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With a rich, buttery dough that is loaded with irresistible morsels of chocolate, these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies nail every delicious detail. And, bonus, they stay soft and chewy for days.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
I have made this recipe more times than I can count, over the years. They’re perfect for potlucks and gift-giving. And, I get asked all the time how they are so soft and chewy.
The not-so-secret ingredient is instant pudding mix. It’s that simple. In addition to their incredible chewy texture, these cookies freeze beautifully, making them especially easy to have ready to go when you need them.
And, I happen to know that both the cookies and the dough taste awesome straight out of the freezer. Yes, I did admit that. I often bake about half of the batch and freeze the remaining cookie dough.
When I am ready to use the frozen dough, I set it on the counter for 20-30 minutes to thaw slightly and then scoop out the number of cookies I want to bake.
Why Add Pudding Mix to Cookies?
Perhaps you’re among the many bakers who’ve never tried pudding cookies before. Well, if you’re wondering why put pudding mix in cookies, let me tell you: the word you’re looking for is MOIST.
Pudding mix has several dry ingredients (such as corn starch) that help absorb and retain moisture, making its use in cookie recipes a neat little hack. A cookie recipe with pudding mix will result in moister cookies that stay chewier longer.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- flour and baking soda
- granulated sugar and brown sugar
- one package instant vanilla pudding
- butter and eggs
- vanilla extract
- semi sweet chocolate chips
- Maldon salt for topping (OPTIONAL)
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Then, add in the pudding mix and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Next, stir in the flour mixture, making sure that it is well incorporated. Last, add the chocolate chips and stir well to mix them throughout the dough.
Scoop into approximately 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 11-12 minutes. Remove from the oven when puffy and barely cooked through. Do not let them brown.
If desired, sprinkle with Maldon salt as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Looking for more recipes like these salted chocolate chip cookies?
The chewiness of pudding cookies and the decadence of toffee and chocolate create a decadent treat in Toffee Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is an easy cookie recipe that’s perfect with each and every bite.
This is NOT your average chocolate chip cookie recipe. These are hands down the best Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Be warned, you will not be able to eat just one!
Chewy, crisp Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic cookie. If you prefer a firmer, but still chewy oatmeal cookie, this is the one for you. And, these Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookie Cups look absolutely drool-worthy.
These Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with both white and dark chocolate, in addition to a good amount of coconut. They are delicious warm from the oven and every bit as fantastic two days later.
Oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and a drop of maple syrup all combine to make my grandmother’s Monster Cookies. This recipe is loaded with all of our favorite cookie flavors.
Looking for more great chocolate recipes? Creamy vanilla ice cream is swirled with decadent fudge while tiny peanut butter cups dance in every spoonful of this homemade Moose Tracks Ice Cream.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- Maldon salt for topping OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add in the pudding mix and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the flour mixture, making sure that it is well incorporated. Last, add the chocolate chips and stir well to mix them throughout the dough.
- Scoop into approximately 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 11-12 minutes. Remove from the oven when puffy and barely cooked through, do not let them brown. If desired, sprinkle with Maldon salt as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 6/30/11 – recipe notes and images updated 1/24/24}
Can I mix the dough for these just using a spoon / my hands or do I need a hand mixer?
Either way will work, Courtney.
Thank you Mary, this was so easy to make and tastes soo awesome. I am making a second batch for the freezer .
I’m glad you’re enjoying the cookies, Larraine.
Hi Mary, so if I want to make
Recipe as is and not double it, do i just use 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour?? Do i just swap out the white flour for whole wheat and use the exact same measurement ?? Also can I hose whole wheat flour and or whole wheat white flour?? I have both kinds ????? Thanks for help
Hi Donna, my preference for this recipe is half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. However, you can make it with 100% whole wheat or whole wheat white flour. It’s pretty versatile with the exact same measurements. Happy baking!
How did you tell they were done mine still look super fluffy after 15 minutes of baking
Hi Kristy, the cookies will finish baking on the cookie sheet. They’ll fall a bit and crinkle on top after you remove them from the oven.
This recipe was absolutely the best chocolate chip cookie I ever made. Thank for sharing this recipe.
I’m glad you liked the recipe, Maria.
Hi, boy that’s a lot of butter. Is there any substitute for part of it?
This is a large batch recipe, Karen. You can reduce it by half for a more average-sized batch.
You could use lots of flavors in different recipes. I wonder what butterscotch would taste like in these chocolate chip cookies? Yummy I think.
I hope you like the cookies, Julie!
11 min does not seam like enough time the cookies are still very doughy. I made them in tabelspoon balls round. I left mine in for and additional 5 min. And cooled them 5 min as directed. This allowed the top to slightly brown but made them a tad crumbly . The second batch is made the cookies larger (2tablespoons) and pressed them down and did the 11min with 5 min cool time . Wow wha a difference.. chewy gooey yummie-ness. This gets a thumbs up!
I’m so glad that you like the cookies, Jessica!
They are delicious! My husband was asking for a soft cookie (as he has a hard time ‘crunching) anything and I found your recipe. I made it exactly as you wrote and they are perfect. We love it and thank you!
I’m so glad that you both are enjoying the cookies, Claudia!
Is there a difference in cooking time if using a regular cookie sheet? Should the cookie sheet be lined with parchment, or perhaps unlined and greased? Thank you!
I just a normal baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. You can also bake them directly on the cookie sheet.
My instant puddings sat 1 oz or1.5 oz what should I do ?
????????
Just use two of the 1.5 ounce packages, Charlene. Happy baking!
Hi; Recipe calls for. 2 eggs;
Like you to share w me
can the recipe be done w/out eggs.
Thanks. Ann M
Not to my knowledge, Ann.
Aquafaba often works well in cookies, try replacing the two eggs with 6 tbsps lightly whisked aquafaba (reduce it by half if from a chickpea can before use), add at the same point in the recipe.
Best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made!
I love hearing that, Sarah!
I just made these and they are delicious! My husband said “super yummy.” 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that, Melissa.
How many eggs?
There are two eggs in this recipe, Wendy.
I make a similar recipe
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup crisco
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 box instant vanilla/french vanilla pudding
2 1/4 cups flour
Bake at 350° for 8 minutes
Can do chocolate pudding and peanut butter chips!!
Pistachio pudding and white chocolate chips
I have been making these pudding cookies for about 40 years, My family absolutely loves them. I use French vanilla pudding and one time I forgot the vanilla extract and they still tasted delicious.
I’m happy to hear they are a favorite, Gloria.
Have you tried with different flavors of pudding? Chocolate, perhaps? Or Butterscotch?
Yes, that will work great, Samantha.
Mine turned out like hard ball’s. Ugh. I followed the recipe exact also. They didn’t even change shape! Super dry and yucky. Bummer I wasted so much ingredients. 😭
It sounds like you might have had too much flour in the dough. How do you measure your flour, Peggy? Are you scooping and then shaking to level the cup? Or spooning the flour into the cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife?
Mary someone forwarded this recipe to me & I got ready to make them but couldn’t believe it said 1 Cup of Butter, that’s 2 whole sticks of butter? I am Diabetic so I backed off of it, your Nutrition Values looked really good & I love soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I can’t eat that much butter. They look wonderful by the way.