I'm Obsessed With Joanna Gaines Alternative Cookie Baking Method – and I'll be Making Her Silo Cookies All Holiday Season

Sweet treats are (almost) universally beloved, but the perfect cookie is, in my view, a deeply personal matter. Crunchy or soft? Plain, spiced, or packed with mix-ins? Recipes can be hard to nail down, especially if you're prepping batches for busy periods like the Christmas season. But now I can confidently say that I've found a crowd-pleaser: Joanna Gaines' Silo Cookies.

Just like Joanna's famous sugar cookie recipe, the Silo Cookies are a Magnolia staple – and I love that they can be baked in a skillet as well as on a traditional cookie sheet. In fact, this is Joanna's preferred baking method: in her skillet Silo Cookie post on the Magnolia blog, she notes that a skillet produces 'one big shareable cookie', ultimately resulting in a more 'elevated dessert'. (Plus, it provides the perfect opportunity to invest in a handsome piece of kit like the Lodge Magnolia-branded cast iron skillet.)

'This is one of our favorite cookies to make at the bakery,' explains Joanna in a video for Magnolia Table. 'It's really the best of everything in one cookie.'

Forget experimenting with recipes and baking countless batches; Joanna's Silo Cookies call for all the mix-ins, all at once. Think chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, oats, and walnuts, all expertly folded into a classic cookie base. The result is an expertly balanced dessert: sweet and yet subtly salty, with a crumbly edge, a soft center, and pockets of crunch. 'You can't really go wrong with this recipe; it hits every note of flavor and texture,' Joanna explains.

Yet as I've learned while perfecting Joanna's cinamon roll recipe, the secret to a winning dish doesn't just lie in the ingredients, but the preparation – and Joanna shares a few nuggets of wisdom to ensure your cookies are really bakery-worthy.

'The key to these cookies is to put the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes,' Joanna advises. 'Then put them in the oven at 350°F for 13-15 minutes.'

Not only that, but if she is using a skillet pan instead of a baking sheet, Joanna serves them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – it doesn't get much more indulgent than that.

Having already snapped up some of the gorgeous kitchenware in Joanna Gaines' new cooking show, I can't wait to put it to good use by whipping up a few batches of Silo Cookies. Magnolia's copper mixing bowl set was perhaps my most stylish investment, though the flat cookie sheet will really come in handy, too. Not forgetting my prized possession: the KitchenAid Go hand mixer from Joanna Gaines' 2025 Target collection, which happens to be on sale right now if you want to spoil a keen baker in your life this Christmas.

The Silo Cookies might be beloved by Magnolia fans, but I know they're about to be just as popular in my household – especially during the holidays. You'll find Joanna's full recipe below, plus a skillet cookie alternative.

Joanna Gaines' Silo Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1½ cups rolled oats
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1½ cups peanut butter chips
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).
• Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is fully blended into the mixture. Add the vanilla and beat until everything is well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until incorporated.
• Add the oats, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and walnuts, and beat on low speed until incorporated (about 15 to 20 seconds).
• Using a 2oz cookie scoop, place balls of dough onto one of your prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Set the dough balls 3 inches apart on the second prepared baking sheet and bake until browned (13 to 15 minutes). Bake in batches, leaving the dough balls in the refrigerator until you're ready to transfer them to the oven.
• Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
• To bake in a skillet instead of on a sheet, arrange up to 5 dough balls in an even layer on a 6-inch skillet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden around the edges and soft in the center. Let cool in the skillet on top of a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then top with vanilla ice cream and serve warm.

Shop Joanna Gaines' Silo Cookie Essentials

Want to put a festive spin on your baking setup? Joanna Gaines' Target cookie decorating kit is my preferred way to get into the Christmas spirit – and channel some holiday nostalgia.