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.
Hi. I was just wondering, how many cookies does this recipe make?
About 2 dozen! :)
Just put them in the oven! Im making them for my class. Im really looking forward to trying them out, also hoping for my math class to pick them for are business thingy . Thanks for puting the recipe on here!! C:
I hope your class enjoyed these Tara! Thanks for stopping by! :)
I made these today and they are the best cookies I have ever made. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I didn’t have vanilla pudding in the house…so I used coconut instant pudding and they came out perfectly. It is only a subtle difference and you can barely taste the coconut flavor. I also used the salted butter. Thanks again!!!!
Thanks for your comment Maria! I’m so gald you enjoyed these cookies! I love how moist they are! :)
“Line baking with baking mat and then spoon cookie dough onto the baking sheet”
LOL… trying to figure out what you meant here!
Sorry for the confusion! I line my cookie sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper and then add the cookie dough by spoonfuls on the baking mat. Hopefully that makes more sense! :)
We made these today… But realized last minute that we had butterscotch pudding mix…. Instead of vanilla… Awesome mixup!
Thanks for sharing!
Yum, sounds delicious! Good to know you can switch it up and it will still taste yummy!
Love to seeing this Great cookies post. Please continue inbox me more recipes. I like cookies most. Will be grateful to make some soon.
You don’t need the pudding mix. Use 2 tbsp. cornstarch instead. I’ve done this with cakes, cookies and brownies for years. Yup, that’s my secret…out of the bag now :)
Thanks for the tip Julie! Good to know when I don’t have vanilla pudding on hand. :)
Hi,
These look delicious, question though about the instant vanilla pudding mix.
I’m from Belgium and I want some clarification.
The pudding mix, if you make normal vanilla pudding do you make it with warmed up milk? or with cold milk?
Hi Laurie! The first link looks just like the kind that I use! You don’t have to make the pudding, you just put it in dry! :)
I was just wondering if using milk chocolate chips mixed with the white chocolate chips makes the cookies overly sweet for someone who doesn’t usually like things that are too sweet? have you ever tried semi sweet chocolate instead of milk? thanks!!
I’ve tried both milk chocolate chips and semi sweet chocolate chips and they both turned out great! I just prefer the milk in this particular recipe. :)
They were soo good. I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand just the white chocolate chips the first time I made them. Sooooooo delish! I’m planning on making a double batch tomorrow as we speak!
Your comment made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, they are my favorite!! :)
These are amazing! First time I can say I liked eating the baked cookie as much as eating the chocolate chip cookie dough!
Such a compliment, thanks Andrea! I love when the cookies tastes as good as the dough!
Omg this look delicious! I’m definitely trying this recipe this week! Just wondering..do you use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar?..:)
I use light brown sugar. Hope you enjoy these, they are one of my favorites! :)
I have made these cookies several times now and they are now our favorite, everyone comments on how good they are. Curious if you have ever made them in bar form? I was thinking of trying it, I’m just not sure what size pan and for how long. thanks!
Your comment made my day Debbie! I have never made these in bar form, but I’m sure it would work great! Definitely let us know if you give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out! :)
I baked them in a 9×13 pan for about 25-30 minutes. They turned our great. Just liked having the option of making them in bar form for when I’m short on time. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I can’t print any of your recipes and they look so good. Can somebody help?
Hi Linda! There is a little print button on the top right corner of the box with the recipe in it! Hope that helps! :)
Our family LOVES these cookies!! My daughter has Celiac Disease so we use gluten free flour but they are still so delicious! Quick question though….How many cookies does this recipe make? I am planning on making them for my daughters 2nd grade class this week.
I’m glad your family loves these! It’s good to know that they still taste yummy gluten free. Sorry this is a little late, but these cookies usually make about 2 dozen!
just wanted to know , could you substitute the vanilla pudding for the chocolate?
Hi Terry! I haven’t tried it with the chocolate, but I bet it would be yummy! :)
how many were you able to make with these ? I’d love to make them for my boyfriend’s birthday ^^
Hi Katalina! If I remember right, it was about 2 dozen! :)
Jamielyn, these looks devine. Have you or any one of your responders tried adding nuts to these? I think pecans would be a great addition. Thanks.
Thanks Ann, these are some of our favorites! I haven’t tried adding nuts to these since my kiddos aren’t big fans of nuts…but I think it would really delicious if you added pecans in. Let us know how it goes if you try it! :)
I added pecans to mine and they were soo good.!