How to Bake Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet
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Do you love brownies? Have you ever cooked brownies in a cast iron skillet? If not, then it’s time to give this cooking technique a try! Cooking brownies in a cast iron skillet (also known as “skillet brownies”) has many benefits and is worth the extra effort to adapt your recipe. You’ll only need to do that once if you love the results. This article will teach you how to bake brownies in a cast iron skillet with step-by-step instructions. We’ll also answer some of your most frequently asked questions such as “why is cooking brownies in a cast iron skillet so good?” and “how do I adjust brownie recipes for cooking them in cast iron?”
You don’t have to be a professional cook or baker to enjoy the benefits of cooking brownies in a cast iron skillet; it’s easy enough for anyone! The fact that this is an old-fashioned technique makes it even more appealing.
Why is cooking brownies in a cast iron skillet so good?
Cast iron cooking is making a big comeback due to its many benefits. When compared to other materials such as aluminum or Teflon, cast iron distributes heat evenly and retains it for longer. Therefore, brownies cooked in a cast iron skillet will have the perfect brownie crust on top and bottom.
A cast iron pan browns brownies and other baked goods evenly because it heats quickly, which is one of the reasons why I prefer this type of pan to bake brownies.
A well-seasoned cast iron pan will also release your brownies very cleanly, making it easy to remove them from the skillet when cooled.
Cast-iron skillets also make a great serving vessel. You can leave your brownies right in the pan and top them with ice cream! Just don’t leave them in the skillet for more than a few hours or a day; beyond that, they will zap moisture from the pan and leave it needing to be seasoned.
Not only are skillet brownies delicious, but they’ll also be moist inside! They’re rich and have that fudgy texture we all love about brownies.
How do you adjust brownie recipes for cooking in cast iron?
First, you’ll need to make sure that your brownie recipe is the appropriate size for your cast iron skillet. For example, if your cast iron skillet is an 8-10 inch size, choosing a recipe that is normally cooked in an 8×8 pan should work. Do not use a recipe designed for a 9×13 pan.
You can also choose to split your recipe into multiple small cast iron pans. This becomes a bit of an estimating game, but in my experience, a recipe designed for an 8×8 pan will divide well into two 4 or 5-inch skillets.
Secondly, I always preheat my cast iron pan in the oven while it comes to temperature. This ensures that your pan is evenly heated when your batter goes in. I add a pat of butter while it is heating and use that to swirl around the pan to ensure that brownies will not stick.
Lastly, you’ll need to adjust your cooking temperature. Another great benefit of cooking brownies in a cast iron skillet is its ability to retain heat for longer than other materials. Because of this, your brownies will cook just a little bit faster in cast iron, especially if you pre-heat your pan. And with the residual heat, they’ll continue to finish cooking for a little while after you remove them from the oven.
I typically bake brownies in a 10″ skillet for approximately 30 minutes (as opposed to about 40 minutes in a glass pan). Smaller skillets, such as a 4 or 5-inch size, should be baked for closer to 20-22 minutes.
Now that you know all there is to know about baking brownies in a cast iron skillet, it’s time to get cookin’! Be sure to adjust your brownie recipes accordingly and enjoy this old-fashioned cooking technique. Happy brownie baking!
Do you have any tips or tricks for making brownies in a cast iron skillet? Share them in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.
Great Recipes for Cast Iron Skillet Brownies
There are a number of online recipes for skillet brownies, but we find that many of our favorite brownie recipes work well for this method! A couple of our go-to recipes for our 8 or 10″ skillet include:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Quick & Easy Fudge Brownies
- Sally’s Baking Addiction Chewy Fudgy Homemade Brownies
- Smitten Kitten Infinitely Adaptable Blondies (yes, even blondies can be cooked in cast iron!)
And yes, you can also use a boxed mix if you want to take the easy route (though we think brownies are exceptionally easy either way). When we use a box mix, we turn to King Arthur’s Gluten Free Fudge Brownies – whether you’re gluten-free or not, these are a fudgy delicious brownie that will please everyone!
For all of these recipes, remember to adapt the baking time to about 5-10 minutes less than the recipe indicates.
