Instant pudding makes these Pudding Cookies the softest, chewiest cookies you’ve ever had! Super simple to make and no chilling required!
Soft & Chewy Pudding Cookies
Ever since I learned how easy it is to make homemade pudding, it’s unlikely you’d catch me at the grocery store buying a packet of the instant stuff. You know, the little box of powder where you just add milk and wait five minutes? I thought I was done with it for good.
And for the most part I am. At least I’m done buying it for its intended purpose. However, did you know that instant pudding can be a great addition to some of your favorite baked goods?
It’s not uncommon for bakers to add a packet to their favorite cake recipe for added moisture or even to whipped cream for a stabilized, flavored frosting, but my personal favorite way to incorporate pudding into my baking is in the form of these Pudding Cookies.
The Key is in the Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a favorite “secret ingredient” of mine, and if you’ve tried my chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies (or just about any of my other cookie recipes!) you might have noticed I use it frequently.
You’ve probably heard me say this a million times, but adding cornstarch helps to make cookies (and other baked goods like my favorite coffee cake) soft and tender.
Well guess what: Cornstarch is a key main ingredient in instant pudding, so it probably makes sense that it helps make these Pudding Cookies super soft and chewy, too, in addition to adding a little extra fun flavor.
What Flavor of Pudding Should I Use?
You can use any flavor of instant pudding that you’d like, but here are a few of my personal favorites:
- Vanilla (a safe bet that doesn’t add an overwhelming flavor)
- Caramel (current favorite, and the flavor I used to make the cookies you see in the photos here)
- Cheesecake
- Cookies & Cream
Feel free to experiment with your own favorite varieties, and if anyone is bold enough to try a fruit flavor, I’d love to hear how that tastes (I’ve stuck to sweet dessert flavorings only so far)!
Now, if you’re a cookie snob and the idea of adding instant pudding to your cookie dough doesn’t sit quite right with you, I totally get it. Additives and artificial flavorings are usually things I avoid in my baking and over the years I’ve become quite the cookie snob myself! Please feel free to stick to my other super soft cookie recipes, like my M&M Cookies or Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies if instant pudding just isn’t your thing!
However, adding pudding mix to my cookies was one of my favorite experiments when I was just learning how to bake, and to this day it’s one of my favorite ways to get super soft cookies and remains one of my family favorites.
Enjoy!
I originally shared this cookie recipe over on The Recipe Critic!
More Recipes You Might Like:
Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make these Cinnamon Roll Cookies in my own kitchen! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (200g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 3.4 oz packet Instant vanilla pudding mix (or preferred flavor) (96g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170g)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (170g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place butter and sugars in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer and use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugars together until well-combined.
- Stir in dry pudding mix and beat well.
- Add vanilla extract and eggs, stir well to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until completely combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookie dough into approximately 2 Tablespoon-sized balls and gently roll between your palms to form a round ball. Place cookie dough on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart.
- Bake at 350F (175C) for 10-12 minutes (the centers will still seem very soft, this is fine, they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool).
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before removing and enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sandra Schroeder
I made these cookies using butterscotch cook and serve pudding (that’s what I had) and adding 1/2 cup of butterscotch morsels. Since I wasn’t sure if cook and serve pudding contains corn starch, I added 1/2 tsp. The cookies tasted great, they held their shape wonderfully, and were tender inside. Thank you for a great and versatile cookie recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sandra! 🙂
Lucy
I have tried your other cookie recipes and they always turn great! Thank you for sharing them. I was looking for coffee chocolate chip here but there are none so I want to ask if I could swap the pudding mix to coffee? Thank you! ♥
Sam
Hi Lucy! If you have a mocha flavored pudding that will work. I will add a coffee cookie to my list of things to do. I’m glad you have enjoyed everything so far. 🙂
Hansa
Hi can I try this with instant chocolate pudding mix? (And maybe put white choc chips?) Any advice ? Thank you
Sam
Hi Hansa! You can use whatever flavor you prefer here. 🙂
Lucy
Why do you need to chill the cookie dough just curious…I make chocolate cookies alllllll the time however, I’ve never chilled the dough before baking
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lucy! Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies, therefore, the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. 🙂
Gloria J Johnson
I made these, and they are my most requested cookies! I have found that adding the pudding mix to my egg/sugar batter, helps the pudding blend in better and you don’t get that “fake” taste. I used Sonic Chocolate Shake pudding mix and then added mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s. I roll the cookies into balls and flatten slightly. Perfect size. Love these!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pudding cookies, Gloria, and that you have been able to adjust the recipe to your liking. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Pinky
These cookies 🍪 be yummmmy! I am enjoying the mess out of baking all you delicious goodies. Everything I try is sooo gooood!! One day I’m going to make all you chocolate cookies recipe in one day and have a fun taste test with my kiddos. Will probably go into a sugar coma, totally worth it.. Cheers
Sugar Spun Run
I LOVE THAT IDEA, Pinky! You have to keep me posted on your favorite when you do try all the chocolate chip cookies! I am so happy you enjoyed the pudding cookies. I can’t what to hear what you try next! 🙂
Marie-Ange
Awesome, as usual. You are the best!
Sugar Spun Run
Marie-Ange, you made my morning! You are too kind. Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed the cookies!:)
Teka Riddle
I am so happy I stumbled accross your recipe. I have a favorite Chocolate Chip recipe I use, but I wasnt able to really mimic it with other types of flavors. I am currently making Chocolate Pudding cookies with White Chocolate chips. 😍😍😍 They are amazing. The first time I made these I was wanting to use the Vanilla and make White Machadamia nut cookies, but didnt realize I accidentally grabbed the Cheesecake one instead. Super happy I did though because switching the dark brown sugar to light and doing the white chocolate and Machadamia nut came out absolutely perfect. If anyone hasn’t tried this yet and love this kind of cookies please do it!!! You wont regret it! They are a hit with EVERYONE!!! Super excited to try out caramel and do salted caramel cookies! 😍😍😍 Thank you again for bringing this to the world!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Teka! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cookies. I love the additional ingredients you added in. I will have to add these to mine next time! 🙂
Dusty
These cookies were just okay. My son liked them, but nothing to get excited about. Mine turned out looking just like your posting did. Very pretty. But, these were definitely not the best tasting chocolate chip cookies I’ve made. I just love trying new things out there. Thanks for sharing Sam
Sam
Bummer that they weren’t a hit for you, Dusty! Thank you for your feedback though, I appreciate it. Have you tried my worst chocolate chip cookies yet?
Dusty
I have not tried your “worst chocolate chip cookies” yet! But, when I do, I will share my experience with you.
Sam
I hope you love them!
Linda Green
I have some coconut cream pudding that I would like to try in this recipe. I also want to add some coconut. Do you think it would matter much if I used sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Sam
Hi Linda! I think either would be fine, it just depends on your preference. 🙂
Mary
Can I use light brown sugar? Any modification with the white sugar if I do?
Sam
Hi Mary! The dark brown sugar just makes the cookies a little more moist, and gives them a little more flavor. Light brown sugar will work here. 🙂
Selah Howard
Hi there!
Just tried this recipe out as soon as I saw the recipe this morning! Delicious cookies! I had never thought of putting instant pudding into cookies! So weird… but yummy! Great creation, Sam! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
Thank you so much, Selah! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Dave
OMG these are to die for . I made 2 batches 1 with banana pudding and 1 with strawberry pudding from Sonic which was purchased from a local store HEB
Sam
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Dave! I love the sound of the ones with strawberry pudding! 🙂
Mikaru86
This has been pretty much the only modification I have made to your cookie recipes. I got the idea a long time ago from some other chocolate chip recipe I found online when I started experimenting with the classical American cookies. In the end I settled on your “worst” chocolate chip cookies, but I quickly started supplementing your recipe with instant pudding powder (2 bags of different types of vanilla, although I always double the recipe, so basically one bag per regular batch) and never looked back.
I have never tried caramel, but I guess I now have to try that as well some time. I love chocolate chip cookies and I love caramel, so I guess I’d really like the two combined? Well, there’s only one way to find out 😉
Sam
I hope you love them! The caramel really adds a great flavor. 🙂
Sally
I”ve always made these pudding choc chip cookies. A family favorite!
Sam
They never last long in my house! 🙂