Easy Cast-Iron Skillet Dessert Recipes

There are some who would have you believe that a fruit salad or light yogurt qualifies as "indulgent dessert." We don't trust those people. For the days where you fully commit to going all-out with a decadent meal and have decided to throw all caution to the wind re: your health, there's really only one thing that'll fit the bill. And that thing is a gooey, rich, what-even-are-calories dessert—ideally, one you can make in a cast-iron skillet for easy presentation, too. Here are some of our favorite sweet treats to bookmark now and make ASAP.

Rich cream cheese-swirled biscuits and tart fresh strawberries combine for the dessert of our summer dreams. Half Baked Harvest's recipe is easy to follow—there's even a video tutorial—and is a total showstopper; she recommends serving it in the same skillet for a rustic presentation that wows.

Berries + chocolate = a winning combination. This skillet cookie combines the fresh taste of raspberries with the decadence of chocolate chunks and goes perfectly with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream served on top. Bakerita's recipe is an all-around winner.

A deep dish chocolate chip cookie guarantees crispy goodness on the top with a soft, gooey center—the best of both worlds! And if you thought classic chocolate chip couldn't get any better, this version ups the flavor with a delicious caramel-sea salt combo.

This Southern-inspired dessert is rustic with a hint of Deep South sophistication thanks to lots of fresh fruit and a quarter cup of your favorite bourbon.

This recipe allows you to recreate your favorite campfire treat indoors, minus the mess. Pile everything into a cast-iron skillet and bake for 20 minutes or until your s'mores are golden brown and melty.

Unlike most cast-iron desserts, this cake also calls for frosting. Like a traditional Texas sheet cake, the prep work is super easy—boiling everything together in a saucepan before pouring into a cast-iron skillet. Tip: Allow the frosting to harden before serving and top with lots of vanilla ice cream.

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Similar to a pound cake, this recipe is the perfect simple dessert to end a meal. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar for a lovely, sweet finish to this light vanilla-flavored sugar cake.

A cast-iron skillet is the perfect way to make this classic upside down—because presentation is everything. And so is an easy cleanup, which this recipe luckily provides as well.

In the fall, we're all reaching for new ways to use up all of those delicious apples that come into season. This delicious crumble combines sweet apples with salted caramel for an irresistible treat that's perfect in the autumn (though we'll be making this particular recipe all year round).

If the idea of a peach crisp seems like a contradiction in terms (peaches = summer, while crisp = fall), this dessert is just as delicious with frozen peaches or even plums when stone fruits are in season.

This recipe makes give individual three-and-a-half-inch cast-iron skillet brownies, making this the perfect dessert for impressing guests at your next small dinner party. Serve the brownies in their skillets, top with vanilla ice cream and prepare for these rich chocolaty treats to become an instant classic.

If you have a soft spot for baking shortcuts, this recipe uses Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits as the base for these yummy bites. Top with a simple caramel drizzle, and this is sure to be a favorite go-to whenever you crave a swoon-worthy dessert on the fly.

Think of this as a cousin to the crepe. By itself, the Dutch baby is a simple, slightly sweet treat that's perfect for dessert, because you can customize it however you like. Top with fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolate, Nutella, peanut butter, preserves or whatever you crave the most.

This recipe takes a traditional blondie recipe and ups the volume with fresh apple and lots of autumnal flavors like cinnamon and apple pie spice. And, yes, vanilla ice cream is a must.

Keep this idea on hand for breakfast or dessert when only over-the-top sweet decadence will do. A simple homemade sweet roll dough is rolled together with two separate fillings—one cream cheese and one raspberry—and then finished off with a cream cheese glaze.  If raspberry isn't your fave, substitute with fresh strawberries or blueberries instead.

Speaking of strawberry, this simple sweet treat is a one-pan shortcake that's perfectly delicious as is, or topped with mounds of fluffy whipped cream or vanilla ice cream—your choice. The recipe's author suggests the base is more of a cake than a biscuit, so even those who don't normally swoon for shortcake should definitely give it a try.

A homemade butterscotch base guarantees that this is no ordinary pumpkin pie. When you're ready for a twist on the same old Thanksgiving standby, THIS is it.

A crostata is perfect for baking newbies, because its rustic crust is way simpler to master than a traditional pie. Translation: Messy is good because it adds to the homemade feel. We can definitely get on board with that.

Because everything deserves a crumble topping—even pumpkin pie. Bookmark this recipe now to whip out when it's time for a twist on Thanksgiving favorites.

If upside-down pineapple cake doesn't tempt you, we think this caramelized apple version will. Oven-roasted pecans, homemade caramel and fresh apple make this the perfect dessert for wowing friends and family at the holiday table.

Somewhere between a cookie, a cake and an ooey-gooey bread pudding is this delicious caramel dessert. Six ingredients create a dessert that's easy to make yet packed with rich, buttery goodness.

This story was originally published on Domino.