This gooey grain-free skillet cookie is super easy to mix up right in the pan–no bowl required! What are you waiting for?
The best thing about this skillet cookie, other than how wonderful it tastes (especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top), is how simple it is to make. You don’t even need a bowl–we’re doing everything right in the skillet, with one spatula or mixing implement of your choice. 
First we’re browning the butter. This is easy to do and adds an extra layer of nutty flavor and fragrance to the finished cookie. Just pop a stick of butter into your skillet and let it hang out over medium heat until it melts, bubbles, and browns. Here’s a fun tip: the butter will bubble noisily until it’s nicely browned, and will then quiet down. So while you’re welcome to keep an eye on it, you really just need to keep your ears open. I like to let the bits get to a rich chestnut brown (and have never once burned my butter, so don’t stress!).
Next we’re taking the pan off the heat and stirring in brown sugar, vanilla, and a little bit of sea salt. This mixture will produce the most deliciously fragrant and comforting scent to ever hit your nostrils–I promise. No scented candle could ever compare! Rodelle vanilla is my absolute favorite, and using two teaspoons instead of one makes this cookie taste extra buttery and amazing (it’s a little-known fact that adding extra vanilla makes baked goods taste like they have more butter!).
At this point it’s good to let things cool for a few minutes–otherwise the batter will be too hot when we mix in the egg and chocolate chips. You don’t need to let it cool completely; just give it five or ten minutes so it’s not so hot-hot-hot.
Then we’re dumping everything else in the pan: first the almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda. We’re adding these dry ingredients first to cool the batter down even a bit more so the egg won’t scramble when it hits the pan. Next mix in the egg, making sure to break up the yolk and distribute things evenly with your spatula.
Finally, it’s chocolate chip time. I’ve been loving the 365 brand dark chocolate chunks from Whole Foods, but you can use whatever chip or chunk you prefer. You can also just chop up a bar or two of your favorite dark chocolate!
I like to mix a little more than half of the chips into the batter and then add the rest on top. The ones that get mixed in will melt and swirl a little bit, which only adds to the charm of the finished cookie. The dough needs to be tamped down into an even layer now–just use your hands. Then, sprinkle the rest of the chips across the top of the cookie and gently push them down into the dough.
This takes 12-15 minutes to bake, and you can time it according to your preferences. I baked mine for 15 and it was rich and just a bit gooey in the center, with a nice chew and quasi-crunch around the edges. If you like your skillet cookie super gooey, take it out a bit earlier! When it comes out, I like to sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top. It really brings out all the other flavors!
We need to let the cookie cool, which is the hardest part. If you let it cool for at least an hour it will slice up nice and neat, but if you want to enjoy it warm, just go for it. The brown butter does such a good job of greasing the pan that your cookie slices shouldn’t stick! Top it with a scoop of ice cream and sit down with a spoon, or stuff a slice into your mouth while standing over the pan in the kitchen–this is YOUR grain-free skillet cookie, and nobody’s judging.
