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These Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are incredibly soft, fluffy and moist thanks to the not-so-secret ingredient: instant pudding mix! The pudding adds sweet vanilla flavor and makes for the softest cookies yet!
Gosh, I love my husband, but you know what? The man eats too many cookies.
We can make a dozen cookies and they’ll be gone in a day, because he eats them for breakfast (they go great with coffee, he says), as an afternoon snack, and of course as a sweet treat after dinner.
I mean, he doesn’t LOOK like he eats a dozen cookies in a day and that’s not my complaint. My complaint is that I can not keep up with his cookie demands. Seems like I’m constantly baking a new batch! 😉
And okay, I might help him eat them. I mean, our perfect chocolate chip cookies really are perfect and I make them at least once a week.
But sometimes we change things up and make these chocolate chip pudding cookies.
Pudding cookies were super popular years ago when food blogs really started gaining popularity. Every blogger out there had a version of the pudding cookie, myself included. My version had some pretty terrible photos though, so I’m updating this post today – same delicious pudding cookie recipe, but with new photos that hopefully show them off a bit better.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- These bake up thick and chewy, no chilling required!
- These taste like a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie – big, thick, and plenty of vanilla flavor.
- These cookies are begging you to get creative – use any flavor of pudding mix that you think sounds good!
Ingredient Notes:
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Cookie Dough – This chocolate chip cookie dough is made from pretty standard ingredients. Mostly. Flour, butter, eggs, sugars and the secret ingredient…
Instant Pudding – This “secret ingredient” will make the cookies fluffy, soft and chewy. I’m using vanilla instant pudding mix in this recipe but any flavor would technically work if you want to change things up!
Chocolate Chips – Just use your favorite chips. I prefer semi-sweet, but any variety will do!
What Readers are Saying!
“I made them and they are yummy! But the dough might be better than the baked cookies, just saying. My daughter does not like icing, so she always has cookies for her birthday, and this year we are doing these. YUM!”
– Michele
How to Make Pudding Cookies:
Mix: Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the dry pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients to form a cookie dough.
Scoop: We use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the perfect sized cookies! Pop them right onto a baking sheet.
My Favorite Cookie Scoop!
We use cookie scoops for everything from baking cookies to scooping meatballs to easily filling muffin tins.
Bake: These will take 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Don’t overbake – they should still look moist and soft on top. They’ll finish setting up as they cool.
More Cookie Favorites:
FAQs:
A pudding cookie is just your standard cookie with the addition of dry pudding mix. Pudding mix is mostly made of cornstarch, so it adds a nice softness to the finished cookie.
These pudding cookies store just like regular chocolate chip cookies! Keep them sealed at room temp for up to a week. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer.
Yes! The dough is easy to prepare ahead of time if you plan to bake later. If you plan to freeze it you should first flash freeze the balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet and then add them to a freezer bag.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES!
- Cake Batter Cookies
- Air Fryer Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Keto Snickerdoodles
- Sugar Cookie Balls
- Fruity Pebbles Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3.4 ounces dry instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips any variety
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugars to a large mixing bowl and cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and beat until just combined.
- Add the pudding mix, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet 1 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden and tops are still moist, but set. Do not overbake.
- Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in February 2010 as one of the first recipes on this website. It’s been updated with new photos as of April 2022. Original photo below.
Wendy says
These cookies are amazing! I’ve made them twice now and my family loves them! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Michele says
I made them and they are yummy! But the dough might be better than the baked cookies, just saying. My daughter does not like icing, so she always has cookies for her birthday, and this year we are doing these. YUM!
I made a “sample” batch to take to work and they were inhaled. Thank you!
I want to make some donuts, but need a donut cutter, so I put it on my wish list.
Mandy (Mandy's Recipe Box) says
These are absolutely calling my name!
Megan says
I love all your photos! These cookies sound absolutely delicious. I can’t wit to try them 🙂
Mikael says
I just made these and everybody finds them fabulous and wonders if I really baked them. I haven’t successfully baked cookies my entire life, I’m a 20 year old male.. Follow the recipe and don’t forget to soften the butter.. hehe
Amy (Sing For Your Supper) says
These are some of my favorite cookies!! And the dough is FABulous!! 🙂 Great pictures!
Jenn says
I got this recipe from the newspaper a few years ago. If you think its good with vanilla pudding, try butterscotch pudding! AMAZING!!
Maria says
The cookies look very tasty!
Carla Wells says
Interesting. I’d never thought or heard of using pudding mix in cookies! I’ll have to try that!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
Great tip! I will have to try this 🙂
Barbara says
Good heavens! That IS a surprise ingredient! I’ve used vanilla pudding in cakes but never cookies. I assume from what you say (and the photos) that it makes them moist and fluffy. Can’t wait to try this!
grace says
instant pudding mix does wonderful things for cakes, too–i think it definitely adds a moist factor. lovely cookies, and here’s hoping you were able to sate both your chocolate and kiss cravings. 🙂
Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes says
Oh pudding! I’ve never thought of adding pudding to chocolate chip cookie dough. That is an awesome idea and I will definitely try it the next time I crave choc. chip cookies. 🙂
Anna says
Oh, yes! The vanilla pudding recipe is my husband’s favorite. Although, I have to say that we use milk chocolate chips for this one. I think it fits the sweetness of the cookie a little better than semi-sweet.
Cody says
Cool secret ingredient… I’ve heard of using pudding in cakes, but I hadn’t thought of using it in cookies. Now I’m curious.