M&M Pudding Cookies

These M&M pudding cookies have the softest vanilla pudding cookie base. They have chewy edges and a thick gooey center! Follow my no-fail tips to make them perfect every time, just like the famous chocolate chip pudding cookies. Customize the M&M colors for holidays to make them year round!

Ingredients You Need

Here are the simple ingredients to make m&m pudding cookies. Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements.

• Flour: spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off for best results (or weight it!). You can also use gluten-free 1:1 flour (I’ve done this many times).
• Baking soda and salt: to help them rise and balance sweetness.
• Unsalted butter: quality butter like Kerrygold is ideal. Make sure you only soften it for 1-2 hours. Room temperature butter is actually 60°F and feels cool to the touch.
• Sugar: both light brown sugar and granulated sugar are in this cookie dough for taste and texture.
• Instant vanilla pudding mix: don’t make the pudding, just use the packet.
• Eggs: use large room temperature eggs for best results.
• Vanilla extract: for extra vanilla flavor.
• M&Ms: I’ve made these with traditional M&Ms as well as many of their variations.

How to Make M&M Pudding Cookies

Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make M&M pudding cookies. Jump to the recipe card for full instructions.

1. Cream butter: beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 full minutes.
2. Add the pudding: add the eggs, vanilla, and instant vanilla pudding. Beat for another 2 minutes, until fluffy.
3. Finish the batter: mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add them into the wet ingredients on medium speed.
4. Stir in m&ms: pour the M&Ms into the cookie dough and stir with a spatula.
5. Scoop: use a extra large cookie scoop (1/4 cup) to scoop the cookie dough and shape it on a baking sheet.
6. Bake: Bake for 9-12 minutes, until just set around the edges.

Tips for Perfect Pudding Cookies

1. Make sure your butter is the correct temperature. Most people think room temperature butter should be very soft. Your cookies will spread too much if it’s too soft. Room temperature butter should sit out for 1-2 hours and still feel cool to the touch (60°F). It should feel somewhat firm but leave an indent when you press it.
2. Cream the butter and sugars for the allotted amount of time. This introduces air into the dough to help them rise. It also makes them so thick and chewy!
3. Measure the flour correctly. To measure it perfectly, spoon the flour into the measuring cup then scrape it off the top. Or weight it!
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Place M&Ms on top when they come out of the oven. That way the outside matches all the yummy and gooey cookie on the inside.