Easy Pizookie Recipe - Handle the Heat (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: I don’t really need to describe how magical a giant and slightly underbaked chocolate chip cookie topped with a scoop of ice cream tastes, do I?
Texture: You can bake the pizza cookie for as long as you like, less time for more ooey gooey action, more time for more chewy action.
Ease: Super easy. If you want, make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate it, and pull it out a little before you want to bake the pizza cookies.
Appearance: I love how the ice cream begins to melt and little creamy rivers make their way over the top of the pizza cookie.
Pros: Easy, customizable, and absolutely additively delicious.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Yes, it’s a family favorite.

How to Make A Pizookie

What is a Pizookie?

Think of a ‘pizza’ + a cookie combined into one delicious dessert. It’s basically a slightly undercooked deep-dish chocolate chip cookie.

Ingredients in a Pizookie:

• Butter – Always use unsalted butter so you control the amount of salt used in the recipe.
• Sugars – This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. I find using a combination of both sugars provides the perfect butterscotch flavor.
• Eggs – 2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk provide the perfect chewy texture.
• Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons vanilla extract adds the perfect amount of vanilla flavor to the cookie dough.
• All-purpose flour – Measured correctly, so you don’t end up with a dense, dry skillet cookie.
• Baking soda– Helps develop a golden brown crust to contrast that gooey center.
• Fine sea salt – To balance out the sweetness.
• Semisweet chocolate chips – It’s not a pizookie without the chocolate chips!
• Semisweet chocolate – A baking bar chopped into chocolate chunks achieves extra chocolatey goodness.

Can I Use Baking Powder Instead of Baking Soda?

Although baking powder actually contains baking soda, the two leaveners are very different. Baking powder and baking soda are NOT interchangeable. Check out my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article for more on these two leaveners (as well as more shocking side-by-side baking experiments, like this image below!).

Overview of Baking a Pizza Cookie:

1. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
2. Remove the skillet from the heat, and add in the sugars. Whisk. Add the remaining wet ingredients, and whisk again.
3. Fold in the dry ingredients to form a cookie dough.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and chunks.
5. Bake until the edges are golden but the pizookie is still slightly gooey in the center.

Can I Make a Pizookie Without a Cast Iron Skillet?

I love a cast iron skillet for pizookies because it makes them a one-pan recipe. You melt the butter and mix up the dough right into the skillet. The cast iron heats up nice and hot so you get solidified and slightly crisp edges to contrast the underdone center.

However, if you don’t have one, you can use a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. You may need to increase the baking time slightly.

How Can I Make Individual Pizookies?

To serve 1-2 people in individual portions:

1. Divide the cookie dough evenly among four 6-inch mini cast iron dishes, gratin pans, or ramekins.
2. If you don’t have pans quite that size, no worries. Use whatever you have and just keep a close eye on the baking time.
3. Adjust the time down for smaller or shallower dishes, and add more time for more dough or deeper dishes.

How to Store a Pizookie:

Cover any leftovers with foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 additional day.

How do You Reheat a Skillet Cookie?

Reheat in a 325°F oven for about 7 to 10 minutes.

How to Make a Skillet Cookie Ahead of Time

• Prep the dough and spread it into the pan, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake as directed in the instructions below.
• Or, you can bake ahead of time, let cool, and cover for up to 8 hours. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes before serving.

Pizookie Topping Ideas and Flavor Variations:

• Homemade vanilla ice cream
• Drizzle the pizookie with salted caramel sauce or hot fudge sauce
• Sprinkle with toffee bits
• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Replace half the chocolate chips for M&M candies
• Replace half the chocolate chips with chopped Oreo cookies