This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are soft, chewy, thick, and loaded with chocolate chips — and the secret ingredient is a box of instant vanilla pudding mix. If you’ve ever wondered why bakers add pudding mix to chocolate chip cookies, it’s because it helps create cookies that stay softer and fresher longer than traditional recipes.
The pudding mix gives the dough extra moisture and structure, helping the cookies bake up with soft centers, lightly golden edges, and that bakery-style chew everyone loves. They’re easy drop cookies, make a generous batch, and are perfect for cookie trays, lunchboxes, bake sales, or anytime your kitchen needs a little chocolate chip cookie happiness.
If you love homemade chocolate chip cookies, be sure to browse my Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes collection, then try my Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Toll House Cookies, and Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, too — each one gives you a different delicious take on a classic favorite.
If you love homemade chocolate chip cookies, be sure to browse my Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes collection, then try my chocolate chunk cookies, Toll House cookies, and Hershey chocolate chip cookies too — each one gives you a different delicious take on a classic favorite.
Why Add Pudding Mix to Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Vanilla pudding mix is the secret ingredient that gives these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies their tender, bakery-style texture. Added dry, it blends right into the dough and helps the cookies bake up thick with soft centers and lightly golden edges.
It also adds a subtle vanilla flavor that makes the chocolate chips taste even richer. Best of all, pudding mix helps the cookies stay soft longer, which makes this recipe especially nice for cookie trays, lunchboxes, and baking ahead.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve. Instant vanilla pudding mix blends right into the dough and helps create that soft, chewy texture.
✨ Don’t prepare the pudding first. Add the dry pudding mix straight from the box — no milk, no cooking, no extra steps.
✨ Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour can make the cookies dry or puffy instead of soft and chewy. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
✨ Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies from the oven when the edges look set and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool.
✨ Let them cool on the baking sheet. A few minutes on the hot pan helps the centers finish baking without drying out the cookies.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Ingredients
Flour: Use a medium gluten all-purpose flour like Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour.
Baking Soda: Aids in creating a nice chewy cookie.
Butter: I like to use unsalted butter.
Sugars: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated sugars to create the perfect flavor and texture.
Vanilla Pudding Mix: This is used in this recipe as an ingredient. It’s added dry, straight out of the package at stage #3. It is NOT prepared per box instructions!
Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
Eggs: I use large size eggs at room temp.
Chocolate Chips: I like semisweet best but milk, dark, or white chocolate chips all work equally as well.
Nuts: These are of course optional. I like either pecan or walnuts.
🥣 How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and instant vanilla pudding mix until evenly combined.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Make the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Portion the cookies. Scoop the dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.
Bake. Bake until the edges are lightly golden and set but the centers still look slightly soft.
Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Use room-temperature butter. Butter that’s too cold won’t cream properly, while overly soft butter can cause cookies to spread more than intended.
⭐ Don’t skip the pudding mix. It’s the ingredient that gives these cookies their signature soft texture and helps them stay fresh longer.
⭐ Underbake slightly for the best texture. The cookies should look just set around the edges when they come out of the oven. They’ll continue baking from residual heat as they cool.
⭐ Use a cookie scoop. Uniform dough portions help the cookies bake evenly and create a more bakery-style appearance.
⭐ Add a few extra chocolate chips on top. Pressing a few chips into the tops of the dough balls before baking makes the finished cookies look extra inviting.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies Recipe Notes
- Creaming the butter– Don’t skimp on this. By creaming together the butter (use real butter- no margarine!) and sugar until it looks fluffy, you introduce air into the batter. It helps the cookies bake up light and tender.
- Measuring flour- Too much flour makes for dry cookies. To accurately measure flour, spoon it into your measuring cup until overfilled. Scrape it level a knife.
- Pudding- Make sure you use the INSTANT pudding mix. The cook and service don’t have the same thickening agents that make these cookies so soft and chewy. You can experiment with the flavor!
Storing + Reheating + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Storing: Store cooled Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. The pudding mix helps them stay soft, but keeping them tightly covered is what protects that tender texture.
Reheating: To bring back that fresh-baked softness, warm one cookie in the microwave for 8–10 seconds. For several cookies, place them on a baking sheet and warm in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes, just until slightly warm.
Freezing baked cookies: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm briefly if you’d like them soft and gooey again.
Freezing cookie dough balls: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Baking from frozen: Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer, adding 1–3 extra minutes to the bake time as needed. For the best texture, bake until the edges look set and the centers still look slightly soft.
Make-Ahead: You can make the dough up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it tightly covered. Let it sit at room temperature just until scoopable, then bake as directed.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Use room-temperature butter. Butter that’s too cold won’t cream properly, while overly soft butter can cause cookies to spread more than intended.
⭐ Don’t skip the pudding mix. It’s the ingredient that gives these cookies their signature soft texture and helps them stay fresh longer.
⭐ Underbake slightly for the best texture. The cookies should look just set around the edges when they come out of the oven. They’ll continue baking from residual heat as they cool.
⭐ Use a cookie scoop. Uniform dough portions help the cookies bake evenly and create a more bakery-style appearance.
⭐ Add a few extra chocolate chips on top. Pressing a few chips into the tops of the dough balls before baking makes the finished cookies look extra inviting.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes to Try
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies — My go-to classic recipe with buttery flavor, chewy centers, and plenty of melty chocolate chips.
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies — Extra soft and tender with a bakery-style texture that’s perfect for anyone who loves a chewy cookie.
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies — A simple, dependable recipe that’s quick to make and always delivers classic chocolate chip cookie flavor.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — Hearty oats add extra texture and chewiness while still letting the chocolate chips shine.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies — Rich peanut butter and sweet chocolate chips are a match made in cookie heaven.
Tried This Recipe?
💗 If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a star rating and a quick comment — I love hearing from you!
📩 Want more easy, family-friendly recipes? Subscribe to my free newsletter and get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy baking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chip morsels
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups) and baking soda (1 teaspoon); set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set on medium speed, cream together butter (1 cup), brown sugar (3/4 cup), granulated sugar (1/4 cup), pudding mix (1 package), and vanilla (1 teaspoon) until combined and creamy.
- Mix in the eggs (2 large), one at a time, and combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips (12 ounces) and nuts (1 cup) and combine until evenly combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, form dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool 2-3 minutes on cookie sheets then remove to a wire rack to cool completely
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Creaming the butter– Don’t skimp on this. By creaming together the butter (use real butter- no margarine!) and sugar until it looks fluffy, you introduce air into the batter. It helps the cookies bake up light and tender.
- Measuring flour- Too much flour makes for dry cookies. To accurately measure flour, spoon it into your measuring cup until overfilled. Scrape it level a knife.
- Pudding- Make sure you use the INSTANT pudding mix. The cook and service don’t have the same thickening agents that make these cookies so soft and chewy. You can experiment with the flavor!
Instructions say to add salt to the flore and soda mixture but there is no salt listed on the ingredients…how much salt should it be?
Hi Laurie, I dont see any salt in the instructions. I didnt use salt in this recipe. Could you be asking about another chocolate chip cookie recipe?
Ooooh this is perfect! I love walnuts so that’s the one I used.
Amazing! Thanks for your positive feedback, Emma 🙂
This recipe needs edited as it’s missing the step to add in the flour and baking soda
Thanks, Sara! It’s now corrected 🙂