Pizookie

A Pizookie^[a] is a dessert made from a large cookie usually topped with vanilla ice cream. It is mainly a signature dish of the restaurant chain BJ's Restaurants and has become one of the most well-known aspects of the company.^[1]

Pizookie

A Pizookie at a BJ's in Burbank
Type	Cookie
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Southern California
Created by	BJ's Restaurants
Main ingredients	Cookie and vanilla ice cream

Description

Pizookies are served in small 8 in (20 cm) frying pans and are meant to be eaten when the cookie is warm.^[2] The name is a portmanteau of the words "pizza" and "cookie," as the cookie resembles a deep-dish pizza cooked in a skillet.^[3] In 2019, they sold for US$6.95 to US$7.50 apiece (depending on the flavor), although certain locations offer a $3 special on Tuesdays.^[4] Free Pizookie Day is held annually on July 18.^[5][6]

History

BJ's Restaurants was founded in 1978 in Santa Ana, California, with the dessert mashup being created shortly after.^[7]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, BJ's donated all proceeds from their $3 Pizookies on Tuesdays to the American Red Cross to help with disaster relief.^[8]

In celebration of National Cereal Day in 2019, BJ's sold Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles Pizookies for a limited time.^[4][9] In 2022, the Peanut butter S'more Pizookie returned for National S'mores Day.^[10][11] A "Spooky Pizookie" debuted in 2023, having a Halloween theme.^[12]

BJ's held a virtual event on their Facebook Live page in August 2020, educating the public about the behind-the-scenes of the Pizookie.^[2][13]

Variations

BJ's has many flavors of cookie included in their Pizookies, including caramel, cookies and cream, red velvet cake, chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, strawberry shortcake, oatmeal raisin walnut, churro, and chocolate brownie.^{[1][4][14][15][16]} It is also occasionally accompanied with toppings such as syrup, nuts, and chocolate chips.^[17]

A similar dessert is the cookie cake, a cookie decorated with frosting on top.^[7]

In 2021, to celebrate 25 years in the beer business, BJ's created a Pizookie-flavored porter.^[18]

Notes

1. Sources are conflicted as to whether or not the word should be capitalized.

References

1. "World Famous Pizookie". BJ's Restaurants. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
2. Painter, Alysia Gray (August 12, 2020). "Pizookie People, Dig Deeper Into Your Go-to Dessert". KNBC. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
3. "Pizookie". Simple Joy. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
4. Pomranz, Mike (March 8, 2019). "A Pizookie Is Exactly What It Sounds Like (and So Much More)". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
5. Reinert, Melissa (July 18, 2018). "Eat dinner at BJ's, have dessert for free". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
6. Miller, Bob (September 10, 2019). "BJ's Offers Any Pizookie For $3 With Any Purchase Though October 6, 2019". Chew Boom. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
7. Dale, Jonathan (July 13, 2022). "A Brief History of Cookie Cake, Everyone's Favorite Hybrid Dessert". The Takeout. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
8. "BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse to Donate all $3 Pizookie Proceeds on September 5 to Support Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts". Restaurant News. September 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
9. Miller, Bob (July 19, 2019). "BJ's Introduces New Fruity Pebbles Cereal Pizookie". Chew Boom. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
10. Painter, Alysia Gray (August 10, 2022). "A Gooey Goodie Is Back in Time for National S'mores Day". KNBC. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
11. Wethington, Caleb (August 10, 2022). "Popular dessert Peanut Butter S'Mores Pizookie returns at popular sit-down restaurant with several Texas locations". KDAF. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
12. McQuarrie, Laura (September 26, 2023). "Spooky Skillet Cookies". TrendHunter. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
13. "BJ's to Share Pizookie Secrets on Facebook Live". FSR. August 10, 2020. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
14. Kirn, Eloise (May 3, 2016). "A restaurant created a dish that combines pizza, cookies, and ice cream". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
15. Ayrouth, Elie (May 12, 2011). "BJ's Restaurant & Brewery Reveals a Red Velvet Pizookie". Foodbeast. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
16. Kennedy, Naomi (March 16, 2022). "A Fan-Favorite BJ's Pizookie Is Returning To The Brewhouse Menu". Mashed.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
17. Denton, Korey (September 13, 2021). "The Untold Truth Of BJ's Brewhouse". Mashed.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
18. Zavoral, Linda (April 21, 2021). "BJ's Brewhouse introduces its first-ever Pizookie-flavored beer". East Bay Times. Retrieved October 1, 2023.