If you’re looking for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe that stays soft and chewy for days, you’ve got to try these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies! Adding instant pudding mix to cookie dough is a little baking trick that gives cookies a soft-baked, tender texture while packing in extra flavor. I provide an alternative below for making these cookies when you don’t have pudding mix on hand!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- EXTRA soft cookies: Even a few days later, they still taste freshly baked. The pudding mix enhances the flavors and creates a cookie that stays soft, tender, and irresistible! See tips below if you don’t have pudding mix on hand!
- These pudding cookies are so easy to make, endlessly adaptable, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: Adding pudding mix to your cookies is a foolproof way to keep them extra soft. Vanilla pudding mix is basically just sugar and cornstarch and it’s the cornstarch that is the key ingredient. If you don’t have pudding mix on hand, you can add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your cookie dough.
- Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar, it’s personal preference.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic choice for ccc, but you can use any kind you like! Milk, dark, or white chocolate chips all work great, or you can even mix them for a fun twist.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chocolate versions: Swap out semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips for a fun twist. You can also add a mix of chips and chocolate chunks for different textures.
- Add-Ins: Mix in a handful of chopped nuts, toffee bits, or even shredded coconut to add more flavor and texture.
- Flavor Twists: Try using other pudding mix flavors, like chocolate or butterscotch, to switch up the taste.
- Salted Butter + Sea Salt: If you like a balance of sweet and salty, use salted butter and sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before baking.
Storage instructions
To keep your cookies soft for days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
You can freeze these cookies before or after baking:
- To freeze raw cookie dough, shape it into balls and arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flash freeze until solid, then transfer the dough balls to a resealable freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply take out as many as you need and bake straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time as needed.
- To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely before placing them in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
Jessica’s tips for making the best chocolate chip cookies every time!
- Be sure to use instant pudding mix: Be sure to use instant pudding mix rather than cook-and-serve.
- No chilling of the dough is required! The cookies don’t spread too much while baking so there is no need to refrigerate it. Just like my favorite easy chocolate chip cookie cake.
- Room temperature ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This helps the ingredients combine evenly and makes for a smoother dough, resulting in a more consistent cookie texture.
- Measure flour accurately: Too much flour can make cookies dense and cakey. For best results, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Don’t over-mix the dough: Once you add the flour, mix until just combined. Over-mixing can lead to dense cookies. You want everything mixed in, but don’t overwork the dough.
- Add a slice of bread to the container—the bread will help maintain the cookies’ moisture so they stay soft.
Recipe FAQS
The cornstarch in pudding mix makes cookies soft and chewy by softening the four’s proteins and absorbs liquids. This results in a more tender and chewy cookie! It also enhances the flavor and gives the cookies a subtle vanilla taste.
Absolutely! Vanilla is a classic choice, but you can experiment with chocolate, butterscotch, or even banana or cheesecake pudding mix to change the flavor profile. Just make sure you’re using instant pudding mix for the right texture.
Noooo. Be sure to use instant pudding mix. The thickening agents in cook-and-serve pudding contain more cornstarch, which changes the texture and won’t give you the same soft, chewy result as instant.
If you don’t have pudding mix, you can simply leave it out! If you have cornstarch on hand, add 2 tablespoons to our dough to create the same effect as instant pudding mix.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a slice of bread to the container can help keep them soft by maintaining moisture in the container.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic choice, but you can use any kind you like! Milk, dark, or white chocolate chips all work great, or you can even mix them for a fun twist.
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📋 Recipe
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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Soft-baked chocolate chip pudding cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth, chewy texture that stay fresh for days.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs, vanilla and pudding mix and beat on high for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Mix in flour, baking soda, salt until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.
Use a large cookie scoop or a ¼ cup of dough and drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden on the bottom and just set on top. Let them cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 265IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
