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spoon reaching for vegan skillet cookie or pizookie

Vegan Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (BJ's Copycat)


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Regi Pearce
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Imagine a dessert that is a giant cookie, its edges perfectly crispy, with a soft and lusciously gooey center, all crowned with a scoop of divine vegan ice cream and chocolate syrup. Whipping up this mouthwatering vegan take on the classic BJ's chocolate chip skillet cookie couldn't be simpler, and it's perfect for sharing. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 8 tablespoons vegan butter, melted but room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of plant-based milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (brands like Enjoy Life or Trader Joe's have good options)
  • vegan ice cream for serving

Instructions

  1. Melt: To melt the butter, gently warm it in the microwave.
  2. Prepare: Mix the flax seed meal with water in a small bowl to make flax eggs and let it thicken for about 10 minutes. This mixture will act as a binder, and the consistency should be that of an egg.
  3. Preheat: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  4. Whisk: Start by whisking both sugars and melted butter together.
  5. Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the milk, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until well mixed together.
  6. Add Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture, sift in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until just combined. You don’t want to overmix, but you want to see the dough form. Once mixed together, fold in the vegan chocolate chips (and any other add-ins you fancy) until a soft cookie dough forms and all the flour and chocolate chips are incorporated. 
  7. Grease the Skillet: Take a cast iron skillet (about 10 inches in diameter) and lightly grease it with vegan butter or cooking spray. Place your cookie dough into the skillet and press it down evenly. 
  8. Bake: Place it in the oven's middle rack for 12 minutes with aluminum foil loosely covering it. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is set but still soft.
  9. Cool and Serve: Serve straight from the skillet or let the cookie cool before slicing. It will firm up as it sits. Serve warm, with a scoop of vegan ice cream and chocolate syrup on top for extra decadence.

Notes

While a mixer can be used to prepare the dough, this recipe is designed to come together without any special appliances.

The consistency of your flax egg can affect the texture of the cookie. If it's too runny, let it sit a bit longer. If it's too thick, add a tiny bit more water. It should have a raw egg consistency.

Ensure the melted butter is at room temperature before mixing it into the recipe.

I've made these cookies both by creaming the butter and sugar and by using melted butter. Creaming adds air, making the cookies light and fluffy, while melted butter creates a denser, chewier texture, perfect for vegan chocolate chip skillet cookies. Personally, I prefer the rich texture and ease of melted butter, but both methods are great in their own ways.

*For accurate flour measurements, scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and then level it off with a knife. Never pack it down by pushing up against the bag of flour, or you'll get more flour than you need.

Wrapping a vegan skillet cookie in aluminum foil for the first 10 minutes of baking ensures even heat distribution, preventing over-browning of the top and edges while keeping the center moist. If you don't mind a darker cookie, then leave off the aluminum foil. 

Adjust the baking time accordingly if you use a larger or smaller pan. It may affect the cookie's consistency.

After you take it out of the oven, the cookie will continue to cook a little in the hot skillet, so it’s better to underbake it so the center stays gooey. Twenty-five minutes is perfect in my oven for a crispy edge and gooey center, but check it after 20 minutes. Leave it tented with the aluminum foil longer for a less goey center.

A little sinking in the middle is not a problem. In this skillet cookie recipe, a slightly undercooked, gooey center is actually desired in our family. It gives that lovely contrast between the crispy edges and the soft, almost molten middle.

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8 of the cookie
  • Calories: 433
  • Sugar: 38.8 g
  • Sodium: 350.6 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 67.2 g
  • Protein: 5.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg