cup of dough into each prepared 6-inch skillet, pressing lightly to spread and level the dough to cover the bottom. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly browned but the center remains soft for a gooey finish. If you prefer a firmer center, bake an additional few minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel, or whipped cream as desired.

What to Serve With These Skillet Cookies

These cookies are exceptional with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and any of the following toppings to elevate the dish:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Chocolate curls or shavings
• Extra chopped walnuts
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream (Chantilly cream)

How to Store

If you want to store leftovers, remove the warm cookie from the skillet once it has cooled slightly, then let it cool completely before placing it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Refrigerate for short-term storage or freeze for longer keeping. If you cool the cookie in the skillet, cover the skillet tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate.

What Kind of Chocolate to Use

For those buttery pools of melted chocolate, use chopped high-quality chocolate bars rather than standard chips. Chocolate chips are formulated to retain their shape during baking; chopped bars melt and create indulgent, gooey pockets. Dark chocolate pairs especially well with this sweet dough, balancing the overall sweetness.

Expert Tips

• Bring butter and eggs to room temperature for even mixing and better structure.
• Check your baking soda’s freshness — expired leavening can affect texture.
• Do not overmix the dough once flour is added; overworking makes dense cookies.
• For firmer cookies, bake a few minutes longer; for gooey centers, remove when the center still jiggles slightly.
• This recipe yields four small skillets or two larger skillets; you can also portion into individual cookies.
• Skillet cookies store and freeze well when wrapped or kept in an airtight container.

When you make these Mini Chocolate Chip and Walnut Skillet Cookies, leave a comment and tell us how they turned out. We love seeing your versions — tag your photos with #BakersTable!