Gooey Chocolate Caramel Vegan Cookie Skillet

posted by Britt Berlin on Aug 25, 2023 0 comments »

This ultra decadent chocolate caramel cookie skillet is like combining a rich chocolate cookie and brownie in cake form, then stuffing it with gooey dairy free caramel! The BEST shareable cookie skillet, vegan or not!

caramel cookie skillet with ice cream on top

This post is sponsored by Endangered Species. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Banana Diaries possible!

If you’ve ever had or heard of a “pizookie,” then you’re going to love this easy vegan skillet cookie stuffed to the brim with caramel sauce.

This ultra rich brownie cookie skillet is perfectly gooey, soft, decadent, indulgent, and sweet with being undetectably dairy free and vegan. And you can even make it gluten free.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that you won’t be able to tell that this cast iron cookie skillet is not your traditional pizookie. You won’t even miss those ingredients!

It honestly makes this caramel cookie skillet even easier than the traditional. Minimal ingredients, and just a phenomenal taste. Let’s get started!

Flour: You can use regular flour or gluten free. I recommend using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
Sugar: I like to make my cookie skillets like the classic, and use vegan granulated sugar and brown sugar. However, you can also make this cookie skillet with just coconut sugar all together.
Vegan butter: You can also use coconut oil.
Endangered Species 55% Oat Milk Baking Chips & Chocolate bars: This is my go-to vegan chocolate! The Endangered Species vegan chocolate chips are made with oat milk, which makes them similar to a traditional milk chocolate chip. Coupled with chopped rich dark chocolate, you’re going to get the most decadent cookie to ever exist. But more on why I love Endangered below 😉
Dairy free yogurt: This replaces eggs found in a traditional cast iron cookie skillet recipe.
Vegan Caramel sauce: We’re using a quick vegan caramel to make this process even easier! Your chocolate cookie skillet will be ready to devour in just about 30 minutes!

Why choose Endangered Species

Endangered Species has been my go-to chocolate bar (any of the dark chocolate bars, but I really love the 88%!) for a while now, ever since I started with vegan baking. And their recently added Endangered Species 55% Oat Milk Baking Chips have just changed the game entirely.

Not only do these chips melt so well (like a conventional chocolate chip), but they also taste super creamy, like milk chocolate. What’s more (and honestly, what’s most important to me) is the fact that Endangered Species chocolate is all certified Fair Trade and donates 10% of its profits to causes with positive impact.

So not only is the chocolate made with some of the best ingredients (that are gluten free, vegan, and low sugar), but it’s chocolate you can feel good about.

How to make a vegan cast iron cookie skillet (overview)

Making a vegan version of a cast iron cookie skillet is actually quite easy. We’re essentially making cookies but in skillet form.

This recipe in particular is designed for a large cast iron skillet. If you have a small cast iron skillet (8″ or smaller), you’ll need to adjust the recipe by half.

Prepare the caramel sauce first. We have two options: either the traditional vegan caramel sauce or a cashew caramel sauce, that’s so incredibly easy to make. The latter can be made in 5 minutes before making the cast iron cookie skillet. So if you’re short on time, go with that option!
Make the cookie dough: It’s easily made in just one bowl, and with a slightly higher amount of flour from my vegan double chocolate cookies to create a sturdier cookie. Make sure you fold in the chocolate chunks, and save a few to top our cookie skillet with before going into the oven!
Assemble the caramel cookie skillet. Layer about half of the dough onto the bottom of your greased cast iron skillet. Then pour the caramel on top, and spoon the remaining dough. I used a rubber spatula to spread the dough on top, and it does get quite sticky if your dough is warm (a side note: you don’t need to chill the dough!).
Bake your caramel cookie skillet! Because we’re using so much cookie, this cookie skillet takes quite a long time to bake: about 25-30 minutes. Check your oven periodically using your oven light, and use the toothpick test to ensure that the cookie skillet is done.

Top with vegan ice cream and enjoy!

cookie skillet with caramel before baking

How can I make this caramel cookie skillet nut free?

This vegan cookie skillet recipe is easily made nut-free by using all nut-free dairy free ingredients. The beauty of Endangered Species 55% Oat Milk Baking Chips and 88% Dark Chocolate Bar is that they’re both naturally nut-free. So no need to worry there!

Do I need to use a cast iron skillet?

Though this is technically a cast iron cookie skillet recipe, you can absolutely use another dish if you don’t have a cast iron skillet! I’ve made a brownie skillet before in a pie dish, and it works just perfectly.

plate of cookie skillet with ice cream on top

Maybe you don’t want a caramel cookie skillet or have tried this one, and want to switch it up. Not a problem! Here are a few suggestions for customizing this cast iron cookie skillet:

Make it a classic double chocolate cookie skillet by omitting the caramel sauce
Add in chopped pecans, walnuts, or even peanuts for an extra crunch
Use vegan white chocolate chips along with your vegan chocolate chips
Mix in holiday-themed sprinkles, like any of the holiday vegan sprinkles!

You’re just going to love this gooey caramel cookie skillet! It’s the perfect kick off to the holiday season and will please all eaters, vegan or not!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!