Wholegrain Cast Iron Skillet Cookie

overhead photo of a cast iron skillet cookie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Wholegrain Cast Iron Skillet Cookie

What's better than chocolate chip cookies? A double batch of spelt chocolate chip cookies pressed into a cast iron pan and baked into one gigantic Cast Iron Skillet Cookie! Made with whole grain flour, studded with dark chocolate chunks and dried cherries, this spelt cookie is the dessert you've been waiting for. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it doesn't get any better.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Chip Cookie, Skillet Cookie, Spelt Flour Cookie

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 379kcal

Author Katie Trant

Equipment

Large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

8 ounces cold unsalted butter cut into ½ inch / 1cm pieces
1 cup light brown muscovado sugar
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons flaked salt preferably smoked salt
3 cups wholegrain spelt flour or white whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour
4 ounces 70% dark chocolate roughly chopped
1 cup dried cherries roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Butter the bottom and sides of a large cast iron skillet.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cold butter pieces with the sugars until well blended, about two minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Give the bowl a good scrape down and ensure everything is well combined, then add the vanilla.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mix, and mix well.
Add the spelt flour to the wet mix all at once, and blend until just barely combined.
Next add the chocolate chips, dried cherries, and mix until evenly combined. I like to finish the mixing with a wooden spoon.
Press the dough into the prepared cast iron skillet, using your hands (wet hands are good if the dough is sticking to you) to press the dough into an even layer.
Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. The skillet cookie is done when puffed and golden on top, and still soft in the middle.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into it.
Serve in slices, with a glass of milk or a scoop of iced cream handy. Also amazing served warm, and eaten straight from the pan. Enjoy!

Notes

I often make this with white whole wheat flour and love the results.
You can make just one cookie cake and bake the rest as regular cookies, or freeze the rest of the dough for another day.
The skillet cookie cake will last for 3-5 days at room temperature, or you can freeze slices for up to 3 months.
Unbaked dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Starting with cold butter and cutting it into cubes allows to you skip the step of softening your butter in advance. It mixes up just fine, and the texture of the skillet cookie is very forgiving.
I use salted butter for practically 100% of my baking, because that's what I always have on hand. I usually reduce the salt that the recipe calls for by about 50% accordingly.
This recipe calls for smoked salt, which is kind of a fancy pants ingredient. I think it's delicious, but it's also delicious with regular old flaky salt (I like Maldon).
This recipe calls for dried cherries, which are tangy and delicious fodder to the malty spelt flour and the dark chocolate. If you can't find them, just add extra chocolate.

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