Chunky Monkey Oatmeal Cookie Skillet (Print Version)

Warm banana chocolate walnut oatmeal skillet baked to golden perfection. An easy, shareable dessert inspired by classic Chunky Monkey flavors.

# Components:

→ 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 (approximately 1 cup)
12 - ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts
14 - ½ cup chopped dark chocolate, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, mixing until creamy.
04 - Beat egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, then stir in mashed bananas until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Gently fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, and chopped dark chocolate if using.
07 - Spread batter evenly into prepared skillet.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm directly from skillet, optionally topped with vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pan means one cleanup, and honestly, that's half the battle on a weeknight when you still want homemade dessert.
  • The banana keeps everything soft and moist without requiring extra wet ingredients, so there's no dense cake situation happening.
  • You can literally smell when it's done—that toasted walnut aroma is your timer before the toothpick even comes out.
02 -
  • Under-ripe bananas will make the batter loose and the skillet cookie will spread thin and bake unevenly, so wait until they're almost too soft to handle.
  • Opening the oven door before 22 minutes will cause the center to collapse slightly, so set a timer and trust the process—golden edges are your sign it's close.
  • The skillet holds heat long after it comes out of the oven, so the residual warmth continues baking the center for a few minutes while it cools, which is perfect.
03 -
  • Use a toothpick made of wood rather than metal to check for doneness, because metal conducts heat and can give you a false reading about the cake's actual temperature.
  • Mash the bananas right before mixing so they don't oxidize and turn brown—if they do oxidize, the flavor shifts from bright fruit to almost fermented, which changes the whole vibe.
Return