Soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies made with pudding to keep them soft! Perfect for dunking in a cold glass of milk, sandwiching around ice cream, or warm and gooey straight out of the oven.
Looking for more soft cookies? Try pistachio pudding cookies, triple chocolate pudding cookies, or pumpkin pudding cookies next!
I posted this recipe a while back, but I thought it deserved some new love and recognition. This is by far my most favorite recipe here on WMM and the pictures needed to match that! Plus I’ve included an easy step by step recipe video to show you just how easy it is
Why I Love these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
These are the best cookies you will ever have! Hundreds of people make these each week, with rave reviews. This is going to become your new favorite cookie, especially if you like soft and chewy cookies. They’re like classic chocolate chip cookies, but ultra soft and gooey with crispy edges.
The best part of these chocolate chip pudding cookies? They’re quick and they require zero chilling! They only take around 10 minutes in the oven, a few extra to cool and you’re ready to dunk in a big glass of milk! They’ll look a little undercooked when you take them out of the oven, but I promise they will finish cooking on the baking sheet. I always like my cookies just barely cooked so they are extra soft.
The recipe makes about 14-15 cookies, so if you’re making them for a party or family I recommend doubling it to take to your event. But if not, I like to freeze the dough so I’m ready to take fresh baked cookies anywhere at the last minute. I always double this recipe when I make it so I can freeze half of the dough.
I think this recipe holds the perfect amount of chocolate chips. There’s plenty of chocolate in every bite! The dough is thick enough to hold all the good stuff, so if you’re a chocolate lover feel free to add more.
They’re so soft, extra chewy, deliciously-buttery, have just the right amount of vanilla flavor, and are oozing with melted gooey chocolate. They make your house smell magical and they melt in your mouth right out of the oven. This recipe is unfailing and you can always count on it to bake someone’s day, get some compliments at a party, or as a pick me up just because.
They make the best addition to your Christmas cookie spread during the holiday season and are a crowd pleaser all year round. They’re a go-to in my house and I’m sure you will make them countless times too!
Table of Contents
- Why I Love these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Video: Watch How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- 5 Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Every Time
- The simple Ingredients
- Customize These Pudding Cookies
- How to freeze cookies
- More Pudding Cookie Recipes
- More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Recipe
Video: Watch How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
These chocolate chip pudding cookies are the softest and most delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever had and it really deserves to shine. They’re a favorite of anyone I make them for and the favorite of readers here on What Molly Made!
On top of the video, I also went in to more detail about how you make these chocolate chip pudding cookies so perfect. I’ve made this recipe countless times and over the course of the last few years have nailed down the unique tips and tricks that made these cookies turn out perfect every time. I hop you enjoy them just as much as I do!
I’ve been making these chocolate chip pudding cookies ever since an old friend’s mom gave me the pudding secret. At the time the pudding phenomenon was unheard of and it used to be “our secret ingredient.” Now everyone is hip to the wonderful ingredient that keeps these cookies so soft.
I’ve spent a few years perfecting this recipe, but we finally found my favorite techniques through lots of trial and error. So I want to share them with yo
I’ve been making these chocolate chip pudding cookies ever since an old friend’s mom gave me the pudding secret. At the time the pudding phenomenon was unheard of and it used to be “our secret ingredient.” Now everyone is hip to the wonderful ingredient that keeps these cookies so soft.
I’ve spent a few years perfecting this recipe, but we finally found my favorite techniques through lots of trial and error. So I want to share them with you!
5 Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Every Time
- Make sure to cream the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar for the allotted amount of time. When you cream the butter and sugar together the sugar cuts into the butter and creates air pockets. This is what makes the cookies bake tall and not spread everywhere. It also makes them so thick and chewy!
- Measure the flour correctly. To measure it perfectly, spoon the flour into the measuring cup then scrape it off the top.
- Use parchment paper! A silicone baking mat works well too, but I swear by parchment. It creates even baking and the cookies stay thick and chewy the whole time.
- Use 1/4 cup of cookie dough for each cookie. Yes, that’s a lot of cookie dough! But it’s what makes them so perfect and thick. You’re going to feel like it’s a lot but don’t worry, it’s the perfect amount. I like to roll my dough into a rustic looking ball, it doesn’t have to be perfect!
- Place chocolate chips on top when they come out of the oven. There’s a good amount of chocolate chips in the batter, but adding a few more chocolate chips to the top of the cookie right when you pull them out of the oven makes them look perfect! That way the outside matches all the yummy and gooey cookie on the inside?
I’m a sucker for soft-baked chocolate chip cookies. Emphasis on the soft-baked part. Give me a big crunchy cookie and I could pass it up any day of the week.
The simple Ingredients
As for the ingredients, nothing out of the ordinary or fancy schmanzy. Just the usual: flour, butter, baking soda, sugar, eggs, vanilla and love of course ❤️.
Then comes the secret ingredient: the vanilla pudding. Just the instant pudding packet! The dry pudding goes right into the batter.
I promise these cookies will stay soft for days!
Customize These Pudding Cookies
- Try using another type of pudding mix like white chocolate pudding mix, cheesecake pudding mix, pistachio pudding, or even chocolate pudding.
- Swap out the chocolate chips for something else like white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or dark chocolate chips.
How to freeze cookies
If you want to make them in advance the cookie dough or the baked cookies freeze really well. Just cover in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Or freeze the dough and bake from frozen (just add an extra minute or two).
More Pudding Cookie Recipes
- Toasted reindeer tracks pudding cookies
- Pistachio pudding cookies
- Death by chocolate pudding cookies
More Cookie Recipes
- Flourless monster cookies
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Brown butter salted caramel chocolate chip cookies
- Pumpkin spice pudding cookies
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (vegan butter works too)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on high speed until light and creamy, at least 3 minutes. Do not skip this step.
- Add the dry pudding mix, vanilla and eggs and beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and turn the mixer on low speed to start so the flour doesn't get everywhere. Turn the mixer up to high speed and mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and repeat until dough is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
- Use a large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and just set on the top. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
WOW! I’m an advanced baker with many cheesecakes, sugar cookies, and even wedding cakes under my belt; but I could never quite find the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe.
THIS. IS. IT.
Life changing. So easy to make, turned out perfect!
These are amazing, just made for the second time in a couple weeks, the first time I followed the recipe exactly, this time I used chocolate pudding, mini chocolate chips, and dried cherries-so yummy!
Thank you!
This is a really well written recipe. I appreciate the directions for how long to beat certain ingredients. My cookies have always come out FLAT and I think you’ve solved the mystery for me. I never beat anything long enough. These came out great. I love how thick and wrinkly they came out. A perfect cookie in my opinion! I will be trying a lot more of your recipes!
This is my go to recipe for church. We have a cookie ministry with coffee and everyone always loves these. My favorite combo so far in banana pudding super yummy.
Hi! Going to attempt these the last weekend of April and wondering whether you’ve a preference on light vs brown sugar for this recipe?
Hey there! I prefer light brown sugar! I will update the recipe to make that more clear!
After dealing with a number of bad symptoms, my adult (27 y/o) daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about five months ago. She’s had to give up a lot of things, but the hardest for her was CC cookies. She prefers a moist/chewy cookie so I set out to find the right combination of gluten-free flour and recipe that would give her back her favorite cookie. Hooray! Your CC Pudding Cookie recipe using the GF flour recipe from America’s Test Kitchen hit the jackpot! If I don’t tell people it’s GF, they have no idea! Thank you so much for publishing this recipe!
You’re so welcome, Brooke! This is the best. I’ll have to try that GF flour I haven’t had it yet. Thanks!
Hi there, made these and the death by chocolate version for my kids school fair and they were a hit. Have you tried sugar free versions and using other kinds of flour like almond or coconut flour? My husband and I are diabetics and so are a couple of friends and i think they would love a version good for diabetics
Hey Abby! Glad you like them. I haven’t tried them with a sugar substitute, but I know they make good-quality ones now. I wouldn’t recommend swapping this for almond or coconut flour because they have different structures and absorb liquid differently. We have specific coconut flour, oat flour, or even flourless cookie recipes on our website that you can try!
Thank you so much for your response. BTW with regards to the brown sugar is it light or dark?
Question please! When you say “ 3.4 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix” do you mean 3.4 oz or do you mean 3 times 4 oz ? I’m not clear. Thank you!
It’s one 3.4-ounce package of Instant Pudding mix!
Fantastic cookies. My kids ask for these so often that I just always keep the ingredients on hand. My son (17) has even memorized the recipe! They disappear quickly! My kiddos prefer white chocolate chips but otherwise I make them according to the recipe, as is! Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh my gosh this is amazing! I love that he memorized the recipe. We keep them on hand all the time too.
Don’t know about anyone else, but my favorite cookies are crisp, not soft – – especially if dipping into milk or coffee.
My sister and mom like crispy cookies too! That’s not what you’ll get here with this recipe, but you can browse our other cookies! We have tons!