Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt

Name: Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened); 1 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 tsps vanilla; 2 Tbsps maple syrup; 2 eggs; 2 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup milk chocolate chips; 1 cup dark chocolate chips; 1 cup caramel bits; sea salt (to taste)

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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt. This giant, gooey cookie, baked in a single skillet, is perfect for sharing with family or friends. The combination of rich chocolate chips, chewy gooey caramel, and a sprinkle of sea salt creates a dessert that’s so delicious yet simple to make. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or craving a wonderful treat, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite!

A large, thick cookie pie with a gooey chocolate and caramel filling sits on parchment paper. One slice has been cut out and placed on a blue and white patterned plate in the foreground.

This Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt is a showstopper, combining the expected deliciousness of chocolate chip cookies with the ease and charm of skillet baking. The caramel adds a sweet, chewy surprise, while the sea salt enhances the flavors for a perfect balance of sweet and salty. You will want to make this over and over again!

Why You’ll Love this Skillet Cookie

Shareable Fun: A giant cookie baked in a skillet is not only delicious but also a fun twist at parties, perfect for sharing with loved ones.
Rich Flavor Profile: The combination of chocolate chips, caramel, and sea salt creates layers of sweet and salty goodness that are irresistible.
Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and an easy method, this recipe is beginner-friendly yet impressive enough for any occasion.
Versatile: Serve it warm with ice cream, or enjoy it on its own for a delicious treat.

Ingredients

All in all, this is a basic cookie recipe. We dress it up with maple syrup and caramel pieces to make that center warm and gooey.

Close-up of a large, gooey chocolate chip cookie on parchment paper with a wedge removed; a piece of the cookie sits on a blue and white patterned plate in the foreground.

What You’ll Need

Butter – softened and essential for a fabulous cookie.
White Sugar and Brown Sugar – staples for perfect chocolate chip cookies.
Vanilla Extract and Maple Syrup – sweetness and depth of flavor.
Eggs, All Purpose Flour and Baking Soda.
Chocolate Chips – we use dark and milk in ours but here is where you can get creative.
Caramel Bits or chopped caramels. Sea salt.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Instructions

This comes together like a traditional cookie. We split the dough and make it a dream come true!

Preheat the oven to 350°

A person holds a measuring cup of sugar above a white mixing bowl containing two sticks of butter on a wooden countertop. A container labeled "Baking Soda" sits nearby.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and white sugar.

A person adds a measuring cup of brown sugar to a white mixing bowl containing butter and white sugar on a wooden surface. A container labeled "Baking Soda" is nearby.

Add in the brown sugar and cream until light and fluffy.

A person pours vanilla extract into a white mixing bowl containing cookie dough while holding an electric hand mixer over the bowl. Measuring spoons and a baking soda container are on the wooden countertop nearby.

Add in vanilla extract and maple syrup.

A person holding a hand mixer is about to add two eggs from a glass bowl into a white mixing bowl containing cookie dough. A container labeled "Baking Soda" is in the background on a wooden surface.

Mix in the eggs and blend well.

A person adds flour from a measuring cup into a mixing bowl filled with cookie dough, on a wooden countertop with a red spatula, baking soda container, measuring spoons, and mixer beaters nearby.

Add in the flour and baking soda. I do this in batches until it thickens.

A person uses a hand mixer to blend flour into cookie dough in a large white mixing bowl on a wooden countertop. Measuring spoons, a glass bowl, and a baking soda container are nearby.

Mixing well with each addition of flour/soda mixture.

A person wearing a red sleeve and a smartwatch is mixing flour into a dough in a white bowl using an electric hand mixer on a wooden countertop.

Add in a pinch of salt and mix until combined.

A white mixing bowl with cookie dough and chocolate chips sits on a wooden countertop next to an open bag of chocolate chips. A red spatula is in the dough and a small bottle is in the background.

I add in half of the dark chocolate chips.

A white mixing bowl with cookie dough, chocolate chips, and caramel chips sits on a wooden countertop. A hand on the left holds an open bag of caramel chips, and a red spatula is in the bowl.

Half of the caramel bits.

A white mixing bowl with cookie dough and chocolate chips sits on a wooden surface. A red spatula rests in the bowl, and a bag of Kraft caramels is partially visible in the background.

And half of the milk chocolate chips.

A person holds a bowl of cookie dough above a cast iron skillet lined with crumpled parchment paper on a wooden surface. Some baking ingredients and utensils are partially visible nearby.

Mix those in well and put half of the cookie dough in the bottom of a skillet prepared with parchment paper.

A person presses chocolate chip cookie dough into a cast iron skillet lined with brown parchment paper on a wooden surface. The person's hands, one wearing a smartwatch, are visible spreading the dough.

Press that half of the dough in the bottom of the skillet.

A cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper is filled with cookie dough topped with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, sitting on a wooden countertop.

Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate and caramel on top in an even layer.

A cast iron skillet lined with brown parchment paper is filled with raw cookie dough mixed with chocolate chips, sitting on a wooden surface.

I put dollops of the other half of the cookie dough in an even layer on top.

A person wearing a red sleeve and several bracelets presses cookie dough with chocolate chips into a parchment-lined baking pan on a wooden surface.

Use your fingers to spread the dough, gently. Taking care to seal the edges to the bottom layer.

A cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper is filled with unbaked chocolate chip cookie dough, sitting on a wooden countertop. A bottle and some crumbs are visible in the background.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and top with sea salt and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

A blue and white patterned bowl filled with pieces of a baked dessert, possibly cookies or blondies with chocolate and nuts, sits on brown parchment paper next to broken larger pieces of the same dessert.

Cool in the pan for 30 to 60 minutes, cut, serve and enjoy!

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

I’m always on the lookout for recipes that blend good memories with a touch of innovation. This skillet cookie does just that. The skillet presentation gives it a rustic, Instagram-worthy charm, while the caramel and sea salt enhance the classic chocolate chip cookie to new heights. It’s a recipe that’s simple enough for a weeknight but special enough to impress guests, making it an easy favorite in my kitchen.

A blue and white patterned bowl holds several slices of a gooey, chocolate and caramel-studded cake. A fork rests in the bowl. In the background, more cake sits on baking paper.

Variations and Substitutions

This is a tested, tried and true recipe but here are some ideas to make it your own!

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Nuts: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunch and flavor.
Different Chocolates: Swap semisweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate chips for a different taste.
Caramel: If caramel bits are unavailable, chop soft caramels into small pieces.

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

10-12 inch oven-safe skillet: A cast-iron skillet is ideal for even heat distribution, but any oven-safe skillet works.
Mixing bowls: One large for wet ingredients and one medium for dry ingredients.
Whisk or electric mixer: For combining ingredients smoothly.
Spatula or wooden spoon: For mixing the dough.
Measuring cups and spoons: For precise measurements.

How to Make ahead and Store It

This is great to make ahead a day or two in advance. It should keep nicely in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a low temp oven to soften the center just until warmed through.

It is best to freeze any leftovers in single servings for up to a month. Just like our OLD FASHIONED TEACAKES, The mixed cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

A blue and white patterned bowl holds chunks of gooey, golden-brown dessert with melted chocolate and caramel. A spoon rests in the bowl. The bowl sits on parchment paper with more dessert visible nearby.

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A blue and white bowl filled with chunks of a gooey chocolate chip cookie, placed on parchment paper with more cookie pieces nearby. A spoon rests in the bowl.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt

Gooey, rich and indulgent, this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie with Caramel and Sea Salt is the perfect skillet cookie for sharing. Easy cookie ingredients made in a cast iron skillet produces a warm and gooey center begging for ice cream!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Serving Size

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla
2 Tbsps maple syrup
2 eggs
2 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup caramel bits
sea salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° Cream butter with white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and maple syrup. Mix well.
1 cup butter, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsps vanilla, 2 Tbsps maple syrup
Add in the eggs and mix well. Add in batches, the flour, baking soda and salt until combined.
2 eggs, 2 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
Fold in half of both chocolate chips and caramel bits. Spread in a 10 inch skillet lined with parchment paper. Top with the other half of the chocolate and caramel. Top with remaining cookie dough and press evenly, making sure to press the top and bottom edges together to seal.
1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1 cup dark chocolate chips, 1 cup caramel bits
Bake for 25 minutes until it starts to brown. Top with a pinch of sea salt and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes more until browned and the edges pull away from the pan.
sea salt

See How To Make It!

Notes

*Pro Tip*

I dollop spoon fulls of the second half of the cookie dough on top and spread with lightly greased fingertips to get it to spread easier without disrupting the goodies inside. You can also use a spatula but a cook’s clean hands are our best tools!

🍴 PRO TIP!

Skillet desserts can be fun to make but also hard to know when the center is done enough. Luckily, this is a recipe you want to be gooey in the center. If you are unsure if it is done enough, just look for the outer edges to be browned and pulling away from the pan. That is a tell all when it is done!

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before spreading in the skillet and baking.

What if I don’t have a skillet?

You can use a 9 or 10-inch round dutch oven, cake pan or pie dish. Check for doneness a few minutes earlier, as baking times may vary.

Can I freeze this cookie?

While best enjoyed fresh, you can freeze individual portions. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave.