Name: Gluten Free Caramel Apple Skillet Cookie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour; 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter; 1/2 cup Brown Sugar; 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 large Egg; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 medium Granny Smith Apple; 1 tbsp Butter; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon; 2 tbsp Caramel Sauce

When apples are in season, I always look for new ways to bake with them. This gluten free caramel apple skillet cookie is one of my favorites so far.

It’s basically a big, warm cookie baked in a skillet with cinnamon apples and caramel on top. Simple to make, and it tastes incredible.

The cookie itself is soft and chewy, and the apple topping adds just the right amount of sweetness and flavor. It’s one of those desserts that feels a little fancy but really isn’t hard at all.

And yes, it’s 100% gluten free. You wouldn’t be able to tell though. The texture is spot on, and everyone at the table will enjoy it whether they eat gluten free or not.

You only need basic baking ingredients plus an apple and some caramel sauce. Nothing complicated, nothing hard to find.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a Skillet Cookie – Skillet cookies are one of the most fun desserts you can make because you bake one giant cookie instead of scooping out a bunch of little ones. Less work, more cookie, and it looks super impressive when you bring it to the table still warm in the skillet.

Perfectly Gluten Free – This skillet cookie is made with gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, so it tastes just as soft and chewy as a regular cookie. Nobody at the table will even guess it’s gluten free unless you tell them.

Caramel and Apple Is a Dream Combo – The warm cinnamon apples on top with a drizzle of caramel sauce take this cookie from great to absolutely incredible. It’s like caramel apple season wrapped up in a giant cookie, and honestly what’s better than that?

Simple Ingredients You Probably Already Have – Most of this recipe uses everyday baking staples like butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The only specialty item is the gluten free flour, which is easy to find at most grocery stores these days.

Ingredients

For the Cookie

1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

For the Apple Topping

1 medium Granny Smith Apple
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Caramel Sauce

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet.

Step 2

In a medium pan over medium heat, saute the diced apple with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and cinnamon for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla.

Step 4

Add the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Fold in half of the cooked apples.

Step 5

Press the dough evenly into the skillet, top with the remaining apples, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 6

Drizzle the baked cookie with caramel sauce while still warm and serve.

Helpful Tips

Use Room Temperature Butter and Egg

Take the butter and the egg out of the fridge about 30 to 45 minutes before you start. Room temperature butter creams way better with the sugars, and you’ll get that fluffy texture the recipe is asking for.

If the butter is still cold, it won’t blend smoothly and you’ll end up with little chunks in the dough. Cold eggs can also cause the creamed butter to seize up and look curdled.

If you forgot to take the butter out, you can cut it into small cubes and let it sit for about 15 minutes. That speeds things up without having to microwave it and risk melting it.

Dice the Apples Small and Even

Cut the Granny Smith apple into small pieces, roughly the same size, about half an inch or so. If the pieces are too big, they won’t cook through in the 5 minutes of sauteing and you’ll end up with hard chunks in your cookie.

Keeping the pieces even also matters because smaller ones will turn to mush while bigger ones stay crunchy. You want all the apple pieces to soften at the same rate so the texture is consistent.

Granny Smith is the best pick here because it holds its shape when cooked and has that tart flavor that balances out all the sweetness from the brown sugar and caramel.

Don’t Skip Cooking the Apples First

It might seem like extra work, but sauteing the apples before putting them in the dough makes a big difference. Raw apple pieces release moisture as they bake, and that extra liquid can make the center of the cookie gummy and undercooked.

Cooking them first also lets the brown sugar and cinnamon soak into the apple pieces, so you get that warm, caramelized flavor in every bite instead of just plain apple taste.

Make sure you let the cooked apples cool down for a few minutes before folding them into the dough. If they’re too hot, they can start melting the butter in the dough and mess with the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size skillet should I use for this cookie?

A 10-inch cast iron skillet works best for this recipe. It gives the cookie enough room to spread out evenly while still staying thick and chewy in the middle.

If you only have an 8-inch skillet, you can still use it, but the cookie will be thicker and may need a few extra minutes in the oven to bake through.