Review and Compare: Pizza Hut vs. Papa John’s Chocolate Chip Cookie

With the launch of Pizza Hut’s new Ultimate Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookie, the “pizza cookie” was just begging to be compared to Papa John’s Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie that came out last year. I skipped breakfast, then set out with the husband to pick up one of each of the super-sized treats — along with a gallon of milk. So, here’s a side-by-side comparison. Let the chips fall where they may!

First up, the box. They are pretty much the same size, since both cookies measure 8″ across. They did seem smaller in person when compared to the promotional photos. Papa John’s box is essentially a smaller version of their regular cardboard pizza box, whereas Pizza Hut has a special box for their cookie that’s lighter in weight with custom graphics.

The cookies themselves look more different than I had anticipated. Papa John’s has a crusty, flakier-looking finish, and Pizza Hut’s is smoother in appearance, more golden, with more visible chocolate chips. It’s obvious that additional chips are added to the top of Pizza Hut’s cookie batter before baking. It looked really yummy… even better to me than the promotional photos. The cookies are both baked in a similar, if not the same, foil pan. Although Pizza Hut’s cookie is supposed to be cut into 8 pieces, ours came sliced into just four. Whoops!

Now for taste. First up, Papa John’s. I immediately noticed that it was quite crunchy and crumbly, especially at the crust. It was evenly baked, and just a tad greasy. The chocolate chips themselves tasted like semi-sweet chips to me, and my first thought overall was: Nestlé Toll House. The flavor was almost spot-on to the classic cookie we all know and love, so naturally, I thought it tasted pretty darn good. For an additional test, I warmed up my slice in the microwave for 10 seconds. Oh yeah, mmm… predictably, even better.

Pizza Hut’s cookie was more greasy than Papa John’s. It is also a bit thicker. Papa John’s was about 3/8″ tall, and Pizza Hut’s about 1/2″. It was also more fully packed with Hershey’s chocolate chips, and these chips seemed sweeter to me, though they are labeled as semi-sweet as well. Pizza Hut claims there are an average of 165 chips in each cookie. The texture was different than Papa John’s, more chewy and gooey, with a crispy bite at the outer crust. The overall taste is super sweet, but I kept taking bites, so I must have liked it. Again, a 10-second nuke in the microwave proved only to better the experience. If I only had some vanilla ice cream, dang it!

Overall, both cookies are good. I mean, really… it’s hard to screw up a chocolate chip cookie. But they do have their differences. If I absolutely had to choose, I would eat Pizza Hut’s cookie over Papa John’s. I liked the texture and quality of the chocolate much better. But yeah, these things are rich, and sweet, and guilt-inducing. Eating just a portion of each slice was more than enough for me.

Price: The Pizza Hut Ultimate Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookie is $4.99 with a pizza purchase or $5.99 alone. Papa John’s Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie is $6.00.

Would I Buy It Again? Probably not. If I wanted fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, it’s easy enough to buy similar-tasting pre-made dough for less at the grocery store. However, if on the go or having a pizza party, I might consider adding one to my order.

Nutrition Facts – Papa John’s Mega Chocolate Chip Cookie: Calories – 195, Calories from Fat – 80, Fat – 9g, Saturated Fat – 4.5g, Sodium – 105mg, Carbs – 26g, Total Sugars – 17g, Protein – 2g

Nutrition Facts – Pizza Hut Ultimate Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookie: Calories – 180 (for a regular 1/8 slice, mine was 1/4), Calories from Fat – 80, Fat – 9g, Saturated Fat – 4.5g, Sodium – 110mg, Carbs – 24g, Total Sugars – 16g, Protein – 2g