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I’ve been eating pudding cookies for about 50 years now. Yes, they’ve been around that long. My Mom had a Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies recipe that she baked often for our family. Honestly, I feel like they have a better taste and texture than most chocolate chip cookies. Adding instant pudding mix to cookies makes them incredibly soft, chewy, and thick by introducing more sugar and cornstarch (a thickener), while also adding a slightly buttery vanilla flavor. The added pudding prevents excessive spreading, resulting in a tender, sometimes brownie-like texture that actually helps them stay fresh for a longer period of time (bonus!)
What We Love About These Cookies!
- They are loaded with chocolate chips.
- They have a perfect soft and chewy texture, so they are the best chewy chocolate chip cookies!
- It’s a super easy cookie recipe to make.
- And they are great for adding to lunch boxes!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
These cookies are super simple to bake. You do not have to be an experienced baker to make them!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour and baking soda.
- Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars until smooth, then mix in the pudding mix.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Mix in the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto baking sheets and press a few extra chips on top.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, cool briefly, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Tips for making the Best Pudding Cookies
- Don’t overbake them. The centers will look slightly soft when you pull them out, and that’s perfect. They’re soft chocolate chip cookies, but not “cakey” soft.
- Top with extra chocolate chips before baking for creating bakery-style chocolate chip cookies.
- Use room temperature butter so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- If your cookies are spreading too much, your butter may be too warm—pop the dough in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
Variations to Try
Let’s change them up! Here are a few fun options:
- Add M&M’s to create M&M Cookies (either regular-sized M&M’s or mini M&M’s).
- Change up the chips! Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans. You can even throw in some toffee bits.
- Mix in mini chocolate chips for more chocolate in every bite.
- Use instant chocolate pudding mix to create a chocolate cookie base.
Storage Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For extra softness, toss a slice of bread into the container (it keeps cookies soft without changing flavor).
Freezing Instructions
You can also freeze the dough scoops—just bake from frozen and add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time. Or freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
If you love soft chocolate chip cookies, this recipe is a must-try. That pudding mix trick is the real deal, and the cookies disappear fast—so maybe make a double batch! They’re a guaranteed repeat recipe. Serve them with a mug of hot chocolate!
FAQ Section
Can I use sugar-free instant pudding mix?
Yes—sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix works in most cases. The cookies may be slightly less sweet, but they’ll still bake up soft and chewy.
Do I have to chill the dough?
Nope! This dough is designed to bake right away.
But if your kitchen is warm and the dough feels super soft, chilling it for 15 to 30 minutes can help the cookies bake thicker.
Can I use unsalted butter instead of salted butter?
Yes. If you use unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
Most often it’s because:
- the butter was too warm/melty
- the dough sat out too long before baking
- the baking sheet was hot from a previous batch
Quick fix: chill the dough for 20 minutes before baking.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets (for baking the cookies)
- Parchment Paper (for lining the baking sheets)
- Whisk (for combining dry ingredients)
- Electric Mixer (for mixing the cookie dough)
- Cookie Scoop (for scooping the dough)
- Cooling Racks (for cooling the cookies)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- One 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips (+ a few more)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars. Then beat in the pudding mix. Add eggs and vanilla and blend some more. Mix in the dry ingredients. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Dot a few more chocolate chips on top of the dough to create a prettier cookie when baked. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
For prettier cookies: Press a few extra chips on top before baking.
Don’t overbake: Pull them when edges are golden and centers look slightly soft.
Nutrition
This recipe comes from RecipeBoy.com
