Pizookie Recipe with the absolute best chocolate-chip cookie dough, packed with melty chocolate chips, and baked warm and gooey in a deep-dish skillet or cake pan.
author’s note
The Copycat Dessert That’s Better Homemade!
When my husband and I were in college, we found a little dessert café that quickly became our go-to spot. They had tons of homemade treats, but we almost always ordered the same thing: pizookies. If you’ve never had one, a pizookie is basically a pizza-shaped, deep-dish cookie baked in a skillet and served warm with a big scoop of ice cream on top. The name is owned by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, but versions like this show up at dessert spots everywhere.
We each ordered our own the first time and quickly realized one could easily serve four. Oops!
After graduation, we moved a few hundred miles away, so I knew I had to make my own. Now these homemade pizookies show up all the time at my house and they are a huge favorite.
This Pizookie recipe is the BEST! It’s sweet, gooey, loaded with chocolate, and just so fun.
Ingredients In This Pizookie Recipe
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Butter & sugars | Use room-temp butter and soft, fresh brown sugar, not hard or clumpy. |
| Egg & vanilla | Let the egg sit out at room-temp for a bit so it mixes in smoothly. Use real vanilla for the best flavor. |
| Flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt | Make sure the baking soda and baking powder are fresh. |
| Chocolate chips & mini chips or M&M’s | Use your favorite mix-ins here! Stick with all chocolate chips or add M&M’s for extra texture and flavor. |
| Ice cream & hot fudge | Add right before serving so the cookie stays warm and gooey! |
How To Make This Pizookie Recipe
- Prep pan: Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch skillet or pan.
- Cream: Beat butter and sugars, then mix in egg and vanilla.
- Make dough: Stir in dry ingredients, then fold in mix-ins.
- Layer: Press in half the dough, add candy, cover with remaining dough.
- Bake: Cook 20 to 25 minutes until edges are golden and center is soft.
- Serve: Cool slightly and top as desired.
Chelsea’s Top Tip
Slightly Underbaked Is Best!
Watch the bake time: Pull it when the edges are light golden and the center still looks soft. I think pizookies are at their absolute best slightly underbaked and a little gooey!
Recipe Variations
- If you aren’t a fan of Reese’s, you can use virtually any chocolate candy for the middle of this Pizookie recipe (or leave it without a center filling altogether). Some other candies we’ve tried and loved include Rolos®, coarsely chopped Kit-Kats®, Hershey’s® chocolate bars.
- S’mores Version: Give our Smores Pizookie a try for a fun summer twist!
- Swap out the milk chocolate for semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate (or use a combination of a few different chocolate chips).
- Add a drizzle of hot fudge, caramel sauce, or melted peanut butter on top of the fresh-from-the-oven Pizookie!
More Cookie Recipes:
Pizookie Recipe
Equipment
- Large cast-iron pan or 9-inch cake pan
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixers
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 to 12 Miniature Reese’s Cups unwrapped and cut in half, optional
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or M&Ms
- Vanilla ice cream or whatever flavor you love; optional topping
- Hot fudge topping optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just until a dough forms. Do not over-mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and mini chips or M&M’s.
- Divide the dough in half. Press half into the bottom of the skillet. Arrange the halved Reese’s cups evenly on top, cut side down, if using.
- Press the remaining dough over the Reese’s cups and smooth into one even layer so the candy is fully covered.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are light golden and the center still looks soft. (I like it best slightly underbaked in the center so it stays a little gooey.)
- Let cool slightly, then serve warm with ice cream and hot fudge if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my! This is really an amazing dessert! You’re not kidding around! 🙂
Haha it’s definitely an “intense” dessert!! Thank you Kelly!
Wow, this is amazing! 🙂
Thank you Jess!
Holy Cow . . . talk about mouthwatering. Yum 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous is the only thing that is coming to my brain. You seriously have me hypnotized right now!
Wow! I never met a pizookie I didn’t like, these look too good.
Thank you Anna! 🙂
Oh my, my, my!! This looks amazing Chelsea!! I have never had a pizookie and that is going to have to change!!! Is that a full size skillet? Is it wrong of me to think I could take that down all by myself?? 😉
Hahaha!! That would be so awesome if you could! I wish I could eat an entire pizookie myself, but don’t think my husband would be very happy I hogged it all 🙂 It’s an 8 inch skillet, but I want to try a pizookie in a 12-inch one – that would be quite the cookie! Have a great weekend Renee 🙂
Oh. My. Goodness! This is beyond gorgeous, Chelsea. I’ve been loving all the “skillet cookie” recipes lately, but yours takes the cake, ha! Love the word pizookie :). Wish I could have a slice of this right now. I can only imagine what this tastes like while still warm and gooey…
Haha thanks Kathi! Isn’t that such a fun word?! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
This is one amazing pizookie! Love everything about it!
Thank you Jessica! 🙂
Oooh this is heavenly!
Thanks Alyssa! Haha I know! I have tons of more ideas I want to do since there are so many different candy variations!
That gooey, candy-filled center has me drooling all over my scrubs. I’m gonna need a pizookie…fast!
Haha okay we should switch – you can have some pizookie if I can have some of your super yummy dip!! 😉