Half Baked Cookies or Mini Skillet Cookies are THE BEST and easiest dessert EVER! Crispy edges, gooey chocolate chip cookie caramel-like centers, served piping hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, slowly melting on top, we drizzle them with hot fudge sauce and caramel sauce.
Grab a spoon and dig into these little mini skillet cookies of luscious warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies — such an amazing easy dessert.
If you are a CCC fan, you will love our many versions of chocolate chip cookies; try my classic High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies, Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies, Giant Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why You Will Love Half Baked Cookies
- Half Bakes: Mouth-watering, chewy, gooey, soft, creamy sensation of warm out-of-the-oven cookies with melting vanilla ice cream.
- Also known as Pizookies: A delightful combination of pizza and cookies.
- Most requested dessert: Favorite dessert made with cookie dough balls kept in the freezer, baked in mini cast iron skillets for individual servings.
Simple Ingredients for Mini Skillet Cookies
The full recipe and instructions are at the end of this post in a printable recipe card.
- Butter | I always use salted butter, use a high quality butter for the best results, no butter blends please. If using unsalted butter, add additional ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Granulated Sugar | I use organic cane sugar in my baking, requiring a little longer in the creaming process with the butter, white sugar may be used too
- Brown Sugar | Light brown is what I use, but if you want a more molasses flavor, try dark brown sugar
- Eggs | You will want to use a large egg in baking, best if brought to room temperature
- Vanilla extract | Use the best you can afford
- All-purpose Flour | I like using organic, unbleached all-purpose flour for these cookies
- Baking Soda & Kosher Salt
- Chocolate Chips | I typically use 3 types of chocolate chips; semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks and mini chocolate chips.
Well, ya gotta start with the BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie dough — I’ll show you how here, but for the mini skillet cookies we’re just making half a batch.
Mix the easy dough, by adding butter and sugar to stand mixer on medium high speed for 4-5 minutes. Then add the egg and vanilla and beat for one minute.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and water (for high altitude only) until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chips and scoop desired number of cookies into prepared mini skillets or ramekins.
See all of my cookie dough tips and tricks here!
Recommended Tools
- If making a mini skillet chocolate chip cookie, then you will need small cast iron skillets, I found the cast iron pan on sale at Hobby Lobby, I used 3.5 inch skillet, but you can use smaller or larger and share them!
- Ramekin or other 4-6 ounce oven safe bowl.
How to Make Mini Skillet Cookie Recipe
Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C).
In the bowl of a stand mixture, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, scraping sides. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low. Stir in chocolate chips.
If using Pyrex custard cup or ramekin spray the cup with baking spray before adding your cookie dough. For mini cast iron skillets, if you are worried they’ll stick, spray or rub with a little oil or melted butter – DO NOT USE Pam or other non-stick sprays, this will gum up their natural non-stick, seasoned finish.
Press 2 medium sized dough balls into baking cup or 1 large dough ball. If frozen, allow to thaw for 20 minutes, then press down into pan or cup.
Place skillet/ramekin cookies on cookie sheet on middle rack of oven. Baking time from 10-15 minutes — we like ours with a soft center, a super gooey cookie, so we bake less time.
Remove ice cream and place on counter to thaw slightly while cookies are baking. Or even better, pre-scoop ice cream and place on a wax paper lined small baking pan, returning to freezer until ready to use. You may want to consider making your own ice cream, try my old fashioned chocolate ice cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Half Baked Cookies should be just set on the edges and getting golden brown; they might look “set” in the center, but take out before they are cooked through.
Bake to your preference, ours are HALF BAKED – hence the name!
My boy’s friends know what these are and they are often requested when they come over, which is why I try and keep frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in my freezer. Great for non-cake lovers birthdays as well!
Fresh Tips
- Once baked to your preference, carefully remove from oven (glass cups or ramekins tend to slide around).
- If using a ramekin, carefully using hot pads, place the ramekin in a larger bowl, just makes it easier to eat.
- Place scoop of ice cream on top of the hot cookie, the melting ice cream mixed with the “half-bakedness” of the cookie is beyond words, drizzle with your favorite dessert sauce for the perfect dessert.
More ways to enjoy your Half Baked Cookie
- Drizzle on your favorite sauce; I used Bourbon Caramel Vanilla Sauce, or try Chewy Hot Fudge or Chocolate Ganache, can you spell R.I.C.H. – oh wait, I just did!
- In my ever so humble (do it) opinion, you should sprinkle some flaky sea salt on the cookie or on top of ice cream toppings; not a lot, just enough to get teensy little bursts of sweet and salty.
- Sprinkles are always fun and festive! I really like these all natural milk chocolate sprinkles or multi-colored sprinkles.
- Serve on a plate with a napkin under to help grab while you are devouring this astonishing dessert.
- Be sure to provide ample napkins for the drool fest everyone will experience – if you LOVED them please give the recipe a 5 star rating and comment below!
More great mini desserts
Mini desserts are the best, you feel less guilty when indulging since they are so small! Enjoy these mini apple pies, mini French silk pies and mini King cakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In fact most of the time I prefer underbaked or half baked cookies! If you are worried about the cookies they spend enough time in the oven to kill most bacteria, plus with our ultra pasteurized eggs they are safe to eat anyway!
Absolutely, use a 12″ oven safe skillet (this is my favorite cast-iron skillet) and press the entire batch of cookie dough into the skillet. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 20-25 minutes. It will be a warm, soft, big cookie to feed a crowd!
Of course you may, whether you use your favorite homemade cookie dough, or want to purchase store bought cookie dough you will use the same ratio, about 2 medium cookie dough balls per mini skillet.
Variations & Substitutions
- Chop up peanut butter cups and sprinkle on top of the warm cookie, in fact, even better, make up a batch of Moose Tracks Ice cream!
- Make up a batch of M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies and use those instead for a bright and festive skillet cookie.
- How about a peanut butter skillet cookie? Try these flourless peanut butter cookies.
- Giant Skillet Cookie | Try this 4th of July Cookie Cake.
Try these other delicious desserts:
- Mile High Mud Pie
- Giant Chewy Chocolate Chip Pan-Banging Cookies
- To make any homemade cookie over-the-top, Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Perfect for Patriotic Holidays, from the amazing Bite Sized Kitchen.
- Mini Key Lime Pies in a Jar, never had a recipe I haven’t LOVED from Soulfully Made!
- S’More’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Ever Cookie Butter Snickerdoodles
- Traditional Shortbread Recipe
- The Best Key Lime Pie
I hope you loved this Half Baked Cookies Recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter 1 stick real butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar I use, all natural cane sugar (⅓ cup for high altitude)
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar packed, (⅓ cup for high altitude)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour add 2-4 tablespoons if high altitude
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon water high altitude only
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet or mixed variety
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
- 9 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream desired number of scoops
Optional Toppings
Instructions
Make Cookie Dough
- Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer on medium high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix for 1 minute, then add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to cookie dough*. Stir in chocolate chips and scoop into dough balls. *If making at high altitude, add teaspoon of water when adding flour.
Make Mini Skillet Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C). Remove ice cream and place on counter to thaw slightly while cookies are baking.
- Lightly spray with oil or butter desired number of mini skillets or ramekins.
- Using a medium scoop, scoop two cookie dough balls and press lightly into bottom of prepared mini skillet or ramekin, repeat with desired number of skillet cookies and place on sheet pan. Refrigerating or freezing remaining cookie dough balls in an airtight container.
- Place cookie sheet on middle rack of oven. Bake anywhere from 10-15 minutes. They should be just set on the edges and getting golden brown; they might look "set" in the center, but take out before they are cooked through.
- Once baked to your preference, carefully remove from oven (glass cups or ramekins tend to slide around) and place scoop of ice cream on top of the hot cookie, the melting ice cream mixed with the "half-bakedness" of the cookie is beyond words. Top with desired toppings.
HOW TO MAKE A COOKIE SKILLET or HALF BAKED SUNDAE
- To the hot cookie, carefully place a scoop of vanilla (or your favorite) ice cream.
- Drizzle your favorite sauce on the ice cream, here we used Bourbon Caramel Vanilla Sauce and Chewy Hot Fudge or Chocolate Ganache
- And in my ever so humble (do it) opinion, you should sprinkle on some flaky sea salt on the cookie or on top of ice cream toppings; not a lot, just enough to get teensy little bursts of sweet-saltiness.
Notes
- Chop up peanut butter cups and sprinkle on top of the warm cookie, in fact, even better, make up a batch of Moose Tracks Ice cream!
- Make up a batch of M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies and use those instead for a bright and festive skillet cookie.
- How about a peanut butter skillet cookie?
Nutrition
Michelle
Hi,
Made these for my husband. They were great, but a bit too sweet. How can I make them less sweet?
Thank you!
The simplest answer is to reduce the sugars. If you are at sea level try reducing to the high altitude amounts. ⅔. And ⅔. If at HA you can certainly try at ½ and ½.
Jules
What a fun treat! My granddaughter and I made these skillet cookies with ice cream and caramel sauce for me and sprinkles for her. We had so much fun and loved our treat!
So glad you loved it!
Erin
We’re all about these individual skillet cookies, and my kids have requested them three times since we had them… two days ago. We’ll definitely be baking this goodness again!
Nikki
Oh how I loved this recipe! The perfect dessert in my book!
Madi
Everything about these cookies is pure perfection! Can’t wait to make them again soon!
Julie Menghini
I made these mini skillet cookies before my granddaughter came over and she loved having her own skillet! We set out the toppings and I think she needed another skillet just for those lol!
Lynn Spencer
What? This is one of those things that I didn’t realize I needed in my life, but now…can’t live without! And I have the mini-skillets too! I’m telling you, it is kismet!
LOL! You even have the mini skillet’s?? It is kismit!
Chelsea
Oh, boy! These cookies look delicious– I love the idea of baking them in a skillet! And that caramel. <3 Thanks so much for sharing. I can't wait to try!
Thank you Chelsea! They are incredibly delicious, often requested by family and friends!
Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots
I love that these are small, but I don’t think I could stop at just one! They look amazing!
Lol!! Well they are still a pretty big and thick cookie! And rich!! Thank you!!
Miz Helen
I love the mini skillet presentation for your delicious cookies. This recipe looks delicious and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Always a pleasure sharing on your site, now that I can again!!
Tasia ~ TwoSugarBugs
Oh my Kathleen! I got two tiny Lodge skillets recently and now I know EXACTLY what I’m going to break them in with. My Sugar Bugs are going to go crazy!!