A Warm, Gooey Caramel Apple Skillet Oatmeal Cookie Made For Sharing...

A Warm, Gooey Caramel Apple Skillet Oatmeal Cookie Made For Sharing

cookie topped with apples and ice cream in a black frying pan and several white dishes

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Skillet cookies, a dessert that dates back to the '90s, remain a chain restaurant staple some three decades later. Chili's and Outback still offer them (check out how we ranked them), but of course, a good skillet cookie goes far beyond the realm of chain restaurants. This caramel apple skillet oatmeal cookie recipe isn't a chain restaurant copycat, for example, but is instead recipe developer Patterson Watkins' own creation. "This is such a fabulous fall/winter recipe," she says of her sweet and spiced cookie creation. "The warm, buttery apple topping is legendary. Simple, sweet-tart, and that perfect level of baking spice richness. The oatmeal cookie is soft and chewy with a nice layering of apple flavor."

This skillet cookie is made in a 12-inch pan, but if you'd like to serve individual-sized portions like a restaurant would do, you can divvy the dough up between two six-inch pans. Just remember to rotate the pans in the oven so the cookies will bake more evenly. Otherwise, there's nothing stopping the whole family from digging into the big skillet, one that's packed with a fall-inspired warmth, and one that offers a uniquely oatmeal-infused take on the classic skillet cookie.

Gather the ingredients for this caramel apple skillet oatmeal cookie

baking ingredients, ice cream, and apples

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

The cookie base is made from butter, brown sugar, white sugar, an egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, dried apples, and oats. For the caramel apple topping, you'll also need non-dried apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. And, to top off the finished skillet, you may want some vanilla ice cream on hand for serving.

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 2: Grease an oven proof skillet

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Step 3: Add butter and sugars to mixing bowl

brown sugar, white sugar, and butter in a metal bowl next to the paddle attachment for a stand mixer

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

To make the cookie dough, place the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Step 4: Cream the butter and sugars

beige-colored butter and sugar mixture in a metal bowl

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Beat the butter and sugars together until combined.

Step 5: Beat in the eggs and vanilla

beige-colored butter and sugar mixture and raw egg in a metal bowl

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until combined.

Step 6: Mix the dry ingredients

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Step 7: Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add the dry flour mix to the butter/sugar mixture and stir until combined.

Step 8: Fold in the oats and apples

cookie dough, oats, and dried apples in a metal bowl

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add the dried apples and the oats to the bowl and gently stir until combined.

Step 9: Put the dough in the skillet

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared skillet and spread out evenly.

Step 10: Bake the cookie

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are golden brown and the center is slightly soft.

Step 11: Melt the butter in separate skillet

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

While the cookie is baking, make the apple topping by melting the butter in another large skillet over medium heat.

Step 12: Fry the apples

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Once melted, add the apples, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.

Step 13: Stir in the sugar and seasonings

chopped apples, brown sugar, and spices in a black frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the skillet and stir to coat and combine.

Step 14: Simmer the apples

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently, and continue to cook until the pan drippings become syrupy and thicken, about 5 minutes more. Set aside until ready to serve (reheat over low heat, if necessary, if the caramel apple mixture cools).

Step 15: Cool the cookie

oatmeal cookie in a black frying pan on a wire rack

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Once baked, remove the cookie from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Step 16: Pour the apple topping over the cookie skillet and serve

oatmeal cookie in a black frying pan topped with cooked apples

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Top the cookie with the caramel apples and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

What to serve with this caramel apple skillet oatmeal cookie

Our caramel apple skillet oatmeal cookie is warm, gooey, comforting, and absolutely loaded with spiced apple flavors.

cookie topped with apples and ice cream in a black frying pan and several white dishes

For the cookie dough
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
For the topping
¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter
3 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Generously spritz a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet with cooking spray.
To make the cookie dough, place the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat the butter and sugars together until combined.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry flour mix to the butter/sugar mixture and stir until combined.
Add the dried apples and the oats to the bowl and gently stir until combined.
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared skillet and spread out evenly.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are golden brown and the center is slightly soft.
While the cookie is baking, make the apple topping by melting the butter in another large skillet over medium heat.
Once melted, add the apples, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.
Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the skillet and stir to coat and combine.
Bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently, and continue to cook until the pan drippings become syrupy and thicken, about 5 minutes more. Set aside until ready to serve (reheat over low heat, if necessary, if the caramel apple mixture cools).
Once baked, remove the cookie from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Top the cookie with the caramel apples and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Calories per Serving	411
Total Fat	18.8 g
Saturated Fat	11.3 g
Trans Fat	0.7 g
Cholesterol	65.7 mg

Total Carbohydrates	59.6 g
Dietary Fiber	4.0 g
Total Sugars	37.4 g
Sodium	364.4 mg
Protein	4.1 g

The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

What types of apples would work best?

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

This dessert gets a double dose of apple: the dried ones in the cookie, plus the apples in caramel sauce used as a topping. For the former, you can buy any form of dried apples you can find — freeze-dried ones will work, as will apple chips or dried apple rings. You can also make your own dried apples by slicing fresh ones ¼-inch thick and baking them at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour to an hour and a half. Whichever form of dried apples you use, do not exceed the amount called for in this recipe. Dried apples absorb the moisture from the dough, and too many of them will result in a dry cookie.

For the apples used in the topping, you can use whatever apples you have on hand or the variety that most appeals to you. Granny Smiths are a classic tart baking apple that contrasts nicely with the sugary sauce. However, if you want to go all-in on sweetness, you could pick an apple like Braeburn, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, or even Golden Delicious. You could also mix and match your apples. Doing so often makes for better baked goods, and there's no reason it won't work for a caramel apple topping, too.

How can I switch up this skillet cookie recipe?

One way to change up the cookie would be to add some nuts to either the cookie mixture or the topping. Chopped walnuts would be a great choice to go with the apples, though pecans or walnuts would also work well. You could also opt for a different kind of dried fruit, such as cranberries, either as an addition to the apples or to replace them. It's also possible to switch up the fruit used in the topping. Instead of caramel apples, you could do cherries or strawberries for something more summery. In that case, though, you might want to use white sugar instead of brown and replace the baking spices with almond extract or lemon zest. Just make sure to use a fruit that stands up to cooking — think fruits that might be used in a pie filling. Watery fruits like melon won't work, as they may turn to mush when heated.

As for the optional à la mode, you needn't stick to using vanilla ice cream. Butter pecan and dulce de leche would also complement a caramel apple topping, and if you switch out the fruit for strawberries or raspberries, chocolate would pair perfectly with those flavors. Whipped cream could make for a lighter alternative to ice cream while still maintaining that cooling, creamy element.