Super soft, even days after they are made, these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are the best way to fill the cookie jar! Adding vanilla pudding mix to the cookies not only gives them great flavor, but keeps them nice and soft and chewy.
We love pudding cookies! After you’ve tried these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, make sure to also try my Cookies and Cream Pudding Cookies, these Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies, and my Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies!
We have been on a cookie kick lately. (Actually, I think we are always on a cookie kick!) They are perfect for those days when you are craving something sweet but don’t want put the effort into something complicated.
And while we do like to change things up sometimes, the number one craving in our house, when it comes to cookies, is for Chocolate Chip Cookies.
If it’s the same at your house, then you definitely need this Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookie Recipe.
Pudding Mix Cookies
The idea of putting pudding mix in baked goods is nothing new. In fact, you’ll even see that many boxed cake mixes have pudding in the mix.
And with cookies, it does something magic to them.
Don’t worry – they don’t taste like pudding. But the mix makes them so soft, with a texture that you only get from using a pudding mix.
But the truly magic thing about these cookies is how long they stay soft. No hard or stale cookies the second day. Or the third. I can’t tell you beyond that because they never last that long in our house.
Ingredients
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter. If you do use salted butter, you will want to cut back on the salt just a bit. Make sure you read in the tips below on how you will part way melt the butter. It is a secret to make these cookies perfect!
- Sugar: You need both brown sugar and white sugar for this recipe.
- Eggs: For best results, make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Vanilla: The vanilla adds great flavor.
- Flour: I have only tested this recipe using all-purpose flour.
- Pudding Mix: Make sure you are using instant pudding mix, not cook and serve. Only instant will work correctly. And you’ll use just the powdered mix – you don’t make the pudding first.
- Salt: The salt will balance the flavors.
- Baking Soda: This gives the cookies some lift, and keeps the cookies from being dense.
- Chocolate Chips: I like semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to switch this up!
How to Make Pudding Cookies
- Partially melt the butter. Then combine the butter with both sugars and beat these together until creamed.
- Add in the eggs and beat to combine, followed by the vanilla.
- Your dry ingredients go in next – the flour, pudding mix, salt, and baking soda. Mix this all until the dough comes together.
- Add your chocolate chips and stir them in until they are evenly distributed.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, then bake just until the cookies are browned around the edges.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Video
You can see how to make these cookies in the video above.
Tips and Tricks
These cookies are super easy, but here are a few tips to ensure they come out perfect every time.
- You don’t have to chill this cookie dough (although you could if you really want to), but you do need to follow a few simple rules. I don’t use softened butter like most recipes. I like to halfway melt it, like in the photo above. You don’t want to melt it all the way, but it will be very soft in the center and liquid around the edges. Then, when you add the flour, just make sure you add enough that the dough is almost the texture of playdough. It will still be slightly sticky, but will roll together in a ball really easily. If your cookies are spreading, you’ll need to add a little more flour.
- Feel free to change things up and use different flavors of pudding mix. For basic chocolate chip cookies, I always use vanilla, but you could use any flavor you like!
- Store the cookies in an airtight container after they have cooled.
- The dough freezes well for if you want some in your freezer for later. For instructions and more information, check out my post on How to Freeze Cookie Dough.
- This recipe makes a lot of cookies. But it is easy to cut in half if you don’t need that many cookies tempting you.
More Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
Toll House Cookie Recipe
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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Cut the butter into 1-tablespoon sized pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the butter in a microwave in 15-30 second intervals until the butter is softened, but not completely melted. You’ll probably have some liquid on the edges but the majority of the butter will still be in pieces. But it will be quite soft.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until creamed together, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat just until combined.
- Add in the flour, pudding mix, salt and baking soda. Mix until it all comes together. If the dough is still very soft, you can add in more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time. It should be easy to handle.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix one more time, just until combined.
- Roll the dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet, at least 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until just set and slightly browned around the edges.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
pam says
loved this recipe , but with 8 doz I split the dough and made 1/2 with choc chips and 1/2 with butterscotch chips …..both were a hit with guests !!!!!
Hannah @ FamilyFoodFreezer says
Love finding new fun ways to make cookies with my kids. Telling her we will be making cookies from pudding will be a blast!
eatme_delicious says
What cute cookies!
Tessa says
I love these! My mom has always made her chocolate chip cookies this way. I agree the softness of the cookies is the best part!
Natalie says
These cookies are beautiful! They almost look like you piped the dough? I have always heard of the box of pudding trick! I am so making these this weekend.
Maria says
I have made a pudding ccc before but it has been years. Thanks for the reminder!
Tia says
yum!!! these must be really chewy.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
What interesting cookies! They look so good!
Cheers,
Rosa
Grace says
my cookie kick is permanent. heck, my dessert kick is a way of life. 🙂
this is an excellent, excellent use for pudding mix, which i happen to have on hand. i'll say, though, 8 dozen cookies may even be too many for me. 🙂
Dawn says
wow, these came from a box of pudding? my stars, they do look good, and oh so easy.