Soft and chewy chocolate chip pudding cookies are gooey and flavorful thanks to vanilla pudding mix. This twist on chocolate chip cookies is a fail proof favorite!
Soft cookie recipes are the best! Other favorites include pudding cookie recipes like butterscotch pudding cookies or pistachio cookies and these cream cheese cookies.
Table of Contents
Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies
These pudding cookies are my all-time favorites! They taste similar to my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, but have a softer texture like chocolate chip sourdough cookies.
One of my friends made this chocolate chip pudding cookies recipe for a church activity a few months ago and shared it with me. Unlike a flat, more crisp original Toll House cookie recipe, they have a gooey middle like my double chocolate chip cookies and stay soft and chewy for days!
The Secret Ingredient: Vanilla Pudding Mix
Powdered vanilla pudding mix is a magical ingredient that makes these the best chewy chocolate chip cookies!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: You only need to use the dry instant pudding mix and no added ingredients. This secret ingredient makes the chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe extra soft.
- Salted butter: I like to use salted, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Sugars: I love to use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for extra sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Even more vanilla to amp up the flavor.
- Eggs: This helps bind everything together.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour for structure and baking powder and baking soda to make the cookies a little lighter.
- Kosher salt: I like to add a little extra to enhance the flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The chocolate chips help balance the flavor, you can use a mix of milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet or even white chocolate chips.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Cream together the butter and sugars using an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Slowly combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients until mixed thoroughly.
- Fold chocolate chips into the cookie dough and stir to combine.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. For soft cookies, the centers will look a little underdone. Rest on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Pudding Cookies Tips and Variations
- It must be instant pudding mix (not cook & serve). Don’t make the actual pudding!
- You can do a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips, make a white chocolate chip cookies recipe or even try butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips or dark chocolate chips.
- My preference is using instant vanilla pudding mix, but chocolate would work too.
- This recipe calls for the smaller box of instant pudding mix (3.4 oz). If you can only find the bigger one, add in a little more than half a box! It will be fine if it is not exact.
- Add chocolate chips on top of the cookies right out of oven for the perfect touch!
- Make them mini sized like my favorite mini chocolate chip cookie.
Want more chocolate chip cookie recipes? Try brown butter chocolate chip cookies, triple chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Other Favorite Cookie Recipes
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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter , softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (just the dry mix)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips , plus more to taste (can do a mix of milk or white)
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 1 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 eggs one at a time until combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/3 cups flour, 3.4 ounce dry pudding mix, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly stir into the wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in the 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
- Scoop. Using a medium cookie dough scoop, portion the dough onto the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown; you want the center to look a little underdone. Let sit 2 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!
Notes
- Add it in dry…don’t make the actual pudding!
- This recipe calls for the smaller box (3.4 ounce). If you can only find the bigger one, add in a little more than half a box! It will be fine if it is not exact.
- It must be instant pudding mix (not cook & serve).
- You can substitute other flavors of pudding mix (i.e. chocolate, butterscotch, etc.), however vanilla is my favorite.
- Dough: Freeze the cookie dough in balls until solid and then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, place cookie dough balls on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and let sit at room temp while the oven heats up. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the original cooking time.
- Baked cookies: Let cool completely, then add to a freezer bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
You won’t believe how moist these soft chocolate chip cookies are, and it is all because of the pudding mix. Dry pudding mix contains cornstarch which helps absorb and retain moisture which results in softer cookies. It also adds a really nice flavor, which you can mix up depending on what type of cookie you want to make.
Vanilla is my favorite type of mix to use in these chocolate chip pudding cookies, but you can substitute other flavors too. Chocolate pudding, white chocolate pudding, banana pudding or even cheesecake pudding could be used.
Yes! The cookies won’t bake the same and the texture will be different if you use a cook and serve pudding mix. Stick with the instant.
Store baked cookies 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. You can also freeze baked cookies up to 3 months.
Flash freeze the cookie dough in balls until solid then keep in a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen! Place cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, let sit at room temp while oven preheats, then add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, White Chocolate Cookies
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Can I substitute whole wheat flour for a portion of the all purpose flour?
Also, can I use sugar free vanilla pudding? I love these cookies, but I am fighting high cholesterol! Thanks!
I haven’t tried, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I would start with a couple Tablespoons less flour (as you tend to need less with whole wheat flour).
This has become my ultimate goto chocolate chip cookie recipe! Thank you!
So glad you love the recipe! :)
These cookies are the best! So good!
They are my favorite too! So happy to hear that you love them :)
These are the BEST cookies I have ever made / ate. Everyone I give them to wants the recipe!
Yay! I am so glad to hear that!
I live in Uk. We don’t have pudding mix. How can u make it?
Thank you
I would try this recipe instead: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/
These cookies are delicious however I need some help. I’m getting a very strong after taste of the pudding powder. I tried putting less than what’s in the box and it still had that pudding powder taste. What should I do? Or is that how it’s suppose to taste?
Hi! They definitely have a bit of a pudding taste. You may prefer this recipe: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-112547
These were incredible!! My family told me that these are the best cookies they’ve had so far!! Who knew pudding mix could make cookies so amazing?! Thank you for this recipe:)
I’m so happy to hear you loved them! Pudding takes them to a whole new level! :)
I have twice now. Love the cookie but my batter TO thick. Cut back a little bit on flour still had to add little water to mix into thick batter. Any suggestions ?? I measure very carefully.
You’re just adding the pudding powder correct? Not mixed as pudding? My only other guess is the flour is too packed. You can try using a spoon to add the flour to the cup and then level off with a knife.
These cookies are so good people will think they’re store bought! If I didn’t make them myself – I would have thought they were store bought. So easy to make and they turn out soft and fluffy.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them! :)
I made these cookies this week and they were a HIT! I didn’t have vanilla pudding but did have white chocolate pudding so I used that. And I only had mini semi sweet chocolate chips ( I think I’ll stick with using them). But 10/10 I willl always recommend this recipe, and it will be my go to. Thank you for posting such a wonderful cookie recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Jayme! :)
Awesome…..I hope they stay a soft cookie, not hard as a rock days later when in container.
Awesome! Easy to make and delicious. I love how soft they are.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
The perfect cookie! There’s no denying it. The only slight tweaks I made were creaming the butter and sugar about 3 minutes longer than the recipe calls for, and using cook’s pure cookie vanilla extract. I have been baking cookies for 20 years and this will now be my go-to recipe. Thank you so much for the yumminess! My three kiddos will be forever grateful. :)
I’m so glad to hear you love them! Thank you for your comment and review! :)
I got this recipe from a friend and they have become my all time favourite cookies. My grandchildren are now saying “Nana makes the best cookies ever!”. Thank you for an easy but totally delicious recipe.
I’m so glad they have been a favorite! Thank you for your kind comment Irene. :)
Cake like…. with a little crunch around the edges…..will make again!
I made these cookies for family/potluck!! Love it!! Big Hit!! Thank you!!
I’m so glad to hear they were a hit! :)
Followed the recipe exactly and they came out so soft and fulffy! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thanks for your comment and review. I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
This recipe always makes my friends really happy to the point of them crying or dancing they live this recipe sooooo much thank you for posting this recipe and sharing it with us.
I’m so glad to hear it’s been such a hit! Thank you for your comment Emily! :)
This is a awesome recipe. Everyone loved them. Can I use
Best cookie recipe ever! I did not have white chocolate chips on hand so I used milk chocolate toffee bits instead. They were delicious!
Sounds delicious. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Turned out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)