Pizza Hut Cookie Dough Recipe (Vegan Copycat)
This copycat Pizza Hut cookie dough recipe is soft and gooey, filled with chocolate chunks, all without eggs or dairy! It’s nice and crispy on the outside with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth centre. Delicious served warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!
Since I first created this recipe in 2018, vegan food has come a LONG way! Most fast-food restaurants now have a range of vegan mains and sides on offer, which is more than could be said 5 years ago.
Something that does still seem to be lacking in most cases though, is the desserts!
At the moment, Pizza Hut does have a vegan cheesecake on their menu which is amazing. But I think I can speak on behalf of all vegans when I say a dairy-free/eggless version of their cookie dough is what we really want!
I tried to find out a bit of history behind Pizza Hut’s cookie dough but the information was quite hard to find. It seems that the dessert first came to the UK in the late 2000’s but the exact release date is unclear.
Hot Cookie Dough?
An oxymoron, right? I have been made fun of quite a few times for naming the recipe this way, LOL. Because if it’s hot, doesn’t that just make it a cookie? Technically yes…but also no.
It’s a half-baked cookie that’s still soft on the inside. You take it out of the oven just before it’s ready and it will continue baking (slowly) once it’s out of the oven.
So if you eat it warm, you get a soft, gooey cookie “dough” dessert that’s great with ice cream and if you let it cool, you’ll end up with a chewy giant cookie! That’s a win-win in my opinion!
Made Without Eggs
Not only is this recipe suitable for vegans, it’s perfect for those with egg and/or dairy allergies.
When I first made this recipe, I used ground up flax seeds as an egg replacer. I did that a lot because I was just starting out with vegan baking and didn’t know a lot about the science-y stuff.
Without eggs, I thought flaxseeds were my only option! I sometimes use them in my other cookie recipes, because it acts as a great binder and stops them from falling apart.
But someone recently asked me if they could make this recipe without flax seeds. I figured that since this cookie is supposed to be eaten warm with a spoon, it wouldn’t matter too much if it didn’t have a super strong binder.
So I completely changed the recipe to (almost) match my more recent vegan cookie recipes, removed the flax seeds and added a tiny splash of plant-based milk. To my absolute delight, it worked really well! So there’s no need for any seeds in the recipe now.
Related post: 68 Best vegan desserts.
This recipe is the perfect amount for 2-4 people (depending on your serving size). I say sharing because it tastes the best when it’s still warm, fresh from the oven. So unless you have a HUGE sweet tooth, make sure you’ve got someone to help you eat it!
How To Make Copycat Pizza Hut Cookie Dough
Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure you have roughly the correct sized pan or tin to make this. I’ve tested this recipe using a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet and also a 7-inch sandwich cake tin.
The skillet looked a lot prettier but to be very honest, I think the one I made in the tin tasted slightly better!
Whichever you decide to use, make sure it’s roughly 7-inches. If you use a larger or smaller one skillet/tin, you’ll need to keep an eye on it as the baking time may change. You don’t need to line or grease the tin or skillet before adding the dough. The cookie will come out super easily.
Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F (or 180°C/350°F if using a fan or convection oven).
Step 2:
In a large bowl, mix together 130g of vegan margarine (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) with 100g of caster sugar (1/2 cup) and 75g of soft brown sugar (3/8 cups).
Make sure to use a spreadable margarine. Do NOT use vegan block butter for this recipe as it won’t hold together very well. I recommend Vitalite.
Step 3:
When the margarine and sugar are well mixed, add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix again.
Step 4:
Now add 215g of self-raising flour (1+2/3 cups) to the bowl. Mix it in with your spoon and when it starts to stick together, use your hands to press it into a ball of dough.
Add a splash of plant-based milk if you need it, to help the dough stick together. I find 1 tablespoon to be the right amount but this will depend on the type of vegan margarine you use.
If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can use an equal amount of all-purpose/plain flour and add in 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder.
Step 5:
Add in 100g of vegan chocolate chips (~2/3 cups) to the dough and gently knead them in. Check out my vegan chocolate post for a list of chocolate chip options.
Alternatively, you can use an equal amount of a vegan chocolate bar chopped into small chunks. I love Nomo creamy chocolate.
Step 6:
Gently press your cookie dough into your cake tin or skillet until it almost touches the edges. The cookie will spread and rise at the edges quite a lot so it doesn’t need to be pressed all the way out.
Step 7:
Place your skillet or cake tin into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it’s golden brown on top with a slight wobble in the middle.
Note that it’s better to take it out too soon rather than too late. You can always put it back in if needed but once it’s overdone, there’s no way to make it soft again.
Let the cookie cool down slightly, for around 5 minutes or so, before enjoying it warm with ice cream.
FAQ:
Classic vanilla goes best with this in my opinion! That’s how they do it at Pizza Hut.
If you’re in need of a vegan ice cream recommendation, I love Swedish Glace, which is available at most UK supermarkets.
Yes! The whole point of the cookie skillet is to enjoy it hot while it’s still gooey, but any leftovers will turn into a chewy cookie once completely cold. Best of both worlds!
Yes. Pop the remainder of your cookie in an airtight container at room temperature. Just make sure the bits you save don’t have any melted ice cream on them.
Yes, but you’ll need to reduce the baking time accordingly. Keep an eye on it and take it out when it’s just gone golden brown all over.
More vegan cookie recipes:
I hope you enjoy this new and improved copycat Pizza Hut cookie dough recipe! Let me know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comment below. Or tag me on Instagram @bakedbyclo with your pictures! Happy baking! xo
Pizza Hut Cookie Dough (Vegan Copycat Recipe)
An eggless and dairy-free replica of the classic Pizza Hut cookie dough. Soft, warm and gooey.
Ingredients
- 130 g Vegan margarine (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) use the spreadable kind, not the blocky type
- 100 g Caster sugar (½ cup)
- 75 g Soft light brown sugar (3/8 cups)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 215 g Self-raising flour (1 + ⅔ cups)
- 1 Tablespoon Plant-based milk (I recommend soy milk)
- 100 g Vegan chocolate chunks or chips (~½ cup)
To serve (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream
- Melted vegan chocolate
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (or 180°C/350°F if you're using a fan or convection oven). Have a 7-inch cast-iron skillet or non-stick cake tin to hand, no need to grease or line.
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In a large bowl, mix together the vegan margarine, caster sugar and brown sugar. Add in the vanilla and mix again.
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Add the flour to the bowl and mix. Add the plant-based milk if you need it, to help the dough stick together in a firm ball.
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Add in the chocolate chunks/chips and gently knead them into the dough.
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Place the dough into the centre of the cake tin/skillet and press gently with your fingers until it almost reaches the edges. It will spread and rise in the oven so don't worry about pressing it all the way to the edges.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes. You'll know it's ready when it's golden brown on top with a slight wobble in the middle. It's better to take it out too early than too late, as you can always put it back in to bake for longer if needed.
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Leave your cookie dough to stand for 5 minutes before enjoying it warm with vegan ice cream and melted chocolate.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Best served warm, fresh from the oven.
- Leftovers will turn into a chewy cookie. Do not reheat.
A R
Thursday 5th of October 2023
Made this tonight after me and hubby were talking about our non vegan days. This recipe tastes just as I remember the uk pizza hut cookies tasting.
10/10 recommend making.
Chloe
Friday 6th of October 2023
Thank you for your feedback, I’m so glad to hear that :)
Lou
Saturday 5th of August 2023
Thankyou for the recipe! Mine rose like a cake, what did I do wrong?
Chloe
Saturday 5th of August 2023
Hi Lou, did you make any substitutions or use a different size skillet/pan? How was the texture of the dough before baking?
Chez
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
Wish I could add the picture this tastes amazing 🤩
Chloe
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm glad you like it :)
Abbie
Saturday 7th of January 2023
So excited to try this recipe out because I used to love pizza hut’s cookie dough a lot!
I’ve got 2 questions though – I’m not a vegan so can I add eggs? And how many should I add?
Chloe
Saturday 7th of January 2023
Hey Abbie! I’m not sure about the eggs as I’ve only tested it this way, sorry. It tastes pretty close to Pizza Hut’s dessert without the eggs though :)
Tahira Akhtar
Friday 30th of July 2021
Can I make this batter in advance and bake later in the day? Thanks
Chloe
Friday 30th of July 2021
Hi Tahira, that would be fine! :)