A gooey, decadent skillet cookie filled with chocolatey goodness and warm fall flavors. This rich, delicious, easy to prepare dessert is perfect for holiday season or cozy date nights. It’s also paleo, gluten-free, & dairy-free!
My Saturday, cozy, fall-inspired date night menu continues!
Yesterday, I shared some recipes for the appetizers and main course: Roast beef, herb cream cheese, and fig jam crostini and pumpkin pasta with pumpkin sage meatballs.
Today, I’m sharing my recipe for the dessert course of the meal, which is my favorite part. It’s a gooey, decadent pumpkin skillet cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. Oh yes!
This recipe is perfect for date night because it only takes 10 minutes to whip together and can be made in one bowl, so easy clean up. It’s also baked in a tiny 6 inch skillet, so it is the perfect size for two.
Best yet, this dessert is paleo, dairy-free, and gluten-free, but tastes like a rich, delicious, decadent dessert you would order at a restaurant.
The skillet cookie has a those warm fall flavors from the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. It’s also super chocolatey from the dark chocolate chips and my secret ingredient, Honey Mama’s Nibs and Coffee paleo chocolate bar.
Honey Mama’s has become my favorite, go-to, nutritious chocolate snack. Their chocolate bars are paleo and made from only 5 nutrient rich ingredients: virgin coconut oil, cocoa powder, honey, Himalayan pink salt, and either sprouted almonds or shredded coconut. That’s it! The bars are naturally free from soy, eggs, dairy, gluten, and grains. It’s the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy, guilt free way.
I decided to use the Nibs and Coffee flavor in this paleo pumpkin dessert. The bar is filled with rich coffee flavor and crunchy roasted cacao nibs with dark cacao and shredded coconut. The rich dark chocolate and coffee flavor pair beautifully with the earthy, sweet taste of the pumpkin.
Okkk now I’m ready for date night and to eat this amazing dessert. So….
Let’s get to baking!
I tested out this recipe several times to achieve the perfect skillet cookies with the right texture and taste. I wanted the top to be crispy and crunchy while the inside remained soft and gooey, just like an actual cookie. I also wanted the pumpkin and spices to be prevalent but not overpowering. After five attempts and a lot of cookie taste testing for my husband and I (not the worst job in the world), I finally created the perfect recipe!
The first important step is pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and placing the tiny cast iron skillet in the oven while you whip up the batter. This allows for the skillet to heat up so when you add the batter, it will crisp up the bottom of the cookie nicely.
While the skillet warms up, you can start making the batter. In a small bowl, beat together the softened coconut oil and coconut sugar. To soften the coconut oil, you just need to microwave it for about 15 seconds. You don’t want it rock hard but you also do not wanted it melted.
Next, beat in the egg yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla until all the ingredients are well-incorporated. The egg yolk adds richness to the dough without making the batter to runny. The pumpkin adds a warm, subtle flavor while also keeping the cookie moist.
Then add in all the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well-combined and you have a relatively thick dough.
Through my several recipe attempts, I discovered a whole cup of almond flour was necessary to achieve a thicker dough (instead of a batter). The dough bakes more like a cookie while a wetter batter creates more of a cake. I also discovered you only need 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to provide a little rise but still keep it dense and chewy like a cookie. Any more baking soda causes the dough to rise too much and again creates more of an airy, light texture similar to a cake.
Finally, fold in the dark chocolate chip and chunks of the Honey Mama’s chocolate bar.
Take the skillet out of the oven, greased it with coconut oil, and carefully (do not burn yourself) press the cookie dough into the skillet using a knife or off-set spatula. Sprinkle on some additional chocolate chunks, you know, for good measure.
Bake the skillet cookie for 15 minutes. When you take it out, it might not seem all the way done, but trust me, it’s perfectly baked. The cookie will continue to bake from the residual heat after you take it out of the oven which helps the center to set. However, you still want it a little soft and gooey in the middle, and if you cook it any longer, you won’t get that magic!
I highly recommend pairing this skillet cookie with a healthy scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Time to dig in and finish date night!
The pumpkin skillet cookie has the perfect crunchy texture on top but still a soft, gooey, center. The pumpkin flavor and warm spices really come through making every bite comforting and reminiscent of Fall. The Honey Mama’s chocolate chunks adds melty chocolate goodness and also another depth of flavor for the hints of coffee. Finally, the cool, creamy vanilla ice cream helps cut through all the richness.
It’s the perfect, delicious, decadent dessert to end of cozy Saturday date night.
I know you have a fun night and a very delicious meal ahead of you! I hope you have a wonderful date night ❤️
Paleo Pumpkin Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil room temperature but softened
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped Honey Mama’s Nibs and Coffee chocolate bar about 1/3 or the bar
Instructions
-
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Put a small 6 inch cast iron skillet in in the oven to heat up.*
-
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk/beat together the softened coconut oil and coconut sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
-
Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg yolk until well-combined and smooth.
-
Whisk in all the dry ingredients until it forms a dough. Add in chocolate chips and Honey Mama chocolate chunks (leave a little for topping).
-
Take the cast iron skillet out of the oven and grease with a little melted coconut oil. Press in the dough and top with remaining chocolate chips and chunks.
-
Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
-
Top with your favorite vanilla ice cream (preferably paleo).
-
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Putting the cast iron skillet in the oven beforehand to heat helps achieve a golden brown crust on the bottom of the cookie.
Comments