Apple Pie Skillet Cookie Recipe

Imagine everything you love about warm apple pie and a gooey, bakery-style cookie
baked together in one giant cast iron skillet. That’s exactly what this
apple pie skillet cookie recipe delivers: caramelized cinnamon apples tucked
into a thick, chewy cookie base with golden, crispy edges and a soft,
gooey center. Top it with vanilla ice cream and suddenly your “simple”
dessert looks like something off a restaurant menuwithout the fancy price tag.

This skillet dessert is perfect for fall gatherings, holiday dinners, or
any random Tuesday when you decide that calories don’t count if you share.
It’s easy, forgiving, and wildly impressive. Plus, it all comes together in
one pan, so cleanup is blissfully minimal. Let’s dive into how to make the
ultimate apple pie skillet cookie, along with pro tips, variations, and
real-life tricks to nail it every time.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie Skillet Cookie

• Two classics in one: It’s part apple pie, part deep-dish cookie, all comfort food.
• One-pan dessert: You cook the apples and bake the cookie in the same skillet.
• Perfect for sharing: Serve it warm at the table and let everyone dig in.
• Customizable: Easy to tweak with nuts, oats, caramel sauce, or even gluten-free swaps.
• Fool-friendly: Slightly underbaked? It’s “gooey.” Slightly overbaked? It’s “chewy.” You win either way.

Ingredients

For the Apple Pie Filling

• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work great)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or apple pie spice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (to brighten and balance the sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water (optional, for thicker sauce)
• Pinch of salt

For the Skillet Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (optional, for more “apple crisp” texture)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (optional but delicious)

Optional Toppings

• Vanilla ice cream or cinnamon ice cream
• Warm caramel sauce or salted caramel
• Whipped cream
• Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep Your Pan and Oven

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grab a 9–10 inch cast iron skillet. Make sure it’s clean, dry, and lightly
   greased with a thin layer of butter or neutral oil. This keeps the cookie
   from sticking and helps create those iconic crisp edges.

2. Make the Apple Pie Filling

1. Place the skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.
2. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg,
   allspice (if using), and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the sliced apples and cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes until the
   apples are tender and the mixture is glossy and syrupy.
4. Stir in lemon juice. If you like a thicker, almost jammy sauce, add the
   cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 more minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Transfer the apples and their sauce to a bowl. Let the skillet cool for a
   few minutes, but don’t wash ityou’ll mix and bake the cookie in the same pan.

3. Mix the Cookie Dough

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk the melted, slightly cooled butter with
   brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, whisking just until combined.
4. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
   Avoid overmixing; a few streaks of flour are okay at first.
5. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips (if using) until evenly distributed
   and no dry pockets remain.

4. Assemble the Skillet Cookie

1. Lightly re-grease the skillet if it looks dry. Spread about two-thirds of
   the cookie dough into the bottom of the skillet in an even layer.
2. Spoon the apple filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
3. Drop the remaining cookie dough over the apples in rustic spoonfuls, gently
   spreading some of it so you get pockets of exposed apples and pockets of cookie.

5. Bake

1. Bake at 350°F for 22–28 minutes, or until the edges are set and deeply
   golden and the center is puffed but still slightly soft.
2. For a gooier, “scoopable” dessert, pull it closer to the 22-minute mark.
   For a firmer, sliceable cookie pie, bake toward 28 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10–15 minutes. The cookie
   will continue to set as it cools, and the hot skillet will retain heat.

6. Serve

1. Serve warm straight from the skillet. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream,
   drizzle with caramel, and add nuts if you like a little crunch.
2. Hand everyone a spoon and let them dig in, or cut into wedges if you’re
   feeling civilized.

Tips for the Best Apple Pie Skillet Cookie

• Use the right apples: Tart, firm apples like Granny Smith
  or Honeycrisp hold their shape and keep the dessert from becoming mushy.
• Don’t overbake: The center should still be slightly soft
  when you pull it from the oven. It will firm up as it cools.
• Let it rest: A short rest time lets the molten sugar and
  butter settle so you get clean spoonfuls instead of a lava flow.
• Mind the skillet heat: Cast iron holds heat like a champ.
  Use thick oven mitts and warn anyone who goes near the handle.
• Grease wisely: A light coating of butter is enough.
  You want crisp, caramelized edges, not a greasy cookie.

Serving Ideas and Fun Variations

• Caramel apple version: Add a drizzle of caramel sauce
  directly over the apple filling before topping with the remaining dough.
• Crumble topping twist: Skip some of the top cookie dough
  and sprinkle with a quick streusel (butter, flour, oats, brown sugar).
• Nutty crunch: Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the
  cookie dough or sprinkle them over the top before baking.
• Spice it up: Add a pinch of cardamom or clove to the apple
  filling for extra cozy flavor.
• Gluten-free swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and
  certified gluten-free oats for a dessert that keeps the apple pie skillet
  cookie energy without the gluten.

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-ahead filling: You can cook the apple filling up to
  2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and
  bring it to room temperature before baking.
• Leftovers: Store cooled leftovers in the skillet covered
  with foil or transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up
  to 3 days.
• Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave in
  15–20 second bursts, or reheat the whole skillet (covered loosely with foil)
  in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
• Freezing: You can freeze baked slices for up to 2 months.
  Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently before serving.

Nutrition and Simple Swaps

This apple pie skillet cookie recipe is rich, indulgent, and definitely a
“dessert-first, ask-questions-later” kind of situation. To lighten it up
slightly, you can:

• Reduce the sugar in the dough by 2–3 tablespoons without ruining the texture.
• Use half whole-wheat pastry flour for a little more fiber.
• Swap in coconut sugar for some of the brown sugar.
• Use dairy-free butter and a plant-based ice cream for a dairy-light version.

Real-Life Experiences & Extra Tips for Apple Pie Skillet Cookies

The first time you make an apple pie skillet cookie, it can feel like you’re
breaking all the dessert rules. Are you making a pie? A cookie? A giant
brownie in disguise? The answer is basically “yes, and it’s glorious.”

In practice, the biggest “aha” moment usually comes down to two things:
preheating and doneness. Many home bakers underestimate how long cast iron
holds onto heat. If your cookie always seems dry or overdone, you might be
baking it just 3–5 minutes too long. Try pulling it out when the middle still
looks slightly underdone. Once you let it rest, it transforms into that
gooey, spoonable center everyone fights for.

Another common experience: the apples can sometimes feel like an afterthought
if they’re too thin or too soft. To keep that “apple pie” feeling, aim for
slices that still have a little bite after cookingsoft but not mushy. If
you prefer a more jammy layer, cook the filling longer and use the cornstarch
slurry so the sauce thickens into a rich caramel-like coating around the apples.

Texture is where you can really personalize this recipe. Love apple crisp?
Lean into the oats and add an extra two tablespoons for more chew. Prefer a
classic cookie feel? Skip the oats, add a few more chocolate chips, and keep
the dough smooth and thick. If you’re baking for a crowd that includes both
“just cookie” and “just pie” people, you can even leave a small section
without apples, pressing more dough along one side of the skillet. It becomes
a built-in taste-test bar.

If you’re hosting, this apple pie skillet cookie is the ultimate “ta-da”
moment. You bring a bubbling, golden skillet to the table, drop a few scoops
of ice cream on top, and watch everyone’s inner child show up. People who
normally take polite slivers of pie suddenly become extremely invested in
“just one more bite from this side where the apples are.”

On the flip side, it’s also a great low-effort dessert for nights when you
don’t want to mess with pie crusts, lattice tops, or perfectly shaped cookies.
The rustic look is part of the charm. A slightly uneven surface, a few apple
slices peeking through the top, and some bubbling caramel around the edges
all signal that this was baked in a real kitchen by a real human, not a factory.

Finally, don’t underestimate how versatile this apple pie skillet cookie can
be throughout the year. In fall, it’s a natural fit with cinnamon, nutmeg,
and a cozy night in. Around the holidays, it’s an easy dessert to take to
potlucksjust tote the skillet and a tub of ice cream. In warmer months, you
can swap in a mix of apples and berries for a brighter, more summery twist.

However you customize it, this apple pie skillet cookie recipe is one of
those desserts that turns any ordinary evening into a special occasion. It’s
simple, dramatic, deeply comforting, and almost impossible to eat without
smiling. And if someone happens to scrape the last crispy bits off the side
of the skillet? That just means you did it right.