Secret Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie

Yield: 12-16 servings

This recipe tastes like a happy fusion of a fudgy brownie and the perfect peanut butter cookie–plus it's loaded with protein and all the healthy benefits of pumpkin and chia seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, pumpkin, and egg until creamy.

Add the chia seeds, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
Stir until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Add the honey and mix until fully incorporated, and then stir in the chocolate chunks. Allow the mixture to sit for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the chia seeds time to absorb some of the moisture.

Spread the batter into a lightly greased, 10-inch cast iron skillet. (If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a 9-inch square baking dish is a good substitute.)
 Bake for 35 minutes or until the center is just firm. (All ovens vary, so check a few minutes early.  If the top is sufficiently brown but the center is still not set, lightly drape with a piece of foil for the last 5-10 minutes.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
 Serve warm or at room temperature, as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This dessert may sit, covered, at room temperature for several days, although I like to store it in the refrigerator. (It tastes great cold too.) When stored in the fridge, the cookie will keep for at least one week…not that it’s likely to last that long!