If you ask me, there are few things better than dessert…
Except maybe freshly made dessert!
And you don’t have to stick with fruit salad, you can enjoy a good, hot dessert, cooked entirely in just one cast iron skillet. And much of the time, you don’t even need an oven either!
I decided to have a good rummage around the internet for the best cast iron skillet recipes out there, and I was really impressed with what I found.
And, you’ve guessed it, I’m now going to share my findings with you.!
Here goes a shortlist of my top 33 cast iron dessert recipes on the internet – hope your taste buds are ready!
1. Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe From Belly Full
I thought I’d kick things off with something nice and simple. It’s super easy to make, and is quite similar to any ordinary cake.
First you make the batter with butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Then add some sour cream, to make it moist, and fold in sliced fresh strawberries.
Then transfer the batter to the skillet and bake for about 40 minutes.
2. Cast Iron Skillet Cookie Recipe From Kroll’s Korner
And now for a classic skillet dessert – what comes to mind when most people think of skillet desserts – a giant cookie the size of a pizza, also known as a Pizookie.
This particular pizookie is wonderfully gooey on the inside, and amazingly crisp on the outside, an excellent contrast of taste and texture. What’s more, it’s made with ingredients that are really easy to get hold of.
3. Cast Iron Apple Crisp Recipe From Smack Of Flavor
Now, this is one of my favorite cast iron skillet dessert recipes!
It’s made with lightly spiced, warming caramelized apple pieces, all topped with a crispy, crunchy topping made with the likes of oatmeal and melted butter.
It only requires 10 minutes of prep time, but it’s one I recommend making ahead of time because it should rest for half an hour for best results.
4. Gooey Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe From The Cookie Rookie
OMG – what a chocolate lover’s heaven! This skillet version of a Texas chocolate sheet cake is just as rich, chocolaty and delicious as the real thing, and it’s just as easy as baking in a sheet pan.
I love to serve it hot with a huge dollop of cool vanilla ice cream.
And yes, admittedly, it is rather high in calories, but when it tastes this good, who really cares? Just get stuck in!
5. Cast Iron Skillet Blueberry Cobbler Recipe From Adventures Of A Nurse
If you love a traditional, old-fashioned blueberry cobbler recipe, I guarantee you will love this amazing cast iron skillet version, too. The cake comes out super fluffy, and you get a hit of sweet blueberries in every single bite.
It features easy to get hold of ingredients, namely fresh blueberries, butter, sugar, lemon zest, milk, self rising flour, and a pinch of cinnamon as a finishing touch.
6. Cinnamon Roll Skillet Cake Recipe From A Few Shortcuts
And speaking of cinnamon, how about replicating all those lovely flavors of a cinnamon roll in a giant cast iron skillet cake?
It’s got the usual skillet cake ingredients for the cake, and for the cinnamon sugar topping all you need is melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.
And it also features a yummy vanilla icing drizzle with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
7. Cast Iron Skillet Brownies Recipe From The Wicked Noodle
There are very few dessert recipes as popular as brownies. And this cast iron skillet recipe makes the most delicious brownies. They’re rich, moist, fudgy with crispy edges, and so, so chocolaty.
Its “secret” ingredient is strong coffee, which really brings out the flavor.
It tastes just amazing with a scoop of cool ice cream, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, and a sprinkling of chopped nuts for added crunch.
8. Skillet Caramel Apple Pie Recipe From Southern Living
What could be better than an apple other than a salted caramel apple pie?
With this recipe, you can use some ready-made store-bought pie crusts to save yourself some time and effort.
It features lots of easy to get hold of ingredients, such as sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract, and it also features a nice dash of bourbon, so you want to reserve this dessert for adults only.
9. Hummingbird Skillet Cake Recipe From Serious Eats
For those of you who don’t already know, hummingbird cake is a classic Southern dish, which has a very similar texture to carrot cake.
But unlike carrot cake, hummingbird cake is made with pineapple and banana, to give the cake a nice, tropical taste and theme.
The secret in this particular recipe is to add some clove to intensify the banana flavor. I recommend topping it with some cream cheese buttercream frosting and some chopped pecans for added crunch.
10. Skillet Apple Brownie Recipe From All Recipes
If you’re looking for a recipe using apples, but you like a nice, brownie texture, then this is the recipe for you!
It features such ingredients as apple, flour, white and brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, eggs, butter, and chopped pecan nuts.
It takes over an hour to make (specifically an hour and 20 minutes), so maybe save this one for a rainy weekend.
11. Upside-Down Blueberry Muffin Recipe From Serious Eats
This recipe is delicious – if you ask me, it tastes way better than your standard blueberry muffin. And, yes, it does require a lot of ingredients, but if you can get hold of them all, this recipe is absolutely worth a try.
It comes out ultra tender, and the lemon juice, lemon zest and salt work together to balance the sweetness of the saucy blueberry layer.
12. Indoor S’mores Recipe From Dessert For Two
This is the recipe that will take you back to the campfire (in your head) while you’re actually cosied up indoors in front of the TV!
Basically, you make an s’mores dip, which is a layer of chocolate that is baked in the oven until melted, then topped with marshmallows that toast on the top. It’s really easy to make.
And when it’s ready, you just grab some crisp graham crackers to scoop the dip up!
13. Banana Split Blondies Recipe From Taste Of Home
So, we’ve covered brownies already, but how about some blondies?
These yummy have all those flavors you love in a banana split, all together in a warm, gooey, fudgy bar. The ingredients include mashed bananas, dried pineapple, chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and sweet maraschino cherries!
And for a super authentic taste, why not serve it with some vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce!
14. Flourless Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie Recipe From Fit Foodie Finds
If you’re anything like me, you just love peanut butter, and will simply adore this recipe!
It’s super simple to make, all you need is peanut butter, eggs, vanilla extract, coconut sugar, coconut flour (which is grain-free), baking soda, chocolate chips and a pinch of salt.
For toppings, you can choose from homemade whipping cream or frosting, rainbow sprinkles, or even more peanut butter!
The recipe makes 10 servings and is ready within 30 minutes.
15. German Apple Pancake Recipe From Serious Eats
German pancakes aren’t that similar to our fluffy American ones. In fact, they’re more like a French crêpe.
This particular recipe features cooking apples cooked in a skillet, which are then covered in batter, before being baked in an oven. The result is a smooth and custardy pancake chock-full with caramelized apple.
It’s delicious! I like to serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar.
16. Skillet Stout Brownies Recipe From Taste Of Home
Now, this is a cast iron skillet chocolate brownie recipe with a difference!
Most of the ingredients, you’re likely to expect, chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar. But this particular recipe also features a cup of stout beer, which not only aids the moisture of the brownies, but also gives the brownies a real depth of flavor!
It’s super simple to make and comes to just 363 calories per serving.
17. Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake Recipe From Food 52
If there are any two flavors that pair together perfectly, it has to be caramel and bananas, and this is the recipe to prove it!
It features a large vanilla flavored yellow cake on the bottom of the skillet, and it’s topped with caramelized bananas, made with ripe bananas, butter, light brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
It can be made ready to eat in under an hour.
18. Red Velvet Skillet Cookie Recipe From Creme De La Crumb
You may have tried red velvet cake before, but how about a red velvet cookie, as per this recipe?
The cookie comes out thick and chewy, and is studded with melted white chocolate chips for a delicious contrast of flavor and texture. I love to serve it with white chocolate flavor ice cream, and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce.
And you can have it on the table in just half an hour.
19. Blackberry Whirligig Recipe From Taste Of Home
If you’re looking for a nice dessert for a party, I highly recommend this cute cast iron skillet dish…
It features cute whirligigs, composed of swirled dough sprinkled with sugar, zest and cinnamon, over a bed of thick hot cooked berries mixture made with fresh or frozen mixed berries, sugar, cornstarch, salt and yet more cinnamon!
20. Easy Cherry Skillet Cake Recipe From Pure Wow
If you happen to have some fresh cherries when they are in season in the summer, then this is the cast iron skillet recipe for you!
It’s a large, yummy, vanilla flavored cake that’s loaded with juicy pitted cherries for an unforgettable taste. Better yet, it turns out that it comes to a mere 263 calories per serving!
It’s a fun dish to make and even more fun to eat!
21. Reese’s Nachos Recipe From Delish
OMG – this recipe is to die for! It tastes amazing. It’s also super simple to make and all the ingredients are easy to get hold of.
There’s a layer of broken graham crackers to use as the “nachos”, which then get topped with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups, soft, sweet mini marshmallows, and crunchy Reese’s pieces.
Drizzle over some runny peanut butter and melted chocolate, and put in the oven to warm!
22. Strawberries And Cream Skillet Cobbler Recipe From Taste And Tell
I just love the different flavors and textures in this dish!
The strawberry and cream filling is made with fresh strawberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cubes of cream cheese and heavy whipping cream.
Meanwhile, there’s also a yummy biscuit topping, which is made with flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. So good!
23. Giant Buckeye Cookie Recipe From Taste Of Home
If you love Buckeye candy with its awesome combo of peanut butter and chocolate, then this, my friend, is the skillet recipe for you.
It’s super simple to make, and you only need 6 ingredients in total, namely a pack of chocolate cake mix, eggs, canola oil, creamy peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
You can choose any topping you like, but I always go for hot fudge ice cream!
24. Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie Recipe From Gimmie Some Oven
And sticking with the peanut butter and chocolate theme, here’s something else to tickle your taste buds!
But you don’t use a packet mix for this one, you make it from scratch.
The cookie part is made with two types of sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and it has mini peanut butter cups or chips studded throughout, and it gets topped with ice cream, peanut butter cups, chocolate chips and a drizzle of melted peanut butter.
25. Tropical Skillet Tart With Meringue Kisses Recipe From Le Creuset
I just love this fresh take on a lemon meringue pie – so tropical, you feel like you’re on holiday when you’re eating it.
It has wonderful exotic flavors like passion fruit, orange and mango in the layer above the pie crust followed by the most amazing toasted meringue topping.
The recipe explains how to make your own pie crust, and suggests serving with lime zest and toasted coconut flakes!
26. Black Forest Upside-Down Cake Recipe From Taste Of Home
I don’t know about you, but I adore Black Forest gâteau! And while this dish may not be an exact replica, it’s close enough, and believe me, it tastes just as good!
It’s super simple to make, too, with just a handful of easy-to-come-by ingredients, namely cherry pie filling, cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, eggs, devil’s food cake mix, and whipped cream to serve – yum!
27. Cinnamon And Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie Recipe From Epicurious
This cast iron skillet dessert is loaded with flavorful ingredients! The main flavor is chocolate, but the flavor is further enhanced with additional ingredients including ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.
You will also need flour, two types of sugar, chocolate, butter, eggs, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Be sure to allow plenty of time to make it because it takes just over an hour to make.
28. Vegan Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie Recipe From Debra Klein
If you don’t know the dietary preferences of your guests, it pays to be on the side of caution, and assume that your guest may be vegan or gluten intolerant. And that’s why it’s great to have recipes like this one under your belt.
It’s an unusual recipe, featuring chickpeas, peanut butter, rolled oats, apple sauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.
What’s more, it’s only 188 calories per serving!
29. Upside Down Caramelized Banana Bread Skillet Cake Recipe From How Sweet Eats
What a delicious way to use up ripe bananas! And it’s a really budget-friendly recipe to boot, if you generally keep a few baking ingredients in your pantry.
All you need is bananas (mashed or sliced), butter, two types of sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a little milk.
The bananas get caramelized in the skillet, and you get a nice muffin-like texture.
30. Apple Gingerbread Skillet Cake Recipe From Taste Of Home
This is the perfect cast iron skillet dessert recipe for fall, thanks to ingredients like sliced tart apples and gingerbread cake.
It’s super simple to make, you can do it in just three steps.
You will need butter, chopped pecans for crunch, brown sugar, molasses and apples, in addition to the gingerbread cake ingredients, which include butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, ground ginger, salt and cloves.
31. Peanut Butter Skillet S’mores Nachos Recipe From Epicuricloud
This recipe is the bomb! It’s kinda like nachos, with the crispy graham crackers as the chips on the bottom, but with an awesome sweet topping rather than a savory one.
The graham cracker pieces get topped with melty chocolate chips, gooey toasted marshmallows and molten peanut butter candies.
And you can get it ready to eat in a mere 15 minutes – I can’t recommend it enough!
32. Peach Upside-Down Skillet Cake With Bourbon Whipped Cream Recipe From New York Times Cooking
Another great recipe deemed worthy of a spot on my shortlist!
It’s sweet and fruit, made with peaches, cake flour, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, sugar, baking powder, lemon juice and butter.
Then there’s the most amazing boozy topping, made with heavy cream and bourbon, and if you wish you can also add vanilla and/or powdered sugar to the bourbon whipped cream as well.
33. Skillet Chocolate Dumplings Recipe From Taste Of Home
And now to go out with a bang – these chocolate dumplings are delicious!
First you make a sauce with brown sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt, before making the dumplings with flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cocoa, butter, egg, milk and vanilla extract.
Then simply drop the dumplings into the hot sauce and simmer for about 20 minutes – heaven!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cast iron skillets are great for baking because they hold and retain heat really well, allowing even baking throughout the dish
Cast iron skillets are generally oven-safe, so you can often use them in place of a cake pan.
You can bake all kinds of things in a cast iron skillet, including cake. Why not have a scroll through the recipes listed above and see if there’s anything you fancy making.
You should grease your cast iron skillet before you use it for baking. You could grease it with butter, or with a butter flavor baking spray.
You can cook just about anything in a cast iron skillet. But while there’s nothing that’s strictly off-limits, you should be cautious with acidic foods such as red or white wine vinegar.
You should also steer clear of oils with a high concentration of saturated fats, such as palm oil or coconut oil.
Wrap Up
Now that you’ve had a good browse through my shortlist of cast iron skillet recipes, I hope that I’ve whetted your appetite and that you’re hungry to get cooking them – enjoy!
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