Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Pizookie with Sea Salt

This brown butter chocolate chip skillet pizookie is the ultimate warm dessert: a giant cookie baked in a cast iron skillet until the edges are golden and crisp, the center is soft and gooey, and the chocolate is melted and decadent.

A sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream make each spoonful a perfect balance of sweet, salty, warm, and cold. It comes together in about 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients, and it's served straight from the skillet for maximum wow factor.

A pizookie is a pizza-sized cookie baked in a skillet, and this version takes it to the next level with nutty brown butter and dark chocolate chunks.

The brown butter adds a deep, toasty flavor that pairs beautifully with the rich chocolate and the bright, flaky sea salt. The texture is the star: crisp edges, a tender center, and pools of melted chocolate throughout.

Topped with cold vanilla ice cream, it becomes a dessert that's both comforting and indulgent. This recipe is straightforward and forgiving, making it a fantastic choice for bakers of all skill levels. The result is a dessert that looks impressive and tastes even better, perfect for sharing or keeping all to yourself.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Brown butter is the secret to this pizookie's rich, nutty flavor. By cooking the butter until the milk solids toast, it develops a deep, caramel-like aroma that infuses the entire cookie. This simple step elevates the dessert from good to unforgettable, adding a complexity that plain melted butter can't match.

Baking the dough in a cast iron skillet creates the ideal texture contrast. The heavy pan conducts heat evenly, producing a golden, crisp exterior while the center remains soft and gooey. The skillet also retains heat, keeping the pizookie warm long after it's out of the oven, so every bite is as delicious as the first.

Notes and substitutions

Use high-quality dark chocolate chunks for the best flavor and meltability. Chopping a chocolate bar into irregular pieces gives you a mix of large and small chunks, creating pockets of chocolate throughout the dough.

If you prefer, semisweet or bittersweet chips work well too. The flaky sea salt is essential—it cuts through the sweetness and enhances the chocolate.

The dough is quite forgiving, so don't worry about overmixing. Just fold until the flour is incorporated, then press the dough into the skillet. The pizookie bakes in one pan, so cleanup is minimal. For an extra special touch, serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream that melts into the crevices.

• dark brown sugar: light brown sugar or coconut sugar (use the same amount; flavor will be slightly less molasses-like)
• dark chocolate chunks: semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, or a chopped chocolate bar
• vanilla bean ice cream: any vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving
• all-purpose flour: gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (use a 1:1 baking blend)

Equipment

• small saucepan
• 8-inch cast iron skillet
• mixing bowls
• whisk
• rubber spatula
• measuring cups and spoons