Chunky Monkey Oatmeal Cookie Skillet (Printable version)

Warm cast-iron skillet with banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts baked into golden oatmeal cookie perfection.

# Ingredient list:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Chunky Monkey Add-ins

11 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
12 - ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts
14 - ½ cup chopped dark chocolate, optional

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-safe baking pan with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together rolled oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Stir until well blended and creamy.
04 - Beat egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, then fold in mashed bananas until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
06 - Gently fold chocolate chips, walnuts, and optional chopped dark chocolate into the batter.
07 - Spread batter evenly into the prepared cast-iron skillet.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs remaining.
09 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm directly from the skillet, optionally topped with vanilla ice cream.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It bakes in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying warm, gooey chocolate with someone you like.
  • The banana keeps everything moist without tasting cake-like, so each bite has that familiar oatmeal cookie texture but with a secret richness.
  • You can eat it warm with ice cream or cold straight from the fridge, and honestly, both versions are their own kind of perfect.
02 -
  • Bananas need to be ripe enough that they're almost too soft to peel—that's when they're sweetest and break down into a smooth mash that hydrates the whole thing.
  • Don't walk away once it's in the oven; set a timer for 22 minutes and check the edges, because ovens vary wildly and you don't want it baking past the point where the center is still fudgy.
03 -
  • Toast your walnuts in a dry skillet for two minutes before folding them in—it deepens their flavor and makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, add an extra tablespoon of melted butter to keep the moisture level right, since underripe bananas don't release as much liquid.
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