This Skillet Sugar Cookie Recipe bakes up with golden edges and soft, buttery centers for a treat that feels straight from the bakery. The cast iron skillet gives these cookies a delicious texture that’s hard to beat, and they are ready in under 30 minutes!
There’s something special about baking in cast iron! It gives cookies a texture you just can’t get from a regular baking sheet. The butter melts into the dough differently, creating rich flavor and golden edges that make every bite irresistible.
With just a handful of pantry staples like butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla, this easy sugar cookie recipe tastes like a homemade classic with old-fashioned goodness. If these cookies won you over, you’ll love these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and this skillet snickerdoodle cookie, too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy and Quick to Make: With simple steps and pantry staples, these skillet sugar cookies are ready for the oven in minutes and baked to perfection in under 30. If you love fast desserts, you’ll also enjoy these chocolate lava cakes that come together just as quickly.
- Incredible Flavor: Butter, sugar, and vanilla shine in this recipe, creating cookies that are rich, soft, and perfectly sweet.
- Perfect Texture: Cast iron baking delivers golden edges with soft, chewy centers, making these even better than your average pan sugar cookies.
- Family Friendly: A fun treat to bake with kids, everyone will love the warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookies.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and bring it to room temperature before mixing. This will help create a creamy, smooth dough so your cookies bake evenly.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps create the classic crisp edges on your cookies.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature; this helps the dough combine more easily and gives the cookies a tender texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well here. Make sure to measure correctly, spooning it into your cup rather than scooping, to prevent dry cookies.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies: Fold in ½–1 cup of chocolate chips to the dough before baking for a chocolate twist everyone will love.
- Cinnamon Sugar Cookies: Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over the tops of the cast-iron sugar cookies before baking to add warm, cozy flavor.
- Spiced Skillet Cookies: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice to the dough for a cozy, seasonal flavor. If you enjoy pumpkin-inspired treats, you’ll love my pumpkin spice cake, too.
- Frosted Sugar Cookies: Once baked and cooled, top with a simple glaze or royal icing for a festive look and extra sweetness.
How to Make Skillet Sugar Cookies
This sugar cookie cutout recipe is simple to make, and with just a few steps, you’ll have warm, buttery cookies ready to enjoy. Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease your cast-iron mold or skillet.
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This creates the base for soft, tender cookies.
Step 2: Add the Eggs and Vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is smooth and combined.
Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 4: Roll the Dough. Roll the dough out ¼-inch thick on a piece of parchment or a floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cookies into desired shapes.
Step 5: Prepare Pan. Spray the cast-iron skillet with buttered cooking spray and add the cut-out cookie dough.
Step 6: Bake and Serve. Bake for 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly, then carefully remove from the skillet and enjoy. For the ultimate sweet treat, serve them with my chocolate peanut butter dip.
Expert Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. This helps the dough come together smoothly and ensures even baking.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cookies tough instead of soft and tender.
- Even Dough Portions: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough evenly. This ensures all the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Prevent Sticking: Lightly grease your cast iron mold or skillet with buttered cooking spray to make it easy to remove the cookies after baking.
- Storage and Freezing: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy frozen cookies, thaw at room temperature or warm slightly in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve skillet sugar cookies as a delicious afternoon snack alongside a glass of milk, coffee, or tea.
- Bring skillet sugar cookies to parties or potlucks as a crowd-pleasing dessert, pair them with Nutella swirled blondies or butterscotch brownies for a tasty sweet spread!
- Add skillet sugar cookies to your holiday dessert table to complement festive dishes like my pumpkin dump cake.
Recipe FAQs
While cast iron gives these cookies a slightly better texture, you can bake them on a greased baking sheet or pan. Just watch the edges closely, as they may brown a bit faster.
You can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep it wrapped in the fridge. This makes it easy to bake fresh cookies whenever you’re ready.
Yes! A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works well, but keep in mind the texture may be slightly different, a little more delicate and crumbly than traditional cookies.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
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Get the Recipe
Skillet Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ⅔ cup sugar granulated
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour all-purpose
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- buttered cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add Butter and sugar use a mixer until the butter and sugar is nice a fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while mixer is on low. Add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir flour and salt together. The slowly combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients while still mixing. You may have to stop and scrap the sides of the bowl.
- Roll out cookie dough ¼-inch thick on a piece of parchment or floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
- Spray cast iron skillet with butter spray. Transfer cookie dough to skilet. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool and then remove cookies from the pan.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs to help the dough come together smoothly.
- Stir the flour in gradually and mix just until combined to keep the cookies soft.
- Lightly grease the cast-iron skillet or mold to prevent sticking.
Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
d says
Tasty!!
Edward says
What a delicious recipe! I can’t wait to make them for the family and have them decorate them for the holidays!
Ned Adams says
Glad you enjoyed! I’m sure your family will love that!