I don’t know about you, but I have a deep love for my cast iron skillet. So naturally, I’m always on the lookout for new fun recipes that will allow me to use it. And as a baker and lover of all things sweet, I cannot resist cast iron desserts! If you’re new to the cast iron world: hello and welcome. You’ve come to the right place! Cast iron lives up to all the hype, and then some! Just remember that these skillets require a little love. There are no dishwashers allowed and they need plenty of oil rubs. For desserts, cast iron is such a great way to get even heat, and you can throw the skillet right into the oven without a second thought. Plus, they make the cutest single servings when you use mini-skillets! Ok, time to stop rambling on and get into the fun part! Here’s a list of 30 fantastic cast iron skillet desserts that will satisfy all your needs!
1. Rustic Skillet Apple Pie Recipe
What I love about this recipe is that you’ll get a double layer of flaky pastry and a handsome helping of spiced apples in every bite. Usually, with skillet pies, you’ll only get that one top layer of pastry. This recipe has a bottom layer that sits over a heavenly butter and sugar mix. This sauce will cook on the bottom, allowing the apples to cook without going mushy.
2. Skillet Berry Cobbler
I love using mixed berries in a cobbler for the flavors and for those incredibly vibrant colors! You just can’t beat it. During the summer months, I hoard fresh fruit and will freeze a bunch for winter. This is best with fresh, but if you’re using frozen, be sure to let them thaw and drain off any excess liquid. Top tip: keep the liquid that drains from the fruit and add it to your jams, compotes, and even buttercream.
3. Iron Skillet Apple Cake
This tender spiced cake is a lot like those you’ll find in Scandinavia. They use a moist vanilla cake and load it with chopped apples. The fruit will cook and release its juices to make the cake even sweeter. All you’ll need to serve this is a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce.
4. Pizookie (Skillet Cookie)
This pizza-like cookie is thick, chewy, and something you’ll want to share. Just add some ice cream to the top and dive right in! This is the perfect dessert to serve in mini-skillets. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t light up when presented with their own warm cookie skillet.
5. Skillet Blueberry Slump
I’m not sure where the name came from, but a blueberry dessert by any other name is still just as sweet! I love cooking dumplings like this. As much as I like dense dumplings, I much prefer these bigger, fluffier ones. They’ll get dropped right into the blueberry sauce and will cook with the juices. The bottom will absorb all that great flavor, while the top will form a crunchy crust. Sprinkle with brown sugar for added texture.
6. Old-Fashioned Skillet Cake
This cake needs just six ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time. Oh, and it’s a one-bowl wonder, so the dishes are minimal! This simple little cake makes such a great base for everything from hot fudge sauce to fresh fruit. Of course, you can add some fruit to the batter to make it a little fancier.
7. Tarte Tatin
I think people believe this recipe is harder than it is. Maybe it’s the name, or maybe it’s the origin. The French are known to be pastry masters, after all. But the truth is, it could not be easier. I often have some puff pastry made up in the freezer, but you can absolutely use the stuff from the store. Just be sure to get a good quality brand or be left with a flat, pale, mess. With an apple filling, you can either cook the apples first or slice them super thin. Other fruits will bake right along with the pastry. The key to getting that amazing finish is to turn it out when it’s still warm. Use oven mitts to protect your hands from the hot juices, and turn it out onto a plate so that any juices won’t spill.
8. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet
You may have made this before and are wondering why you would use a cast iron skillet. The simple answer is the crust. When making pineapple upside-down cake, you’ll add a brown sugar syrup on the bottom that will caramelize as it bakes. When you use a cast iron skillet, the base warms better and will leave you with the most flavorful syrup ever.
9. Easy Apple Crisp in a Cast-Iron Skillet
The beauty of a skillet apple crisp is the time-factor. It takes about half the time to bake as a pie. I prefer the crisp top in a lot of cases, and by cooking it in the skillet, the added heat from the cast iron will cook the apples in a snap. And you won’t have to worry about a soggy bottom.
10. Apple Cinnamon Skillet Blondie
Blondies are already pretty perfect. Thick, chewy, with a deep caramel flavor… I can’t have just one! These are especially good with the added spices and warm apple compotes layered over the top. The smell alone will have people lining up for their serving.
11. Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls
I can’t lie; making cinnamon rolls is a journey. They need some love and a lot of rest, but they are more than worth it in the end. I like to make my dough the morning before. Wrap it up and pop it in the fridge. Before bed, I roll it out and make my rolls. Wrap these in the fridge overnight, and then you can have them for breakfast the next day!
12. Rustic Honey Cake
Using honey not only allows you to cut out some refined sugar, but it also adds so much amazing flavor! I like to stock up on homegrown honey from local farms, but you can use store-bought. Just try to look for the more natural honey. The container should say raw for the best flavor.
13. Skillet Apple Pie Biscuits
I can’t overstate this: you HAVE to make this recipe. If you only pick one, it should be this. Over the weekend, I love to make big, sweet breakfasts that we don’t get to enjoy during the week. And this has been on the menu three Sundays in a row! Use frozen biscuits to cut your prep down, and the filling is as easy as opening a can!
14. Blueberry Skillet Cake
Going through this recipe, it’s actually more like a thick blueberry pancake. The batter is made in a blender, and it will be a lot thinner than any of the other cakes above. So you know what that means, right? You can devour this for breakfast! Seriously, it’s so sweet and tender, and the color will just brighten up your day.
15. Skillet Rhubarb Cobbler
I don’t think we use rhubarb enough. When it’s fresh, it’s sweet, tart, and absolutely beautiful. Again, I like to buy it and freeze it during the summer months, so that I can have something like this skillet cobbler even in the dead of winter. If you think rhubarb is too sour – I get it! Try adding some strawberries to even out the tang.
16. Easy Strawberry Cake
Much like the apple cakes above, this recipe is such a fantastic, light, and flavorful cake. Using fresh strawberries right in the batter will let them seep their juices into the cake to make it extra moist and delicious. I love the color you get from using strawberries, and if you like it less sweet, try adding in some raspberries.
17. Indoor S’mores
I know I’m not the only one missing those warm summer nights spent around a campfire. It might still be cold outside, but there’s no rule that says s’mores are just for summer! This great little dip gives you all the right flavors and zero smoke in the eyes. I’m not going to lie; this is pretty decadent. I mean, it’s a skillet full of melted chocolate and marshmallow. But as a sharing dessert, it’s totally perfect. Put out a plate of fresh fruit and graham crackers and dig in.
18. Flourless Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie
This recipe is the perfect gluten-free cast iron skillet dessert! Since you’ll make this cookie in a skillet, you won’t really have to worry about the cookie holding its shape or spreading too much in the oven. Using coconut flour is a great way to make this gluten-free, and I dare anyone to taste the difference. With all that creamy peanut butter, nobody will be looking for the flour bag.
19. Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
If you think pineapple upside-down cake is impressive, just wait until you see this elegant, pink beauty. I like having chunks of rhubarb to bite into, but if you’re looking for something more dainty, try slicing the rhubarb into thin flat strips and laying them in a fan shape. They will cook along with the batter and leave such a pretty pattern when it turns out.
20. Farm-Style Peach Galette
The issue a lot of people have with fruit pies has to be the soggy bottom. Regardless of the filling, any fruit will release its juices as it cooks. As the juices sink to the bottom, it’s not uncommon to pull a pie from an hour’s bake to find a wet spot of undercooked dough. That’s why I love using cast iron. The heat from the skillet will guarantee the pastry cooks through and ends up flaky and perfect every time.
21. Skillet Cinnamon Pear Cake
The first time I made something like this, I was so impressed with how it came out. Pears are such an underrated fruit, and they give such a gorgeous decoration! Let’s all vow to use them more from now on, ok? It might look complicated, but all you’ll need to do is slice your pears right. And if you want to boost the flavor, try poaching them for 10-15 minutes. They will soften a little but still hold their shape, and you’ll get such an amazing infusion of flavor.
22. Pear Bourbon Skillet Crisp
I wasn’t kidding when I said we should use pears more. So I figured you could use a couple of options! If you’re looking for something more familiar, this one’s for you. The crisp top is everything you love from an apple crisp. The only difference is the soaked bourbon pears!
23. Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake
I love everything about this cake. The look of it, the smell as it comes out of the oven, and most of all, the incredible taste. Since bananas don’t need much cooking, this is quicker than some of the other recipes. As the cast iron cooks the caramel, it will brown and infuse with the bananas into something truly special.
24. Cast Iron Skillet Banana Bread
Have you ever made banana bread and had the middle come out wet and soggy? It happens to the best of us, and it’s usually a quick fix. But baking it in a skillet removes the height and makes cooking far easier. The only thing that could make this better is if you put the caramel and bananas from the recipe above in there, too!
25. Skillet Raspberry-White Chocolate Pull-Apart Rolls
If you have some biscuits in a can and need a quick, sweet, sharable dessert, then you need to try this recipe. I love the light biscuits alongside creamy white chocolate. And the raspberry is just the right amount of tart to go along with the sweet chocolate.
26. Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
Yet another fruit we don’t use enough, and another fruit I stockpile and freeze during the summer! Not only are they juicy, sweet, and slightly tart, but they have such a vibrant purple color when cooked! Keep it simple with just a store-bought pie top, or maybe try a crumble top for added texture.
27. S’mores Nachos
If you’re like me, you can’t say no to nachos and will eat every last crumb before you let anyone take the plate away. This recipe is no different, and you’ll fight over the last chip. I love that it uses graham crackers in place or tortilla chips, and it’s such a fun way to serve a dessert.
28. Death by Chocolate Skillet Brownie
This is another fantastic recipe to make in those mini-cast iron skillets. Who wouldn’t love getting a single serving of this decadent chocolate masterpiece? One thing to keep in mind is that the cast iron will cook the whole thing, meaning it’s easy to overbake this baby. If you like it fudgy, check it after about 20 minutes.
29. Red Velvet Skillet Cookie
You know Valentine’s Day is coming up, right? What better way to finish your home-cooked meal than with this bright red, warm cookie? Dotted with white chocolate for added creaminess, this is the perfect thing to share with your partner.
30. Deep Dish Skillet Brookie
Yep, skillet brookie: that’s brownie + cookie = some major drooling. Individually, they’re perfect. Combined, they’re mind-blowing. The fudgy brownie with the chewy cookie is just to die for! If you want to be able to slice this, you’ll have to let it cool. But I say just grab a spoon and dig in! Click on a star to rate it!
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