This soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies recipe is my new favorite, go-to cookie treat. You’ll love how easy it is to make, everyone else will love how amazing they taste! And the secret ingredients makes these chocolate chip cookies soft for days!
Love chewy cookies? Try our favorite Lemon Oreo Cookies packed with lemon pudding mix, crushed lemon oreos and white chocolate chips! Or give our chocolate chunk cookies a try for a tasty chocolate treat.
Why this Recipe Works
I must confess something. I didn’t think I would like these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies when I first came tried them.
My kids were asking for chocolate chip cookies, and I felt like experimenting with a new recipe.
But I took a chance with this pudding cookie recipe and it turned out very good!
- They are soft and moist with a hint of vanilla.
- Stay moist for DAYS.
- Perfect for dunking or eating warm out of the oven!
The Secret Ingredients
The basic chocolate chip cookie ingredients to start with…in addition to a few key ingredients are all you need for today’s cookie recipe.
Vanilla Pudding Mix. Be sure to buy the INSTANT pudding mix, not the cook & serve.
The secret ingredient to these cookies is the vanilla bean paste.
Vanilla bean paste is thicker than vanilla extract and gives these cookies a rich vanilla flavor. It also has tiny specks of vanilla bean, which adds to the cookie’s flavor and look.
If you can’t find the vanilla bean paste (<—on Amazon!), you can use fresh vanilla beans or vanilla extract as a last resort.
Don’t worry about not ever using vanilla bean paste again….I use it often in my recipes. Like in these vanilla bean cupcakes and these Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles.
Easy Instructions
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you cream the butter and sugars well, removing any air pockets. This ensures even baking!
- Use instant pudding mix, not the cook and serve pudding.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies as they will continue to cook as they cool.
- Add extra chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies before baking for an extra chocolate flavor.
- Add a pinch of coarse sea salt to the tops of the cookies if you love a sweet and salty chocolate flavor!
Substitutions
Cookies are one of those recipes where you can use substitutions to personalize the cookie and give the flavor a spin! Try these different substitutions to make these pudding cookies your own!
Instant pudding flavor: This recipe calls for vanilla pudding flavor but you can switch that out for another flavor. Butterscotch, white chocolate, or chocolate pudding would all give these cookies a unique and yummy twist!
Mix ins: Instead of using semi-sweet chocolate chips, you could try peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips, whichever you enjoy the most!
Extracts: Swap out the vanilla and use lemon pudding mix, with lemon extract and white chocolate chips. So fresh and delicious!
You can also add pudding mix to your favorite Rice Krispie Treats recipe for a fun twist!
How to Store Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
These cookies stay fresh and moist for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
I like to make a big batch and freeze half of the pudding cookie dough to bake at a later time.
To do this, line a freezer safe baking sheet (like a metal sheet pan) with parchment paper. Drop your cookie dough scoops onto the pan and flash freeze for about 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the freezer and slide the cookie dough balls into a ziploc bag or airtight container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake the chocolate chip pudding cookies, drop the frozen cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet and bake according to the recipe. You may need to add a couple minutes of baking time for the frozen dough.
You can also freeze the cooked and cooled cookies. Just slide them into a ziploc freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw at room temperature overnight and enjoy!
More Cookie Recipes
- M&M Pudding Cookies
- Gooey Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
More Pudding Mix Recipes
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
This soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies recipe is my new favorite, go-to cookie treat. You'll love how easy it is to make, everyone else will love how amazing they taste!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 box (3.4oz pkg) vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Bead in pudding mix, eggs and vanilla paste. Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop by tablespoon onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. Remove and cool.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
36Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 149Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 85mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies stay soft and chewy with this easy recipe!
Sorry but I have never seen almond paste, probably because I never had to look. Ha Ha. What can I use instead?
These use vanilla bean paste, not almond. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use a vanilla bean…or skip it and just use vanilla extract. You won’t have that rich vanilla flavor, but they’ll still taste amazing.
This is the recipe I have been using since 1980! It was advertised on TV with the tag line “My Mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies!” It was printed inside the Jello pudding box.
Aimee, you have become my favorite food blogger. I am just about ready to make these wonderful sounding cookies. I would like to know though – why instant and not cooking pudding? Awaiting your reply. Thank you, Glenda
Hi Glenda,
TO be honest, I never buy the cook and serve pudding mix. I just know that the Instant works perfect 🙂
Thank you for sharing valuable information. Nice post. I enjoyed reading this post.
The best homemade chocolate chips ever!
These really do look like the BEST cokies!
Adding the pudding makes these so soft in the centers! just perfect!
Using pudding mix in cookie dough is my favorite! Can’t beat how soft and chewy they are!
Add the pudding mix to any cookie or cake recipe..They turn out moist every time.
I neeeeed to start making some pudding cookies. After trying Dorothy’s almond joy version, I’m obsessed! These look so soft and perfectly chewy. Yummy!!
I love pudding cookies! They always come out just right!
I think we all have favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. These sound like a good contender, though!
These sound so easy and tasty! Yum!
These sounds so good, Im going to have to try them sometime!
I am so glad you tried the pudding cookies. They are so yummy and delicious!!! Pudding is one of my favorite add in to cookies now! I could go for a glass of milk and that bowl full of cookies right about now:-)
Me too!!
I love pudding cookies. I have so many versions in my brain. These look SO good.
funny that 3 dozen cookies went like hotcakes for you…that’s funny b/c most of the time I try to halve recipes b/c I want variety, not 3 or 4 dozen of one thing. Pudding cookies are so good and I’ve always eyed Maria’s, too!
Haha, with 4 kids in the house and all their friends a batch of cookies just never lasts around here! I probably bake cookies 3 times a week!
I’ve heard such great things about pudding cookies and I’ve never tried them! These are such great photos Aimee!!