Soft, pillowy, and featuring a delightfully gooey center, this cookie skillet comes together in just 30 minutes! With warm hints of cinnamon, rich and bitter notes of dark chocolate chips, and the nutty goodness of almond butter and sliced almonds, this treat is decadent, wholesome, and so much better for you. Naturally sweetened and boasting a fun, comforting texture, it's absolute perfection when topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or fresh frozen yogurt. Eating well can simply come in a sweet and dessert form —this recipe satisfies your sweet tooth in a heart-healthy, delicious way that leaves you feeling great. Yes!!
Ingredients
Wet -
Unsalted butter
Plain almond butter
Eggs + egg yolk
Pure maple syrup
Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
Dry -
All-purpose flour
Ground cinnamon
Baking soda
Sea salt
Mix-Ins -
Dark chocolate chips (I love using the sugar-free kind!), plus extra for topping if you wish
Sliced almonds, plus extra for topping if you wish
How to Make this Healthier Cookie Skillet
Step #1 - Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Set aside.
Step #2 - Cream the Butter & Almond Butter: In a large bowl (using a hand-held mixer) or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in the almond butter until fully combined.
Step #3 - Add Eggs, Syrup & Vanilla: Add the 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, mixing on medium speed until incorporated. Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, then mix on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
Step #4 - Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a large wooden spoon or your mixer on low, stir until almost combined.
Step #5 - Fold in Mix-Ins: Add the chocolate chips and sliced almonds, folding them gently into the batter just until incorporated and no flour pockets remain. (Remember: don’t overmix!)
Step #6 - Bake: Pour the cookie dough into your prepared cast-iron skillet, spreading it into an even layer. Top with a few extra chocolate chips and sliced almonds if you'd like. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the middle. (Note: The longer it bakes, the less gooey the center will be!)
Step #7 - Serve: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Top with a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt if you wish, or simply dig right in. This is a family-style dessert—share it and enjoy!
Recipe Health Notes
No Refined Sugar: Sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup and elevated with sugar-free chocolate chip options for a healthier version of a cookie skillet.
Antioxidant-Rich Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate brings wonderful depth of flavor along with a boost of beneficial antioxidants.
Anti-Inflammatory Cinnamon: A generous dash of cinnamon adds cozy warmth and helps support low inflammation in this cookie skillet.
Heart-Healthy Fats: By reducing some of the traditional saturated butter fat by subbing in nutrient-dense almond butter for healthy fats, this is a healthy fat, smart recipe.
Recipe Variations
Sweetener Swaps: You can easily swap the maple syrup for honey or agave nectar if you prefer.
Fiber Boost: For a more rustic, fiber-rich cookie, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. (Tip: Just add 1–2 tablespoons of milk to the wet ingredients for extra hydration!)
Spice It Up: Feel free to swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice during the cozy months for an extra layer of seasonal warmth and flavor punch.
Get Creative with Mix-Ins: Toss in a handful of unsweetened shredded coconut or chopped walnuts for even more texture and crunch.
Recipe Tips & Helpful Notes
Whip the Butter Well: Make sure to whip your butter really well in the beginning to add air into this cookie, especially since we aren’t creaming it with traditional granulated sugar like a normal cookie.
Choose Your Chocolate: I personally like using sugar-free chocolate chips to cut down on refined sugar and keep the recipe a little lighter, but it is completely up to you.
The Magic Egg Yolk: The extra egg yolk in this recipe adds rich, decadent flavor and structure without adding excess moisture, making the skillet texture absolute perfection.
Don't Overmix: Keep your stirring gentle—overmixing will develop the gluten and give you a tough cookie instead of a pillowy, tender one - not fun at all!
Healthier Dark Chocolate & Almond Cookie Skillet
Soft, pillowy, and featuring a delightfully gooey center, this cookie skillet comes together in just 30 minutes! With warm hints of cinnamon, rich and bitter notes of dark chocolate chips, and the nutty goodness of almond butter and sliced almonds, this treat is decadent, wholesome, and so much better for you.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously grease an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter & Almond Butter: In a large bowl (using a hand-held mixer) or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in the almond butter until fully combined.
- Add Eggs, Syrup & Vanilla: Add the 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, mixing on medium speed until incorporated. Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, then mix on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a large wooden spoon or your mixer on low, stir until almost combined.
- Fold in Mix-Ins: Add the chocolate chips and sliced almonds, folding them gently into the batter just until incorporated and no flour pockets remain. (Remember: don’t overmix!)
- Bake: Pour the cookie dough into your prepared cast-iron skillet, spreading it into an even layer. Top with a few extra chocolate chips and sliced almonds if you'd like. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the middle. (Note: The longer it bakes, the less gooey the center will be!)
- Serve: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Top with a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt if you wish, or simply dig right in. This is a family-style dessert—share it and enjoy!
Notes
- Whip the Butter Well: Make sure to whip your butter really well in the beginning to add air into this cookie, especially since we aren’t creaming it with traditional granulated sugar like a normal cookie.
- Choose Your Chocolate: I personally like using sugar-free chocolate chips to cut down on refined sugar and keep the recipe a little lighter.
- The Magic Egg Yolk: The extra egg yolk in this recipe adds rich, decadent flavor and structure without adding excess moisture, making the skillet texture absolute perfection.
- Don't Overmix: Keep your stirring gentle—overmixing will develop the gluten and give you a tough cookie instead of a pillowy, tender one!
*Nutritional values and percentages are estimates based on a standard 2,000-calorie daily diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your individual calorie needs and activity levels.
