Craving Cookies? Try Making Them On Your Stove

Cooking cookie dough on the stove isn't exactly a new practice. However, it's almost always done in one particular way: instead of scooping out individual cookies and placing them on a sheet, you lay out all the dough in a single layer in a cast iron skillet. But this method isn't foolproof. Dough that's too thick or spread out unevenly will leave you with raw sections and others that are burned. Even if you like the taste of raw cookie dough, making one giant cookie isn't the most convenient option when it comes to serving or storing leftovers.

Don't discount the stove just yet, however. The good news is that it isn't impossible to make stovetop cookies that look traditional and taste like they were baked in an oven. This also means that if you're craving homemade cookies while on a camping trip or in a setting with only a stove, you don't have to wait to make them until you get back home.

To make cookies on the stove, you don't have to modify the ingredients or measurements of your oven-focused cookie recipe. However, you will have to alter the temperature, time, and general cooking technique so they come out looking as if you'd baked them. 

As TikTok creator @iankewks demonstrates, the most successful process is a lot like that used to make Welsh cakes. A Welsh cake is a British dessert that looks similar to a cookie but is flat on both sides rather than just the bottom. Most importantly, it's cooked on the stove. 

Welsh cakes are made by flattening dough into several cookie-sized discs, then cooking them in a greased pan over low heat, flipping them halfway through. Welsh cake dough is slightly bready and uses fruit instead of chocolate, but according to @iankewks, the same method works with standard cookie dough.

Pancakes, another stovetop favorite, are typically cooked over medium to medium-high heat. Welsh cakes and stovetop cookies require a lower temperature because they're made with a dough, not a wet batter. At medium heat, cookies brown too quickly and remain raw in the middle, so it's important to keep your stove at its lowest setting. Unlike other baked goods, where preheating the oven is necessary, you will want to start with a cold pan to prevent your cookies from spreading. It also helps to start with chilled dough.

If you want your cookie to have a more traditional look, you can skip the flipping step. Instead, cover the pan until the cookies have risen and the tops look dry. At this point, sprinkle on a few extra chocolate chips and cover the pan again. Once the chocolate chips have melted, your stovetop cookies are ready to enjoy.