M&M’S® Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

It's almost the 4th of July and I recently found mini red white and blue M&M's at Target, so I had to bake something with them. My first thought was a skillet cookie. I've made a chocolate chip skillet cookie recipe a few times that was really good, but I wanted to try a different one to compare the two, so I searched online and came across this recipe which looked promising. It uses a mixture of M&M's and chocolate chips, but I only used M&M's and the 10 ounce bag was the perfect amount. When mixing in the M&M's, reserve some and put them on top of the skillet cookie before baking so that it looks nicer. I mixed 1 cup into the batter and spread the remainder of the bag on top.

This recipe is super easy and is perfect for a small crowd. I love using holiday colored M&M's and this is the perfect use for them. You can even wrap and freeze some of it for later if you're just making it for a few people (that's what I did).

I made this in my 12" Le Creuset cast iron skillet (my most loved and most used pan) and it was just to my liking after baking for 35 minutes, but a few minutes less would have also tasted good. I cut mine like a pizza using an OXO Nylon Lasagna Turner or an OXO Cut and Serve Nylon Turner so as not to scratch my enameled cast iron by using a knife.

I served the cookie slices slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - it was delicious and my toddlers loved it! I'd say this recipe was a little bit better than the one I previously made, but they were both very good. I'll definitely be making this again soon.

It's been a very long time since I've used my DSLR camera to take pictures for a blog post, but I finally got my camera out today and took some photos while baking, rather than just using my iPhone while in a hurry like I have been doing for years. I even managed to get pictures of my taste testers, and a thumbs up from my picky eater who happens to love sweets!

M&M’S® Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Recipe courtesy “Sally’s Baking Addiction” Website

 

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup M&M’S® Baking Bits

Optional: ice cream and chocolate syrup

 

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease your oven-safe skillet.*

 

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in eggs and vanilla on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the chocolate chips and M&M’S®, then stir together or mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until everything is evenly disbursed.

 

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, spread the cookie dough evenly into prepared skillet.

 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until puffed, browned on the sides, and lightly browned on top. If you want your skillet cookie a little more cooked through, bake for 40 minutes. Allow the cookie to slightly cool in the pan set on a wire rack before digging in. You can scoop/slice and serve or serve with a whole bunch of spoons so everyone can dig in together. I always serve with ice cream and chocolate syrup. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

NOTES:

 

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cookie dough through step 3. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months in the freezer. If freezing, thaw in the refrigerator before continuing to the next step.

 

Skillet: The most important part of this recipe is using an oven-safe skillet. You want anything from 9 to 12 inches in diameter. When making skillet cookies, I always use my 10-inch cast iron skillet. As stated in the recipe directions, adjust the baking time. A larger skillet will take a little less time, a smaller skillet will take a little more time.

Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet Review

I wrote this post in May 2020 and just found it in my drafts! Now that we have had these two skillets for over a year, I can give a better review. At the end you will find what I think of them after using them.

I recently ordered some new skillets that I've been pretty excited about. The first one is the only Le Creuset cast iron piece I've purchased without using gift cards. Luckily I found it on sale from the tax-free military Exchange website, which made it cost less than anywhere else it's sold. I chose the 11.75" Signature Skillet in Caribbean color. I've read a lot of negative reviews about food sticking in these particular skillets but I've also read a lot of positive reviews. I have been debating whether or not to get this skillet for a few years, and finally decided to go for it. Since Le Creuset was having a 20% off everything sale for the first time ever from everywhere that sells their products, shipping took longer than usual, but after 2.5 weeks I finally received it. About an hour after it arrived at my front door, I made a skillet chocolate chip cookie in it - it was delicious!

I actually was going to purchase the 12" Deep Skillet that is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma in Caribbean, but before I placed the order they sold out of the one I had in my cart. When I called customer service to see when it would be back in stock, they told me it won't be coming back in stock in that color. I was disappointed and settled for the regular skillet mentioned above, but I still really wanted the deep skillet. After a few back and forth emails with Williams-Sonoma's customer service, I decided to also purchase the 13" Deep Skillet in the color Lapis, which is a pretty blue color exclusive to Williams-Sonoma. These two skillets are similar but the Deep Skillet is a bit bigger and obviously, deeper. I didn't really want to add another Le Creuset color to my collection, but these two colors compliment each other nicely, in addition to the other Caribbean and Matte Navy pieces we have. Luckily, this Deep Skillet was on sale and customer service also applied a 15% off military discount for me (which is usually only available on in-store purchases but they graciously applied it because all stores are closed due to the coronavirus). I used a gift card towards the purchase which helped the cost come down a bit as well. This skillet is a bit of a beast and I'm sure it will be a workhorse in our kitchen for years to come.

It might seem a bit overkill to have purchased both of these (and perhaps it was!), but we only have 8" and 10" skillets in our All-Clad Stainless Steel cookware. We have a 12" Lodge Cast Iron Skillet that my husband uses all the time, but I don't like cooking in raw cast iron. I prefer using enameled cast iron since it doesn't react with acidic foods, won't rust and is easier to clean - and you can use soap! Since I wanted to put away our Lodge skillet, I thought these would be the perfect replacements and compromise between what my husband and I both like. I'm sure the 13" deep skillet will be the one my husband primarily uses and the 12" regular skillet will be the one I primarily use. These skillets also come in a few smaller sizes but I chose to go with the biggest size in each of these two skillets for our family because I know we will use one of them almost every day - for eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled cheese and grilled sandwiches, dinners and even baking biscuits and more skillet cookies! One of these will remain on our stovetop and I'm sure we will even use them both simultaneously.

Edit in January 2024: A few months ago I went to Williams-Sonoma and saw their 10" Deep Skillet in the store. It was on sale but they only had it in a few colors, none of which I liked. This skillet was so easy to handle compared to our large ones. After much thought, I decided to sell our 13" Deep Skillet (which was hardly ever used and in great condition, so I had no problem selling it) and purchase the 10" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal. I purchased this from a website that ships from Germany, but after researching I confirmed that it was a legit site, and the price was lower than Williams-Sonoma. My skillet arrived in perfect condition. I really love the smaller size and deep sides on this skillet and of course - the color!

10.25" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal

11.75" Deep Skillet in Caribbean

13" Deep Skillet in Lapis

It's here - all the way from Germany! 10.25" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal

It's here! 11.75" Skillet in Caribbean

It's here! 13" Deep Skillet in Lapis

It is now the end of June 2021 and we have had these skillets for over a year. As suspected, the Caribbean color skillet stays on our stovetop and we use it at least once a day, if not two or three times! I can't believe there were negative reviews for this skillet - the most common one being that it is difficult to clean. Well, that is simply not true! We have used this skillet so much and I've never had any issues cleaning it. I always let it soak in hot water and dish soap after we cook with it, then later use a plastic pan scraper to get any remaining food off of it, and then a yellow Dobie sponge or Scrub Daddy with more soap to wash it. It has a nice patina to it now and you can tell it has been used a lot, but it is still in excellent shape and I suspect it will last us for a very long time. I love this skillet and it is by far the most used pan in our kitchen. It has taken the place of many of our other pans, which I rarely use now. I even use it to bake skillet cookies and biscuits. This would make an excellent wedding or housewarming gift for anyone who loves to cook!

The larger Lapis colored skillet gets used less often, but it has definitely come in handy at times. I use it for sausage and peppers, to brown meat for chili or stew beef before putting them in the slow cooker, for chicken in wine, for steak, etc. It is pretty heavy and more difficult to wash because of how big it is, but it's also helpful to have such a big pan! I suspect we will use this one more in a few years as our toddler boys grow into big boys who eat a lot!

I highly recommend the 11.75" skillet. It's so versatile that we could go away for a week with no other pots or pans and use this to cook every meal in. I love it, and I'm so glad I finally decided to get it!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

I recently ordered a 12" Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet that finally came in today. I've been pretty excited to receive it and had in mind the perfect food to try in it first - I've never made a skillet cookie, pizza cookie, pizookie, or whatever you want to call it - it's just a giant cookie made in a skillet! This morning I received an email that my skillet was on the FedEx truck for delivery, so I searched specifically for a 12" skillet cookie recipe (most of them were for 8" or 10" skillets and I didn't want to have to adjust the recipe). I quickly found one that looked promising and had great reviews, so I took 2 sticks of butter out to soften and patiently waited for the skillet to arrive.

Just after lunch time, FedEx pulled up and delivered my package. After my kids went down for their naps, I checked the butter and it was softened enough to get started. This recipe is very simple to make. Waiting for the butter to soften is the hardest part!

Although adding coarse sea salt on top is optional, I highly recommend doing it. It just adds a nice little touch that you can taste in every bite. This is a fun dessert that can be customized however you like - I would have added chopped walnuts if my kids weren't eating it. Crushed potato chips is another great idea of something to add in to make it salty and sweet. You can use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips, or different flavored chips altogether.

I baked this while my twin toddlers were napping and it was cooled down just enough to give them each a slice once they woke up. The reviews were in - one of them said it was "delicious" and "yummy" (while rubbing his belly, which I've never even seen him do before!) and the other was too busy eating to comment, but was asking for more before he was even finished!

A lot of people seem to top these with ice cream while it's still warm and dig in with a spoon. Messy isn't my style and a 12" cookie is also huge for the small amount of people currently in our house, so instead I used a nylon spatula to cut the cookie like a pizza. I actually froze two "quarters" of it separately, since I didn't want to be eating too much of it or have it go to waste. I left one quarter out for us to enjoy tomorrow!

This would be perfect for making when you have a small crowd over, but it's just as great to enjoy with the family on any day of the week. Give this recipe a try, you won't regret it!

The Ultimate Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Recipe courtesy “Just A Taste” Blog

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1 cup crunchy mix-in, such as chopped walnuts, crushed potato chips or pretzels (optional)

1 teaspoon flaky or coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with butter or Crisco.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set the bowl aside. 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter with the sugar and light brown sugar. 

Add eggs, one at a time, until mixed in; then add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 

Add the flour mixture into the stand mixer and mix just until the dough comes together. Beat in the chocolate until combined, and nuts or any other mix-ins that you desire. 

Scrape the dough into the skillet, then sprinkle it with the sea salt. 

Bake the cookie for 30 to 35 minutes until it is barely cooked in the center, or until it is done to your likeness. 

Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream, if desired, and eat with a spoon directly from the skillet, or cut into wedges like a pizza and dish out individual pieces.

Serves 8.