Quick Summary
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies-These super soft chocolate chip cookies are made with a secret ingredient, vanilla pudding mix! You are going to LOVE this chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve baked a lot of cookies over the years, but one of the first cookie recipes I remember baking are Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies. They are so easy and everyone loves them, including me.
The cookies are super soft and turn out perfect every time. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, this is the chocolate chip cookie recipe for you! The vanilla pudding mix is the secret ingredient and creates a super soft and delicious chocolate chip cookie.
You can’t go wrong with this chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Vanilla Pudding, the Secret Ingredient
The secret ingredient, vanilla pudding mix, makes these cookies extra special. You don’t have to make the pudding, you just need the powdered mix. If you dump actual pudding, made with milk, in the cookies, you will have a disaster. You only need to add the powdered vanilla pudding mix to the cookie dough.
I know it sounds odd, but I promise the pudding mix creates the softest and most delicious chocolate chip cookie. The pudding is magic!
I use vanilla pudding, but you can mix it up and use chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc. Play around and experiment with different pudding flavors! I just like vanilla for this recipe because it is classic!
You can check out my other pudding cookie recipes:
- Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies
- Lemon Blueberry Pudding Cookies
- Banana Pudding Cookies
- Oreo White Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Oreo White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
How to Make Pudding Cookies
I love this cookie recipe because they are SO easy! You don’t have to chill the dough and they turn out perfectly EVERY single time! They are a family favorite!
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter and sugars together. Make sure your butter isn’t too soft or melted. You want it at cool room temperature. If the butter is too warm, your cookies will be flat and greasy…and we don’t want that:)
- Add in the secret ingredient, the vanilla pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix!
- Stir in the chocolate chips. I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, Guittard is my favorite brand. You can use milk, dark, white, or even butterscotch chips if you wish!
- Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slight golden and set around the edges but still soft in the center. Don’t over bake, you want the cookies to be SOFT. They will continue baking as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- EAT and ENJOY!
How to Store
You don’t have to chill this cookie dough, but you can keep it in the fridge for up to 72 hours. Make sure the dough is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. To keep the cookies super soft, place a piece of bread in the container. The bread will get hard, but the cookies will stay soft. It’s magic!
You can freeze the cookie dough in balls for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and bake! Just add a few minutes to the baking time.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Malted Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slight golden and set around the edges. The centers should still be soft. Remove cookies from oven. You can sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I’ve never made cookies with pudding but they look good!
My aunt used to make cookies with pudding when I was little and they were so good! These look fabulous!
These cookies are absolutely delicious! My first time making cookies with pudding. They are so moist and soft even after a few days. A continued hit at family gatherings and parties!
Those are interesting! I bet they taste wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
I love the addition of vanilla pudding, I can only imagine how that would bring them over the top … mmm!
Awww I love when baking simple recipes like this can bring back such fond memories. So cute.
they look awesome, Maria!
What a great idea!
OH how I love soft cookies! These look wonderful.
Pudding cookies are so fun!! The kinda of thing I would have lived on when pregnant 😉
Pudding in cookies? Genius! I’ve never heard of that before but I LOVE soft chocolate chip cookies so I’m definitely going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing Maria!
My sisters and I used to make a version of these all the time also. We always loved them. I agree they are so good!
yes! i was trying to decide what to bake for dessert for a picnic hike i’m going on tomorrow. these look totally delicious, i can’t wait to try them!
oh my gosh, these are my FAVORITE cookies of all time! I love how soft they are from the pudding 🙂 This is actually one recipe (or similar) that I have NOT posted on my blog yet because it’s so close to my heart – I haven’t wanted to share! 🙂
I agree Brandi! I won’t pin this recipe because I want to keep it special as I make them for friends. These cookies are delicious!
LOVE pudding cookies, I can practically taste these, yum!
One of my best friends makes her chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding, and everyone always loves them! I agree these cookies are amazing!!
I make something similar in bar form and they are the best chocolate chip cookie bars ever! Seriously 🙂
http://www.whatmegansmaking.com/2009/02/bugs-bunny-bars.html
I’m intrigued by the pudding in these! They look really yummy!
My favorite all-time chocolate chip cookie had pudding in it, it just does something magical to the dough! Love it!
What a great idea! I will have to try these!
owww- I think I actually have some pudding mix buried in the cabinet. I’ve never heard of a cookie of this variety- looks like fun!
Pudding Cookies?!?! Yum!! Ok they just sound wonderful an I have not even tried them yet! Putting them on my “MUST BAKE” list!
I’ve made these before–I LOVE the texture it gives to the cookies!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. These were one of the first posts I ever wrote at my own food blog back in 2009 (with a lil more sugar and some added cinnamon but basically the same: http://redkitchenproject.com/2009/08/06/secret-ingredient-chocolate-chip-cookies/ ), and it was a fun reminder to go back, look at that post (with all of its terrible photography as I learned what to do with a camera!) and see how far I’ve come. But I’ll always love these cookies, no matter where I go from here! (And congrats on your photos looking beautiful!) The thing I always love about these cookies is that the pudding totally combats the chocolate-chip-cookie’s natural tendency to slide down to a flat pancake in the oven. They’re always thick and gorgeous when they come out of the oven! Thanks for reminded me to make some this weekend!
These look awesome, a few months ago I would have turned my nose up at using instant pudding in my cookies. But then I tried these: http://www.thebakersnuts.ca/2010/12/best-sugar-cookies.html
and have since been converted. I’ve been looking for another cookie that has both vanilla pudding and high praise, and I think I’ve found it. Definitely a must try :).
These are one of my favorite cookies! So soft and yummy!
Love, love, love this recipe!
I never cleaned the kitchen when I first started baking, but my mom got mad at me one time and now I’m a complete neat freak 😛
These look so soft and fluffy! Great cookies. I’ll have to try these soon.
I’ve heard great things about pudding cookies but never tried them. Thanks for sharing, they look great!
These look so good! Yum!!
They are good! I made them with pistachio pudding mix for St. Paddy’s day.
I still love making these. They’re so yummy and they’re great frozen too. Maybe we’ll make them together again some day.
These look perfect, Maria! Can’t wait to try these pudding cookies 🙂
These remind me of the oh so delicious Soft Batch cookies, every once in awhile I get a craving for them and nothing else will do!
Ok, bookmarking yet another recipe!
Umm, somehow I don’t think I’ve ever had pudding cookies – pudding cake, definitely, not cookies tho. Will have to rectify that ASAP!
I can’t remember the last time I had a pudding cookie! They look so moist and perfect:)
Love the addition of the pudding. As a chewy cookie lover, I’ve always wanted to try it.
I use instant vanilla pudding to add to cupcakes to make them super moist. These cookies look great, I’ll have to try them!
Sounds really delicious! Saving this recipe for the next time my grandkids visit.
Oh my. You just jogged a memory for me. In college I used to make a double-chocolate cookie that was made with chocolate pudding mix. It always guaranteed perfect, soft rich cookies. You inspired me to go hunt for the recipe – or perhaps try the vanilla version instead!
These cookies look amazing. I have never tried pudding cookies, but I think I am sold on this recipe!
These look so good! Luckily I think I have some pudding mix in my cabinet! YUM!
These look so fluffy and delightful! 🙂
You’ve just made me want a cookie. 🙂
I’ve heard of people using pudding in chocolate chip cookies before, but never tried it. They look great.
Pudding mix, huh? Who woulda thought!
I love soft cookies and I love all things vanilla so I expect these are going to be a huge hit at my house!! Aren’t old family recipes the best?
And I’m guessing you could experiment with other sorts of pudding mixes as well… chocolate, butterscotch… now you’ve got me thinking!
Soft cookies are my favorite. I will definetly be trying these!
Mmm, I can smell them from here. I do love what pudding mix does to cookies sometimes! Are you enjoying food more now?
It depends on the day, but I am feeling a little better. Food is still hard, but I am trying:)
Never tried pudding mix in chocolate chip cookies! Well, huh. Gotta try it. They look marvelous!
Pudding the recipe makes for a great cookie. We always use cookies and cream pudding, and have had success with chocolate pudding as well. Yum!
These look so good! I love super soft cookies- they remind me of those “soft batch” cookies when I was a kid.
I love cookies. No better way to escape for a bit in the afternoon than with a tea and a few moist, delicious cookies! These look great!
I can only imagine these being amazing! Pudding in cake is delicious too!
I used to make chocolate chip cookies without vanilla pudding and only tested this version a couple months ago. Needless to say, I was blown away–so chewy and such an unforgettable taste! Yum!
Try this same recipe but use the cheesecake instant pudding… 🙂
What a fun twist on a family favorite! Believe it or not, there is vegan pudding…I may just have to give this recipe a try!
This is prob. a silly questions, but is it 3 to 4 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix OR Three of the 4oz packages of vanilla instant pudding mix
You only need one package of pudding:)
I’ve had these cookies before but I’ve never made them. They are delicious!
These cookies look great! My husband always complains about my chocolate chip cookies not being soft enough… but these ones look just perfect!
This is how I’ve made CCC for years. So good! Other cookies are a huge dissapointment to me.
I’ll bet the pudding makes these cookies extra chewy and moist. They look great, Maria!
Interesting! I have never thought to put pudding mix in cookies… I bet it adds a nice texture!
I made these for a group last night and they were a hit! Thanks for the recipe. Everyone enjoyed the chewy consistency. I blogged about your recipe here: http://itsalwayssunnyinsomerville.blogspot.com/2011/03/salty-or-sweet.html
Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
i don’t normally like soft chocolate chip cookies, but these look awesome.
i’m going to make these!! only a chocolate version. thanks for the recipe 🙂
Oh, these really look good and I love that you use the pudding. Trying this week I hope. Have a friend who is having a birthday so maybe I will make for her and steal a few!
Pudding cookies are the best.
Who doesn’t love pudding in cookies? So delicious!
I just made these last night- and they’re delicious! Definitely very vanilla-y (if that’s a word!). Mine look nothing like yours but still taste wonderful. Will definitely be making these again in the future.
This is my “go to” chocolate chip cookie recipe. I think the addition of pudding keeps them soft for days. I would venture to say that I make at least 1 batch of these a week…which is probably why I can’t drop these 15 pounds that need to go before summer!
I made these last weekend, and they were pretty darn tasty. We finished them last night, and they stayed soft all week. Good recipe. I used French Vanilla pudding, and that was the only change I made.
I am glad they stayed soft all week!
I just made these today and they are yummy! My husband is a fan of soft baked cookies and he loved them. Thank you for sharing. Definitely a recipe worth keeping and repeating. Thank you!
Glad you liked the cookies!
Your picture shows the cookies so perfectly flat..mine stayed shaped as balls. I’ll have to try again ’cause I am always searching for that “perfect” cookie recipe.
Mmmm I love pudding and cookies!
I made this cookies with my daughter last night, and they are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! Thank you so much for posting recipe!
Oh I want to try this cookies. Can’t wait to buy the vanilla pudding first
This is so indulging. I love to make some of these and eat with a glass of fresh milk. I miss my childhood cookies. LOL.
I’m making these with chocolate pudding and peanut butter chips….I bet they will be awesome!!
I will always love chocolate chip cookies but I think vanilla flavor with it will also be a delicious one. I will be trying this one tomorrow for my kid’s snacks. Thanks for the recipe.
So, I made a batch of these on Sunday, and my husband, the self-proclaimed Cookie Monster, went crazy for them. After eating, oh, about a dozen hot from the oven, he said, “These are [bleeping] awesome!” Is it bad that we finished all 3 dozen in less than 3 days?
I won’t tell anybody how fast you finished the cookies:) We do the same!
I love love love soft cookies! Bookmarked to try! Thanks 🙂
I have an old church cookbook that has this exact recipe, except it states oleo instead of butter. Maybe your family and the grandma that submitted the recipe knew each other! 🙂
I made these and substitued with white chocolate chips, lemon pudding, and no vanilla extract. 9 minutes in the oven and OH MY GOODNESS were they tasty!!!
Glad you liked the cookies!
We’ve also had this recipe for a long time! But we use any instant pudding and chip combo… my favorite being chocolate pudding mix and peanut butter chips, but I also love the unique combos we’ve done like butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips. Yum!
I made this and am now making it for the second time! The dough freezes well so everyone knows!
Hi, I have stumbled across this recipe of yours and it looks simply glorious, and would like to try it out. There’s one problem though: I come from Malta in Europe, and I have no idea what a pudding mix is (vanilla or otherwise!)! Is it a normal cake mix? Could you perhaps send me a private email with some Brandname examples, so that I could look for an equivalent here in my country? Many thanks!
It is an instant pudding mix. JELLO is the brand I use. You add the powdered mix to the cookie dough. I hope you can find some! It makes the cookies really soft.
Thanks for blogging! I substituted unsweetened cocoa for 1/4 cup of the flour, used chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips, and got tasty double chocolate cookies! Yum:)
Glad you liked the cookies. Love the changes you made!
I absolutely LOVE cookies and these looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to bake them. When I went to make them the only kind of pudding mix I had was Cheesecake so I figured why not…the result was delicious!
These were great. I am not a chocolate chip cookie fan but these won me over. The vanilla pudding definitely makes them a hit.
Is there a way to make these peanut buttery? My thought was to drop out an egg and add peanut butter, but I’m not sure how much PB to add. Thoughts?
I haven’t tried a peanut butter version. Maybe I need to experiment:)
This morning I made these cookies for the second time. They are Devine! And they stay soft forever…and so many possible variations. This time I used cheesecake pudding mix with milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolates chips. Thanks for this recipe!
You are welcome:)
I made the following changes to make a slightly peanut buttery version:
1/2 c butter
1/2 c peanut butter
5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding
3 eggs
I also used mini chocolate chips because they’re so darn cute.
Cookies got great reviews from everyone! Thanks!
I’m not sure if I forgot to hit post when I wrote last night or if it just hasn’t processed. Sorry if it’s the latter.
I made a peanut butter version last evening that was a HIT with everyone who tried them.
Here are the changes I made:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
5.1 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
3 eggs
(The last two changes are because I only had a 5 oz box of pudding. Not sure the extra egg would be necessary with a box the size of the original recipe.)
Like I said, they were a hit! Thanks so much for this recipe!
These are amazing! I love soft cookies and could never really find a good recipe, but then I was trying to get rid of some vanilla pudding that I had. So, I Googled “Things to do with vanilla pudding” and your recipe came up! The dough tastes like vanilla frosting…. sooo yummy. I can’t stop eating them, I am eating one right now as I type this out! Thanks for sharing this! 😀
Hate to leave this here but couldn’t find an email address to contact you at about this. Just thought you should know that Sweet Nothings Desserts on Facebook is using your image of the cookies on the plate as her own, she cropped out your table cloth and watermarked her name over the image. You can still tell the pictures is the same as above. Just about any clear crisp picture on her page you can google the name of the item and the picture pops up with a link back to a blog where she is taking them from. You are one of MANY she has done this to.
Thanks Holly for the heads up! I appreciate it.
I made 3 batches of these for a party last week and people could not eat them fast enough! One guy ate 7 in row and made himself a plate to go. I usually never eat what I bake but the next morning, I ate 3 for breakfast. They were still soft and smooth the next day!
Wonderful cookie!
Have you seen the cookie and cream miniatures from Hershey’s?!? They come in milk chocolate and cookies and cream too. I’m going to cut some up and put them in this recipe tonight. Yum!!!
VERY GOOD RECIPE TAST GREAT I MADE A DOUBLE BATCH
Are these cookies supposed to be REALLY soft even after they are cooled overnight? I made these yesterday and I have to be careful when picking them up because they are SO soft and break apart super easy. I actually had to refridgerate them so they would harden up a bit, but even after taking them out of the refridgerator and letting them sit out for a while, they go right back to being extremely soft again. Normally when I make home made chocolate chip cookies, they are not like this. Not sure if I did something wrong or if it is because there is vanilla pudding added? I followed the instructions exactly :/
They are supposed to be soft, but they hold together just fine. Did you bake them long enough?
Also, I will be using half the chocolate chips if I decide to make these again. I had a feeling that 2 cups would be WAY too much and it certainly was. Normally I use a little 1 cup of chocolate chips for 2 dozen cookies, but I decided to follow this recipe exactly.
I baked them for 12 minutes at 350. They turned out VERY thin as well which could have also contributed to them falling apartso easily when you picked them up. Maybe I will try making the cookie a little bit bigger. I used a small cookie dough scoop instead of a normal sized one because that’s all I had other than a spoon. I think that might be a problem too. They did taste really good though!
As a young 18 year old, the kitchen is not exactly my scene, but I’ve been making these cookies for everyone, school and church. They love it and so does my 8 year old brother.
Best cookies I’ve ever had. The vanilla pudding mix is magic. Thank you so much!
Yum……..these are a family favorite. They stay soft if you have them long enough to store!!!
I’ve made cookies with vanilla pudding before and they truly are some of the softest cookies I’ve ever had! These look great =)
Have you ever made a chocolate cookie base version using instant chocolate pudding? I was thinking of making chocolate peanut butter cookies. Thanks.
This is my weekend project with my son! I do so want to make these 🙂
I made these cookies for my husband this weekend, and he declared they were the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever eaten-even better than his MOTHER’S!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Wow, that is a compliment:) Glad the cookies were a hit!
These cookies are excellent! They taste like Chewy Chips Ahoy without the trans fat. 🙂
These are so so so delicious! My son declared them the best chocolate chip cookies ever! We also love the butterscotch pudding triple chip cookies. Your cookie recipes rule!
My youngest son and I just made these cookies. They are awesome. I was leary about putting pudding in cookies mix but if pudding can make a cake more moist it has to do the same thing for cookies and trust it does!!!!
These cookies are worth making! Chewy & delicious. My family said they were addicting. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
best recipie out there try adding 3/4 tsp almond extract and their amazing my wife and i love them!
I will have to try that! Thanks!
A colleague made these cookies and shared some with me at lunch time. These are such a wonderful change from the regular old worn out chocolate chip cookie recipe! They are my new favorites! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Glad everyone liked the cookies!
I just made these and they are one of the most delicious cookies I have EVER eaten! Made them with 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 peanut butter chips….SOOOOOO GOOD!
We love these cookies too! Will have to try them with PB chips!
I made these as part of a gift package for my mom, mother-in-law, and grandma for Mother’s day and oh my are they amazing. I have yet to give them to my g-ma or mother-in-law but my mom was so absolutely loved them. The pudding gives them a very unique and welcomed texture and they are sweet but not too sweet! This one is going into the recipe folder for sure.
I made this today and I didnt like how it turned out! The cookies didnt look like the pictures you have and it tasted undone. I followed exactly the direction. I like my cookies flat like what you have in the pictures. The cookies didnt spread out like yours It taste ok but not the best!
Made these today with 1 cup mini chocolate chips and 1 cup red, white and blue M&Ms. So yummy, so soft, so perfect! This is the cookie recipe that I have been searching for all my life! Only bad thing about them is they are so good I am going to need to fast for a week to recover from all the calories that I have consumed today!!!!
They r awesome I made some today;-))
I MADE THIS RESCIPE TWO TIMES………..AWESOME BOTH TIMES, THE SECOND TIME MY AWESOME GRANDSON AND I ENJOYED MAKING THE RESCIPE TOGERTHER AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME………………….AARON WAS SO EXCIDE TOO DO A TASTE TEST THE TEST ENDED UP BEING FIVE COOKIES LATER……………AND KNOW HE HAS A STOMACE……………THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS RECIPE IS. LOVE U AARON GRANDMA
Hey! Just wanted to let you know we love these cookies so much we’ve featured them on our blog!
Hey! Just wanted to let you know we love these cookies so much we’ve featured them on our blog!
http://we3masonjarmamas.weebly.com/1/post/2013/12/25-days-of-cookies-day-2.html
I accidentally just made these with banana vanilla pudding mix (instead of just vanilla pudding). A delicious accident! Try it!
Let these cookies sit for 1 day. The pudding needs a chance to meld into the cookie. They are delicious!
I found this on Pinterest. They are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing!!!
I just tried these with excellent results
I made these today and everyone said these are the best chocolate chip cookies they have ever had, thanks for a great and easy recip!
Could you make these into cookie bars??
can these be frozen?
Thanks
Ack, my cookies didn’t turn out anything like yours. Mine are more like puddles and they are greasy. I might have used the wrong pudding. I bought the type you have to cook, not instant. My mistake I guess, but the recipe doesn’t specify the type, and I don’t usually purchase pudding mixes. When I was baking them, I noticed the batter seems too loose, so I added a little bit more flour, but that didn’t make a difference.
My BAD. The recipe is perfect, I just did not read it correctly. I remade the cookies with the correct instant pudding and they came out perfect. Thanks.
Make these ALL the time. My husband is not a sweets guy but insists I make these at least twice a month!! Eats the whole batch in 2 days…. That’s 24 cookies!
I have made them three times. The first batch was the best. They have all been good.
I made these for the first time tonight. They are excellent. I’m going to try the chocolate fudge next. Just need to remember to pick up the pudding at the store.
My husband just made these delicious cookies. They are moist and yummy! Now we are off to the river with a few of them and a thermos of coffee to enjoy a beautiful summer evening. Thanks for the recipe.
This is my favorite recipe for cookies! I’ve featured it on my blog today – check it out!
Best,
Annelise
Excellent! These came out great… will def make again !
Hi!! I’ve made these cookies a million times and tonight I made a double batch and forgot the baking soda!!! They look fine, do you think they will be ok?
Great recipe 🙂 love yum <3
I make these all the time, but the this last time I made them I forgot to get the vanilla pudding! I had a box of pumpkin spice pudding mix left over from Halloween so I used that instead… AMAZING! Used dark chocolate chips instead too… I call them Pumpkin Spice Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies… You have to try them!
A coworker brought these cookies to lunch and I also received a box of them during our gift exchange. Well I loved them so when I brought the box home and gave some to my husband he insisted I get the recipe! They are delicious
I made these today but used gluten free flour. Turned out fabulous! Thanks for a great recipe!
So my roommate and i have eaten many of these cookies before. They are normally amazing and not poo poo. But we tried our hand in making them ourselves. The flour measurement is messed up man. You need to put an “and” between 2 and 1/4. Because what we did was put a 1/2 or 2 1/4 flour. now do you see why we fucked up. Thank you for ruining my glorious sweet cookies. I ate some egg ass cookies and now i feel incomplete. Please fix this recipe for males so no other hungry college students have to feel this way again. sincerely Millbus Butoon III.
Would the recipe need to be altered to add nuts? If so, how would you suggest making these to not ruin their original awesomeness? Thank you!
I found this recipe on Pinterest last year and decided to try it. My family and kids loved them!!!! I love to bake and have tried many different cookie recipes and I always seem to come back to this one :). They are super yummy, fluffy, and everyone I’ve made them for just loves them! I’m actually making them as I write this for my kids Carnival day at school 🙂
DOES THE PUDDING HAVE TO BE INSTANT PUDDING?
WILL NON INSTANT WORK AS WELL?
I always use instant so I am not sure. Let me know if you try it!
Can I freeze the dough? and if leave the dough in the refrigerator how long can it keep in fridge?
Thanks, Zayra
I tried this recipe and the dough tastes amazing. But I have questions! Mine didn’t spread as much as yours did. What do you think could be causing that? Also, do you use light or dark brown sugar? Does it matter? Do you chill the dough at all before baking?
This is truly a wonderful recipe. Just trying to figure out a couple of things I may be doing wrong.
Did you use too much flour or was your butter too cold? Might be a reason why they didn’t spread. You can use light or dark brown sugar. I don’t chill the dough before baking, but you certainly can!
Way too dry I wont make these again!
Weird, I have never had the cookies come out dry.
3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding package? I live in California and only see 1 oz. or 5 oz. packages. Should I use a scale to measure?
Really? Where do you live in CA? I bought my box at Walmart
Just wanted to know, could i freeze the dough and bake from frozen? I’m pregnant and worried i’ll eat ALL of them if I dont freeze some… and of course i need that freshly baked element to enjoy them to their full potential . K, thanks.
Yes, I freeze the dough all of the time. You can also freeze the cookies. Both work well! Congrats to you!
I’ve been using the same recipe for 20 years and it is still my favorite. We like to use chocolate pudding sometimes.
Have not made these in a ling time and had to find a recipe for them. I think they always turn out well. Will add pecans.
OMG!!! I made these cookies last night after seeing an Instagram friend post a photo. These were AMAZING!!!! I absolutely LOVED them. Heading up to TXST to see our son for family weekend, and I’m taking him the cookies. Mine yielded less than 3 dozen because he likes a bigger cookie, but I still got almost 2 dozen out of the recipe.
I’ve made these cookies twice now within a month. The first time I made these cookies, I took them to work, and all my co workers loved them! The second time I made these cookies, I sent them home with my daughter to where she attends college. She told me today that she shared these cookies with a bunch of friends in the school lounging area. They told her these were the best chocolate chip cookies they have ever had! Kudos to you!
So happy the cookies are a hit!!
Loved this recipe!! Husband loved them. They came out very moist and chewy. The only thing is that they didn’t look this perfect. But, who cares they were delicious. I am going to make them again for my fundraiser. 🙂
I finally got my neighbor to tell me her secret after I suggested that she was having the cookies shipped in.
Made these cookies often. They are nice and soft and delicious. Many times I add several different kinds of chips in one batter..
Can you make these cookies with vanilla chips
Love love love this recipe! I added peanut butter chips and walnuts to switch up the batches. The cookies stay soft for days after.
We have been using this recipe forever! Yummy!
The most amazing chocolate chip cookies I have ever baked. Love them….super moist and a big hit with my kids and husband.
Glad you liked them!
These turned out so good! Can’t get enough of them!
Made it! It’s good. I can’t bake at all and your buttermilk banana bread and these cookies came out yummy. Thanks.
These cookies have replaced our old family recipe. They’re pretty much amazing.
Yay! So happy to hear!
This recipe has truly become a family favorite. Everyone who tries these cookies say they are the best they have ever had. I have made it so many times that I know the recipe off the top of my head. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Those are interesting! I bet they taste wonderful.Cheers,
This is literally the exact same recipe that my mom always made growing up! Everyone always asked what her secret was as they are the BEST chocolate chip cookies they’ve ever had! The pudding mix definitely adds a lot…and so many flavor ideas too!
I will try this recipe. I always add chopped walnuts .
Wonder what the vanilla cheesecake pudding added would taste like?
It would be good too!
I make these all the time! They are really easy to make and they stay soft. I also add a tsp of baking powder. A great everyday chocolate chip cookie!
The vanilla pudding is a game changer!!
The picture looks like they have sea salt on top but I don’t see it in the recipe or instructions. Is there salt on them?
I always salt my chocolate chip cookies:) You can if you want!
When I was young my grandmother use to make cookies with pudding and they were so delicious ! These look fabulous and I will definitely gonna try this recipe.
I hope you like them!
These are delicious! I used half the batter to make bars in an 8 x 8 pan. It worked great!
I found this recipe in a magazine years ago. I have made these for years. Lost my copy and was so pleased to be able to locate this one on this site. . These cookies are soft and cakey due to the pudding but so delicious. Basically same ingredients as most chocolate chip recipes but the pudding makes them special. My family loves them…..
These cookies are amazing! My sister is hooked on them and wants to make them all the time!
I just made these and they are excellent!! I like that you don’t have to chill the dough. The hardest part was waiting for the butter to soften. Thank you!
The photo of the cookies looks like some coarse salt has been sprinkled on them? Just curious if that is the case or is it turbinado sugar?
Yes, salt!
This is a wonderful recipe! Anytime I make them, they disappear. They stay soft, and they’re so yummy. I did accidentally buy cook and serve pudding, but didn’t notice until I had everything ready to go. It worked as well.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing!
can i add unsweetened cocoa powder?
I love this recipe its my new favorite chocolate chip recipe so yummy
How long would you say these cookies last? 4 days would be perfect, I’ve been making these cookies longer than I can remember, but now I’m trynna figure out their shelf life so Inam looking for other people that have made them before. I am making 224 for my marching band. And I need them for a competition on Saturday, we leave at 8am and Friday I am busy with band stuff that day too. So Thursday and Wednesday was when I was going to make them. You think they will be alright? And would you suggest putting them in the fridge after cooking and such? Thanks!
I make them. They lasted Seven days easily. So you can bake them ahead no problem.
I have been making these amazing cookies ever since they put the recipe on the inside of the jello pudding box way back in the early 80’s!! There is NOTHING better than these cookies! It’s been my LONG time go to for Chocolate Chip Cookies for many many years!
I originally got this recipe from a friend. It has been my “go to” for the easiest and most delicious soft chocolate chip cookie recipe! The only thing I would add is that I get the eggs AND (unsalted) butter to room temperature before mixing. Sometimes I chill the dough before baking. They turn out perfect every time!
Can you safely double this recipe?
Is there a recipe for the 5.1oz pudding size!?
Best chocolate chip cookies in the world, I’ve been making them from this recipe for years and get so many compliments and requests. Keep them small for best turnout. Don’t cook longer than the recipe says because they’re very soft so you may think they aren’t done but they’re perfect when cooled.
So happy you love them!
Could you make this into one giant cookie??
You could press the dough into a skillet or pan.
I’ve been using this recipe for years to make a giant cookie cake. It works great on a large cookie sheet. No alterations needed. I frost with cream cheese frosting and it’s one of the best things ever!
Absolutely wonderful very easy to make well be a life long recipe thank you
I made these today with the help of my kids and we all give them 2 thumbs up!!! Soft, fluffy, and perfect!
My cookies didn’t even spread out, not even after i added more baking soda but the dough does tase good
My Grandma used to make something like this for my Grandpa, it was his favorite for Chocolate Chip.
These cookies are delicious! So soft and tasty. I may try it with butterscotch pudding next time.
I got over 5 dozen cookies using my small Pampered Chef scoop.
Outstanding recipe and result. I’m thrilled.
I love to get my hands into what I’m baking…..plus I didn’t feel like hauling out and cleaning the stand mixer. So glad I did. My butter was still a little firm, but the heat of my hands when combining with the sugar gave the dough a beautiful texture. I had some leftover chocolate chunks from Christmas, so I made large cookies (five) and a dozen “smaller” cookies. Froze them all so they can be baked up on demand. Texture was awesome, even the next day, and not the least bit greasy! This one’s a keeper!
Glad you liked the cookies!
Super good cookies, but each time I’ve made them they kind of still look like little balls and don’t spread out. Not sure what I’m doing wrong ??
My niece brought these to a family gathering, so I got the recipe from her. She said she uses 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening, so that is how I made them. Next time I will try it with the 1 cup of butter so I can compare the two. Delicious cookies!
These taste so so good but my husband doesnt like them thick and cakey and mine keep turning out that way. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
What’s the salt you use to sprinkle on top
Sea salt! I like Maldon flaky sea salt the best. It’s optional but so good:)
Can I double the recipe and make as bars in 9X13 pan?
I haven’t tried it, but it should work!
These are excellent cookies. Actually a family favorite now. We use chocolate pudding and butterscotch and the both turned out fabulous! Keeper for sure!
I just made these cookies for the first time and they are delicious! I did add toasted hazelnuts. And I sprinkled with Maldon sea salt. Excellent flavor and loved how soft they came out!
Sea salt is a must! Glad you liked the cookies!
Made them and they did not come out so good , too cake like .
Refrigerate them overnight and then the next day they are not so cake like.
I had that issue too, but I flattened out the dough after placing it on the parchment paper, and took them out as soon as the edges turned golden and put them out to cool and they continued to bake, and they were the perfect cookie. A little crunch on the outside, and soft in the middle
These are the exact same one’s on allrecipes Site
Have made this recipe for years. Best chocolate chip cookies ever! Add 1/2 bag butter brickley chips for even more delicious cookie
My son is obsessed with soft chocolate chip cookies so we had to try there. They turned out perfectly and are his new favorite!
Cookies did not spread out.
This is my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies! They’re so soft! I made them once in college, and the boys took the leftovers back to their dorm lol. Definitely a success.
I still have the recipe from the jello pudding box. My favorite version is with chocolate pudding and chocolate mint chips. I add a couple tablespoons of extra flour to contend with my mile high altitude. Always a hit.
Does it matter if the pudding mix is sugar free, or should you use the regular? Thank you! Can’t wait to try these!
I’ve never used sugar free, just regular.
This is hands down the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever made. I do not stray from the recipe and I get perfect cookies every time. Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad you loved the cookies! Thanks for reporting back!
One of the hubby’s top five right now! Fun to make, easy to bake!
Made these vegan using aquafaba as an egg replacer, vegan butter and vegan pudding mix. Worked great. Thanks for the inspiration!
These cookies always turn out perfect – pretty and yummy. My go-to recipe. Sometimes I use cheesecake flavored pudding to mix it up!
Never made Chocolate chips with vanilla pudding mix. I have my favorite chocolate chip recipe and it’s really similar to this just a few differences. So I decided to just make things more my way between the two of them.
hi I noticed the recipe says 1 – 3.4 oz pudding package but none of the vanilla pudding packages are 3.4 oz it’s either 1.5 oz or 1 oz. Do you know which I should use? I purchased 3 boxes just in case…
It has to be the “Instant” pudding. Th I se come as 3.4.
Hello! Can I add peanut butter to this? Add if I were to add it how much would I add?
Thank you
I haven’t tried peanut butter in this recipe. You should try my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/
These turned out perfect! I love how the cookies have a thickness plus softness to them.
This will be my new go to recipe for C.C. cookies. Salt salt also adds a special touch to the yumminess!
First time using this recipe I followed Maria’s instructions and notes very closely. My cookies came out to be one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. They are soft and ever so delicious!! The look of the cookies as well is nice, especially if you bake them and gift them to someone.
I will continue to use Maria’s recipe whenever I need to make some delicious cookies.
These, unfortunately, tasted quite bland. The dough is good, but they lose all of their flavor after they’re baked. I recommend trying Joanna Gains’ recipe instead.
Why would you come on someone elses site and recommend a different recipe? If the recipe is not for you..if you must, rate it and move on.
Apparently hundreds of people dont share your opinion. Stay classy!
These cookies were so soft and I got so many compliments on them!
Can you freeze any left over cookie dough
Yes! See the section, How to Store in the post for tips!
Best recipe ever ! I make one very large cookie and decorate for different occasions! My grandchildren like this recipe
the best because the cookies or cookie is soft !! Really enjoy
Glad you loved the cookies!
These are definitely soft.
The jokes on me ~~ never bake when you’re tired. I couldn’t figure why they were so puffy.
Re-read the recipe and now know the difference between baking powder and baking soda.
Yes, you guessed it – I used powder instead of soda. For folks that complain their cookies are too flat, try adding a pinch of baking powder. Boy do they ever look like muffin tops.
These turned out great…my only question is why mine are thick not flat like your picture. I followed exact instructions even size of scooped dough. Were we supposed to flatten before baking? They are still really good just curious why yours are flat and mine did not flatten.
Maybe too much flour? When I measure flour I fluff, spoon, and level. Never pack your flour.
This is a very old recipe that used to be on the back of the pudding box. It is the recipe my grandma always made, we never knew where it came from till after she was gone and we deactivated her recipe stash. I am 43 and the recipe is probably much older. Needless to say, they are the best!
The dough was very dry and the cookies did not spread. I made 2 different batches on 2 different days.
Great recipe, but after experimenting with chocolate pudding, my advice is to stick with vanilla. Just DELICIOUS cookies!
They are so good:)
Can you do this recipe using convection bake ? Not sure what the conversion temp and time would be ? I have made this recipe numerous times on regular bake mode and they are soooo….. good ! Just want to see how they turn out in convection bake in our new range.
Yes! For convection you typically lower the temperature by 25 degrees and bake for less time.
LOVE LOVE LOVE …this recipe best one I have tried that actually made proper amount of cookies in the right time.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
They are so good!
I forgot to mention I followed directions perfectly and when I checked on them in the oven they were not spreading and so I smoothed them and they turned out perfectly
Could I use my own, home made pudding mix instead of a factory made box mix?
And if so, would the quantity be the same?
Thanx in advance
Te
Maria, the cookies are moist and they smell so good…I think, I had to substitute some ingredients because I won’t be grocery shopping until tomorrow. I used Dove peanut butter chocolate pudding mix because I did not have any peanut butter or chocolate chips and I was out of vanilla extract and used the cake batter flavored candy and baking flavoring.
I like how moist the cookies are. Thank you for the recipe!
So, just the powder, right? JK, you mentioned it many times. Great recipe, made it exactly as written, love your site, you always have great recipes!
Better safe than sorry:)
This is my favorite cookie recipe! Do you know if I can substitute gluten free flour (so I can make these for my nephew)?
I am sure an all purpose gf flour would be ok.
Dangerously delicious. First time making them they did not spread out but were dangerous regardless. Took Maria’s advice and used less flour (2 cups instead of 2 1/4 cups). These go quick in my house…
Glad you loved the cookies!
This is the last cookie recipe I will ever need. Perfectly crispy on the edge, soft in the middle, underbaked a touch on purpose. It’ll be a miracle if I don’t eat all 20 in the next 2 hours. Thank you for this!
YAY!