I'm in love with these skillet blondies with peanut butter and chocolate chips. They're gooey and fudgy and just plain amazing. I recommend eating them family-style directly from the cast-iron skillet with some cinnamon or vanilla ice cream on top.
If I knew back then that the cast iron skillets I saw growing up would be so hot right now, I would’ve kept them. And trust me, I do keep stuff longer than needed, but you don’t lug lots of kilos of iron just because.
Finally, I bought a new one a few weeks ago at the nicest little shop. It was a perfect foodie paradise with all the right pans, kitchen towels, molds, and glass jars. It only needed a stove and oven, and I could well believe it was my kitchen. Not because it was like my kitchen, but because it was a wishing moment. One day.
For now let's concentrate on these cinnamon peanut butter blondies, made in the skillet and topped with a creamy toasted cinnamon ice cream.
The spoon is mine. I did eat a lot of it, still warm, gooey, and contrasting with the frozen cream, decadence beyond the winter day outside.
Spices always take me to savory ideas first, always.
A steaming egg curry, dry rub on ribs, spicy chutney, you know salty, vinegary, fiery. Not dessert. Or so I thought.
I knew I would be making some skillet cookies, brownies, or brookies to break my new iron pan.
I played around with the peanut dark chocolate blondie recipe many times, it's so versatile and the flavor of chocolate chips cookie dough is almost like a canvas, add to it any nut or dried fruit, even a few tablespoons of sweet liquor and create a new bar.
What if we make the dough from scratch in a cast-iron skillet, add some swirls of peanut butter, salted peanuts, and swirl a little bit more to make the chunks of dark chocolate melt just the tiniest bit to stain the batter but not so much?
A few recipes had stayed anchored in my mind, black skillets, melting butter and puffy doughs coming out of the oven, banana flavored, chocolate and mint.
This spicy party deserved the best spice I had, a ground Vietnamese cinnamon I bought in a suitcase with me from a trip. Yeah, I bring oils and spices in my luggage when I travel. Totally worth it when I can't find the same here.
Get your dark chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream, and spoons ready.
This peanut skillet blondie is the stuff of rainy afternoons, friends, and mismatched spoons fighting for the center spot.
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Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 14 Tbs scant 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 Tbs peanut butter
- ½ cup salted peanuts
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into uneven chunks
- Cinnamon ice cream, see recipe here
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Heat an 8-inch cast iron skillet over low heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Add butter, and when it's half melted, add sugar and mix with a whisk.
- Add eggs and mix quickly. Remove skillet from the heat. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix carefully, and then mix in vanilla.
- Stir in peanuts, and add mounds of peanut butter and chocolate chunks. Mix it just a few times to marble, but not too much or the chocolate will all melt.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is dry but center is still somewhat wet.
- Remove from the oven. Serve with scoops of cinnamon ice cream.
Mary Hirsch says
Although I discarded almost everything I owned when I moved last April, everything, I brought my three old cast iron skillets. I will definitely be making this recipe.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
I want my face right in the center of that skillet. Holy moly! Big fat skillet cookies is my ultimate dessert and adding cinnamon and peanut butter is totally putting me over the top! I can't wait to try this!
Heather King says
I just bought a small cast iron skillet but haven't done anything with it...I think a skillet cookie is definitely in order!
Renee says
What a great way to break in your cast iron pan. I'm glad to see someone else loves the combo of cinnamon and peanut butter as much as I do.
And what a bonus that this is mixed and baked in the same skillet. Love it!
Laura Hunter says
I miss my cast iron skillet so much. I am not sure this would turn out as well using a regular pan but it looks too delicious to not at least try
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Oh.my.God. Paula. There is so much amazingness happening here, I don't know where to start. First of all, congrats on your new beautiful cast iron pan! I have a little one (that I foolishly still haven't used because I'm scared of seasoning it) but I'd love a big one so that I can make giant skillet blondies/cookies/cakes/bars/etc as decadent and delicious as this one. I want to face plant into that (who cares if I get third degree burns from the heat? It'd be worth it!).
Christine @ 24 Carrot Kitchen says
I really love my cast iron skillet also. I used to buy non-stick pans, but now just use the cast iron for everything. I wish I knew sooner.
Peanut butter blondies are, of course,a good idea, but I had never thought about them. I love that everything is mixed in the skillet. Lovely!
Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom) says
Is this a single-serving skillet? 😉 This looks so luscious!
Love your photos and I especially LOVE your writing! Thanks for sharing this week!
Dionne Baldwin says
Ok now this was good enough for me to look and make double sure I have everything I need for this! You have done an excellent job with this one! I love it. Peanut butter is my fave so I will have to try it two ways. 😀
Laura Dembowski says
Okay, I was already a little hungry, but now I'm dying looking at these pics. I so want to grab a spoon and dig right it. It looks fantastic, Paula!
easyfoodsmith says
That looks to be such comforting dessert. How I wish I could get my hands on a cast iron skillet...the ones available at the shops here are just not to the mark. So my hunt continues...
thelittleloaf says
I don't own a pan quite like this but I really need one - this recipe sounds incredible! Love the peanut butter cinnamon combo - who needs brownies when you have this?
laurasmess.me says
Oh man. Paula, you're killing me! That is the BEST, most gorgeously decadent blondie I've ever seen. No joke. I've never really been a fan of blondies (as I always thought there was no point making them, when chocolate-loaded brownies were the alternative)but with the cinnamon and pb? I'm there. Definitely making these with that gorgeous ice cream. It's still cold here so it's perfect for curling up with my beau, skillet and ice cream in hand (actually I'd better portion it out or we'd eat it all!!). Thanks lovely xx
Karen @ Lemon Grove Cake Diaries says
Oh wow - this looks so decadent, I so wish I had kept my cast iron skillet now...
I had a laugh at your description of coming back into the country with bags of kitchen implements and spices 🙂
Jeannie Tay says
Everything done in the skillet, how convenient is that! Looks sinful and delicious, especially with the ice-cream, yum!