BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is a popular casual dining restaurant chain with locations across the United States. The restaurant is known for its handcrafted beers, wines, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. One of BJ’s most popular menu items is the Pizookie, a delicious warm cookie baked in a deep dish pan and topped with ice cream.
What is a Pizookie?
A Pizookie is BJ’s signature dessert item. It starts with a large fresh baked cookie that is about 12 inches wide. The cookie dough is made in-house at BJ’s restaurants daily. Traditional Pizookie flavors include chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter, and salted caramel. The giant cookie is baked until warm and gooey. Then it is topped with two hearty scoops of high-quality ice cream. The ice cream flavors vary depending on the cookie flavor. For example, the chocolate chunk Pizookie is served with vanilla bean ice cream.
The Pizookie is designed to be shared by 2-4 people. The huge cookie and ice cream combo is served piping hot out of the oven in a skillet. The ice cream starts to melt and combine with the warm cookie. This creates an irresistible molten dessert experience. It’s a gooey, chocolatey, fresh-baked fix for any sweet tooth.
Pizookie Popularity
The Pizookie has become BJ’s most iconic menu item. It’s a staple dessert and one of the top reasons people dine at BJ’s. The restaurant serves around 25 million Pizookies per year. That’s about 5 every minute!
Part of what makes the Pizookie so craveable is that it’s baked fresh when ordered. Customers can watch through the open kitchen as their Pizookie goes into the oven. In about 10 minutes, the hot cookie emerges for the joyous ice cream topping completion. So it’s always served warm and delicious. No pre-baking or reheating old cookies at BJ’s.
Pizookie Choices
While the original chocolate chunk and white chocolate macadamia nut remain customer favorites, BJ’s has expanded the Pizookie offerings over the years. Some of the more unique Pizookie flavors include:
- Peanut butter – loaded with peanut butter chips and topped with vanilla bean ice cream.
- Monkey bread – cinnamon sugar cookie dough with BJ’s house-made caramel sauce, sliced banana, chopped walnuts, and vanilla bean ice cream.
- Salted caramel – loaded with buttery caramel and topped with sweet creamy vanilla bean ice cream.
- Triple chocolate made with chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate sauce, and chocolate ice cream.
- S’mores with chocolate chip cookie dough, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate ice cream.
- Strawberry shortcake featuring white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough, fresh strawberries, and vanilla bean ice cream.
- Trio – sections of three mini Pizookies: peanut butter, triple chocolate, and white chocolate macadamia nut.
There are always several standard and seasonal Pizookie options to choose from. The flavors rotate regularly so there is always something new to try during your next BJ’s visit.
Nutritional Information
With a warm cookie weighing in around 1 pound and two big scoops of ice cream, the Pizookie clocks in around 2,000 calories. It’s definitely meant to be shared by a few people. Here are the nutrition facts for BJ’s classic chocolate chunk Pizookie dessert:
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 284g | 108g | 18g |
As you can see, the Pizookie is quite high in calories, carbs, and fat. The large portion size and ingredients like chocolate, butter, and ice cream all contribute to the heavy nutritional stats. Those numbers are based on BJ’s classic chocolate chunk Pizookie. Counts may vary slightly for different cookie dough flavors or ice cream choices.
Gluten-Free Pizookie
With the amazing popularity of the Pizookie, BJ’s gets frequent requests for gluten-free and other dietary restricted versions. Unfortunately, most BJ’s locations do not offer a gluten-free Pizookie option on the regular menu.
All of BJ’s standard Pizookie cookie dough contains wheat flour. Their kitchens are not gluten-free environments either. So there is a high risk of gluten cross-contamination even if they did substitute a gluten-free flour.
Limited Availability
Some BJ’s locations will offer gluten-free Pizookies as occasional limited time specials. For example, they may have them to celebrate Celiac Disease Awareness Month in May. But this is not something readily available year-round.
A few BJ’s restaurants have made exceptions over the years if a customer calls ahead with a gluten intolerance request. They will sometimes work with the kitchen to temporarily offer off-menu gluten-free Pizookies made with rice flour. But this is decided on a case-by-case basis and not advertised.
Cross-Contamination Risk
Even when BJ’s has made gluten-free Pizookies in the past, they clarify that these should be considered gluten-cross-contaminated. All the regular wheat flour Pizookies are going through the same kitchen. So there is a very high chance of traces of gluten getting into the gluten-free batter or onto the cooking surfaces.
Those with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerances should use extreme caution. Getting the gluten-free designation on a menu item alone does not make it safe for those extremely sensitive to gluten exposures.
Gluten-Free Diners
BJ’s does not have an entirely gluten-free kitchen or gluten-free menu. But they do offer several gluten-free options and alternatives:
- Gluten-free pizza crust – 12-inch pizza made with a rice flour-based crust.
- Burgers or sandwiches can be ordered on a gluten-free bun.
- Some appetizers, salads, and entrees naturally gluten-free or can be modified.
- Gluten-free beer options.
Those with celiac disease or wheat sensitivity should thoroughly review the menu and pause when ordering.Specify gluten-free with your server every time. BJ’s does not recommend their restaurant for those with celiac disease due to the shared kitchen.
Allergy Procedures
BJ’s serves wheat/gluten in the kitchen and does not have dedicated prep or cooking surfaces for gluten-free orders. They have procedures in place to help avoid cross-contact, but a complete absence of gluten cannot be guaranteed.
Team members use fresh gloves and cleaning procedures when preparing gluten-free items. Gluten-free dishes are prepared in ceramic ramekins rather than reused bowls in many cases. But again, there is always some risk of cross-contamination in the common kitchen.
Pizookie Alternatives
Those seeking a gluten-free warm cookie and ice cream treat have a couple alternatives at BJ’s:
Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae
This features a warm gluten-free fudgy brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. BJ’s uses a designated gluten-free fryer to prepare this brownie. It’s served in the kitchen separately from their regular dessert items.
Ice Cream
BJ’s serves several flavors of gluten-free ice cream. Ask for your scoops of ice cream in a fresh bowl rather than on a shared Pizookie pan. Top it with your choice of gluten-free toppings like chocolate sauce or fruit.
Gluten-Free Cookie
You can order BJ’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookie warmed up and topped with ice cream for a smaller cookie dessert. Not the same as a full Pizookie, but satisfies the warm cookie and ice cream craving.
Pizookie Tips
If you are not gluten-free, definitely put the Pizookie at the top of your must-try list on your next BJ’s visit. Here are some tips to maximize your gooey, fresh-baked Pizookie enjoyment:
- Splitting is key. Order one Pizookie for your whole table of 4+ people. You’ll all get a few delicious bites without overdoing it on calories.
- Pair it with a glass of cold milk, coffee, or one of BJ’s specialty milkshakes.
- Try the mini Trio Pizookie to sample different flavors in one dessert.
- Take home leftovers. The Pizookie keeps well in the fridge for a couple days.
- Go at lunch. You can enjoy the Pizookie any time of day, but having a warm cookie first thing may be overkill.
- Add extra toppings. Request chocolate chips, sprinkles, or additional caramel sauce on top.
- Keep your stomach open. You don’t want to be too full from your meal to fully enjoy cookie time.
The Verdict
Unfortunately, those with celiac disease or a strict gluten-free diet will likely have to pass on BJ’s famous Pizookie dessert. While some locations have offered occasional gluten-free versions in the past, this is not something readily available at BJ’s.
Your safest gluten-free bets are the brownie sundae, ice cream, or gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. But none quite compare to the experience of splitting a warm ooey-gooey Pizookie fresh from the oven.
There are also lots of easy Pizookie copycat recipes online if you want to recreate the magic gluten-free at home. But for the classic BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Pizookie with hot cookie and ice cream blending in heavenly delight, the standard wheat flour version remains the one and only way to truly enjoy this signature treat.
