This Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie is the perfect recipe when you’re craving something warm, comforting and sweet…but still want a healthy vegan dessert. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free and easy to make from simple pantry ingredients like chickpeas.
This post has been updated from the original created June 28, 2017.
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Ooey…gooey….rich and chewy. Just the way I like my cookies. This chocolate chunk skillet cookie is the ultimate in healthy comfort food.
If you’re looking for easy vegan cookie recipes, THIS IS IT. It’s simple and quick, and you don’t have to stand and scoop into individual portions….but if you do, you’ll love my vegan chocolate chunk cookies.
Why you will love this Skillet Cookie Recipe
- Cookie dough you can eat raw! YES…I consider this one of the biggest assets of a vegan cookie recipe.
- Healthy Chocolate Recipes: send them over…yes, there is such a thing!
- Simple, wholesome ingredients that you already have in your pantry.
- Plant-based protein and fiber from chickpeas!
- Sweetened with maple syrup, refined sugar free.
- Gluten-free….and low in carbs!
- Easy…super easy….to make.
- Authentic chocolate chip cookie taste….without all the butter and sugar!
- HEALTHY….as in, not just “not bad” for you, but good for you!
- DEE-lish. This will totally satisfy your sweet treat craving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chick peas: plant based protein and fiber—-an awesome addition to a healthy dessert recipe.
- Peanut butter: protein and healthy fats, yes please!
- Rolled oats: Tons of fiber to help regulate blood sugar and help keep your digestive system regular.
- Applesauce: I lieu of eggs, the applesauce activates the baking powder so this vegan cookie will rise. Plus, it has antioxidants, vitamins and fiber and is naturally sweet. Look for a brand that has no added sugar.
- Maple syrup: Sweetener that’s lower on the glycemic index than other sugars.
- Baking powder: rising agent.
- Vanilla: Awesome for the authentic chocolate chip cookie flavor.
- Cinnamon: Loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, it also brings out the sweetness in other ingredients.
- Dark Chocolate: Look for bars with higher cacao % and lower sugar and chop them yourself.
How to make them
After rinsing and draining chickpeas, rub them with a clean dish towel. Dislodge and discard the skins, this will make for a smoother cookie dough.
Place drained and rinsed chickpeas, oats, peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Process. Scrape down side and process again, until the batter is smooth and creamy.
Chop chocolate bar into chunks. A 3-oz. bar will yield about ½ cup. You can also buy chocolate chunks or chocolate chips and measure out ½ cup. The quality of dark chocolate is usually better in a bar though…and it literally takes 2 minutes to chop. Totally worth it, IMHO.
Stir the chocolate into the batter by hand. Add some more, if you want…because CHOCOLATE!!
Transfer cookie dough into cast iron skillet. It will be very thick. you can use an offset spatula to help spread it evenly across skillet.
Bake until just set on the edges and a bit jiggly in the center for a gooey middle. Using an 8″ skillet will take about 18 minutes. 10″ skillet cooking time will be closer to 15 minutes. The cookie will continue to cook a bit after it’s been removed from the oven, because the cast iron will retain its heat.
Grab a spoon and dig right in!!
Debra’s Pro Tips
- For a smoother, creamier cookie dough batter, don’t skip the step to rub the chickpeas with dish towel.
- Buy organic peanut butter. Peanuts are a heavily sprayed crop. Also, be sure to thoroughly mix a new jar of peanut butter before you use it to avoid some oily sections and others too dry. I like to store my unopened jars upside down in the pantry to make this job easier.
- DO NOT OVERBAKE: There aren’t any ingredients to be concerned about eating raw, so err on the side of underdone….for a rich and gooey experience.
- CHECK YOUR OATS: Oats can be heavily sprayed with glyphosate. You can check in with Environmental Working Group for trusted brands that are glyphosate free.
- Drizzle on some date syrup if you’re feeling kinda fancy!
- If skillet cookie is too gooey to cut, place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to make cutting easier.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, 2 weeks in the fridge or freeze for 3 months.
Although I no longer use refined white sugar, I’m not a party pooper…and I do love a good dessert. I want you to know that it’s possible to enjoy delicious desserts that also have something nutritious to offer. I’m not talking about compromising when it comes to taste though. Don’t give in to ingredients that don’t serve you….use ingredients that add some nutritional value….but never sacrifice great taste.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas* drained, rinsed and drained well (1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
- ⅔ cup organic peanut butter
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 3-oz bar dark chocolate chopped (½ cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 10" cast iron skillet* with avocado or olive oil* or line pan with unbleached parchment for oil free and easy lifting out of pan.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas. Roll chickpeas in dry dish towel to gently remove skins. Discard the skins. This is not necessary, but it will create a smoother cookie batter.
- Place all ingredients except for dark chocolate into food processor and process for 1 minute. . Scrape down sides and continue to blend until mixture is very smooth. Stir in chocolate.
- Pour mixture into prepared skillet. Sprinkle additional chocolate on top, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes.For a gooey center, cook until the side are just browning and set. The middle should be slightly jiggly. Continue to cook for additional 3 minutes, IF NEEDED. Be careful not to overcook, as it will easily become dry. The skillet cookie will continue to bake after it’s been removed fro the oven because he cast iron will retain its heat.
- Serve warm or at room temp. If too gooey to slice, place the pan in the fridge for 15 minutes (or more) to make cutting into slices easier.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Eva
This is amazing! CNr wait to try it out this weekend now that there are some vegans in the family. Thanks for sharing!
Debra Klein
This is the perfect dessert for vegans…..delicious, no substitutions need to be made, and there’s plenty of protein!
Hayley
This looks so yummy! I’ve always been too afraid to try a chocolate chip skillet cookie, but it looks like I’ll have to try it soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Debra Klein
Nothing to be afraid of…and you know, you can always make this in a regular round cake pan, or even a square pan and cut them like brownies/blondies.
Sarah
do you have to use chickpeas, or is there another option?
Debra Klein
If you want to do a “chocolate chocolate chip” cookie, you can use black beans and add 1-2 Tablespoons cacao. I haven’t tried to sub a different white bean…it could be a consistency problem, I’m not sure….if you try it with cannelini beans, let me know how it turns out!
Ellen
Debra it looks great! But help, any no-nut substitutions for the peanut butter in this recipe? Thanks.
Debra Klein
If you can do seeds, I would suggest sunflower butter.
Rob Jackson
Wow this was amazing. My kids absolutely loved it, just nobody tell them what’s in it! It was super easy to make and I feel a lot less guilty having that second piece. Great tip on the chickpeas too…need to try that the next time attempt to make our own hummus!
Debra Klein
Awesome….a tasty way to get some nutrition into the kids! YES….when you dislodge the skins of the chickpeas your hummus will be so much smoother.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
What a great idea to use chickpeas in the cookie recipe! Added protein as well when indulging.
Debra Klein
Exactly! Why not?
Jamie
I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate!
Debra Klein
Same….what’s not to like?
Kim Guzman
Wow, looks fantastic! I can’t wait to make them next weekend!
Debra Klein
Awesome…I can’t wait to hear how much you guys love them.
FOODHEAL
My kind of cookie, it’s vegan and gluten-free, and without processed sugar! I love it, thank you.
Debra Klein
Totally….everything I look for in a recipe.
Amy
Oh my! What a fantastic recipe! Healthy and with chocolate. Perfect!
Debra Klein
😋
Marcellina
I would never have thought to use chickpeas. Great idea!
Debra Klein
Right? Protein and fiber….just right to balance everything out.
Audrey
Such a yummy dessert!
Sangita
What a fabulous recipe! Thanks Debra!! I’m definitely going to try it out.
Debra Klein
Thanks Sangita!
Chef Dennis
My wife will definitely love this Vegan Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie!
Debra Klein
You’re awesome Dennis to make it for her!
Jessica
I am sooooo excited to try this but I’m worried that once I dig my spoon in I won’t be able to stop. Wowza, it looks good. I’m short a couple of the ingredients otherwise I’d make it today. Adding to my grocery list for the weekend.
Debra Klein
Definitely hard to stop eating….it’s that good! Invite some friends over to share!
Jerika
This Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie is just perfect!:) It really is awesome if your craving for something sweet and plus it’s a healthy vegan dessert! YUM! Thanks.:)
Debra Klein
Totally!
Maya
I’ve been seeing skillet cookies on Instagram so much recently, but have yet to try them out! Part of the reason I haven’t tried them is that I’m often worried about what to do with all the leftover cookie (just two of us at home, so I don’t think we’d eat the whole thing!) But I noticed you provided storage instructions, so I’m excited to give this a go and just freeze any leftovers!
Debra Klein
Yes! The leftovers freeze perfectly and always a treat when you find a couple of serving in your freezer.
Kayla DiMaggio
This chocolate chunk skillet cookie was so delicious!
Debra Klein
One of our absolute favorites!
Brianna May
I was craving something sweet last night & had all of the ingredients for this cookie skillet on hand. It was incredible!
Debra Klein
Yay….totally agree, and I love that it uses pantry staples.