The Ultimate Fudgy Skillet Brownie
This one-pan recipe creates a spectacular, shareable dessert with a rich, gooey center and perfectly crisp edges. By building the batter directly in a hot cast-iron skillet, you unlock a deeper chocolate flavor and ensure minimal cleanup. This is the definitive way to enjoy a brownie—warm, right from the pan, and topped with melting vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate (60-72% cacao), chopped
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 to 4 scoops, for serving vanilla ice cream
Steps
- 1
Set your oven to preheat to 350°F.
- 2
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, remove the skillet from the heat. Add the chopped dark chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has fully melted. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- 3
Once cooled, stir in the sugar until it is thoroughly combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until the batter becomes glossy. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, folding them in gently until just incorporated.
- 4
Bake for 15 minutes. The brownie is ready when the sides are risen and look dry, but the center remains slightly underdone.
- 5
Let the skillet cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes—this is a difficult but necessary step. Top with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream, pass out forks, and enjoy directly from the pan.
Pro tips
- For the gooiest texture, pull the brownie from the oven while the center is still soft. It will set up as it cools in the hot skillet.
- The mandatory 5-minute rest allows the brownie to finish cooking and firm up just enough to be scoopable but still decadent and warm.
- Using high-quality dark chocolate (between 60% and 72% cacao) provides a deep, complex flavor that wonderfully balances the sweetness of the sugar and ice cream.