• by Teresa Buyikian , September 29, 2023

Fast casual chain BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse is known for its Pizookie dessert, originally a combination of a chocolate chip cookie with vanilla bean ice cream and various toppings. This week marked a few Pizookie milestones; the introduction of the Spooky Pizookie, and in commemoration of 100 million Pizookies eaten, the return of the Pizookie Pass loyalty program.

The Halloween-themed Spooky Pizookie consists of a cookies 'n' cream cookie topped with Oreo crumbs, sprinkles and orange-tinted vanilla ice cream. The desert is served with a mini cauldron of “transforming crack-able chocolate topping,” according to the company. The Spooky Pizookie is available now for a limited time, and is being promoted via BJ’s TikTok channel.

To mark 100 million Pizookies eaten, customers will soon be able to once again purchase a Pizookie Pass. The pass costs $4.99 per month on a recurring subscription basis and entitles the member to one free Pizookie every day for the following three months. A limited 12,000 Pizookie Passes will be released at 10 a.m. PDT on Oct. 3 and are available while supplies last online and in-store.

The company increased the # of passes available from 200 to 12,000 based on its popularity in previous years. The Pizookie (and BJ’s) were developed in 1978 in Santa Ana, Calif., with the dessert creating a cult following which has lasted decades. The dessert is available at all the chain’s 200 locations nationwide.

Thousands of online home recipes claim to replicate the Pizookie, with entire forums and chat groups focusing on the dessert. Pinterest has over 249,000 posts alone on the Pizookie.