Skillet Brownies

The ultimate easy gooey brownie! These came together in no time and were the perfect texture—not quite a pudding and not quite a cake. They were excellent and gooey the day I made them, tasted great the next day, and were still super moist and flavorful two days later. And gluten-free means more of my friends can enjoy!

I used almond meal because that’s what I had on hand. As for the superfine sugar, to be honest, I just used regular granulated sugar. I baked them for 40 minutes and they were still super gooey. I let them sit for about 90 minutes in the skillet before slicing so they firmed up a bit more. Still pretty hard to cut cleanly in the skillet, especially since you don’t want to use a knife on your cast iron skillet. I used a plastic bench scraper.

I cut them into 9 slices for dessert-size brownies but I would cut smaller slices if they were for snacks.

This recipe had me at “gooey”! And the method of cooking it in a cast iron skillet, creating crunchy edges, excited me! I had images of my chocolate-smeared face chugging my chilled (almond) milk in total satisfaction (cue crackling fireplace in the background).

The short list of ingredients meant the sooner I could enjoy these brownies. And most of the ingredients already present in my pantry. I was intrigued at the notion of using ground almonds. It made the recipe gluten-free and appear healthier. Win!

I was slightly confused how finely to grind the nuts. So I “Goldilocks’d” it and made them not too coarse and not too fine. Once everything was measured, chopped, and ground, the assembly was easy. The batter was creamy and thick—consistent with typical brownie batter.

I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet and baked for 25 minutes. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of chocolate. The taste was actually better than grocery store gluten-free brownies and even better than the ones I’ve purchased at overpriced Williamsburg Brooklyn cafes! There was a nice chocolate flavor that wasn’t overly sweet. I liked the slight crunch texture of the ground almonds while my mom said it was “interesting.” Although she grabbed another one “just to be sure.”

Thick and dense and intensely chocolate. A small slice is all you’ll need to satisfy any and all chocolate cravings.

So easy to make. Turn on the oven, get out the ingredients and equipment, and start making brownie magic. These are quick and simple to put together, with just a little melting and a little mixing you’ll have them ready to bake by the time the oven is at temperature.

I baked them for 25 minutes until the brownies were nicely done with a crunchy surface and a soft and dense interior. These would be great served right from the pan for a large group with scoops of ice cream on top. And they kept well for several days. My teens had chocolate for breakfast.

This skillet brownies recipe is almost exactly like a brownie recipe I’ve been making for a very long time. The only difference is that it’s made with ground nuts. I actually like the idea a lot. The yield is probably closer to 8 but it all depends on how you cut the wedges. They are a little more delicate and fall apart a bit. The timing was accurate.

It wasn’t clear how to tell when it’s done—I went ahead and used toothpick. The problem with cooking baked goods that don’t have a lot of liquid is that the cast iron skillet will continue to cook them for a while after removing from the oven.

By the way, Trader Joe’s sells ground hazelnuts and you can find almond flour just about everywhere now. Simply use the weight measure and it’s easy to substitute this.