Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are ultra-soft and sweet, with pudding mix for extra flavor. Add chocolate chips and toffee bits for the perfect easy cookie!
author’s note
Cookie Hack: Just Add Pudding!
Baking is a big passion of mine, and over the years, I’ve shared hundreds of baked treats. While I love baking from scratch, I also like using boxed mixes for ease and fun flavor twists.
Think brownie mix in Brownie Cookies, frozen whipped topping in Brownie Oreo Ice Cream Bars, or cake mix in Bundt Cakes—sometimes a shortcut makes for a really great treat!
Today, I’m using pudding mix. It gives cookies a soft, chewy texture and a unique sweetness.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | My Pro Tip / Swap Option |
|---|---|
| Butter | I use all butter most times for flavor. But if your cookies are flattening, try replacing 2 Tbsp butter with shortening (some bakers swear by this tweak). |
| Brown & Granulated Sugar | Slightly more brown sugar than white gives chew and moisture. Don’t over-measure; use a spoon & level. |
| Instant Pudding Mix (dry) | Use only dry, unprepared instant pudding (3.4 oz box). Don’t use sugar-free versions—they tend to dry out the cookies. |
| Flour | If your batch is too soft or spreads, increase the flour by 1–2 Tbsp. If too dry, reduce flour slightly. Use all-purpose flour. |
| Chocolate Chips & Toffee Bits | Mix semisweet, milk, or even white chocolate chips. For more chew, add nuts or oats (but don’t exceed ~2 cups of mix-ins). |
| Leaveners & Salt | Don’t skimp on salt—it balances the sweetness beautifully. |
How To Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Butter & Sugars: Beat softened butter with brown and white sugar until smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the dry pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients: Stir in flour, baking soda and powder, and salt until just combined.
- Add Mix-Ins: Fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
- Scoop & Bake: Chill dough if needed, then bake at 350°F until edges are lightly golden and centers look soft.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freezing Dough: Freeze dough balls on a tray, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-3 minutes to baking time.
More Cookie Recipes:
Desserts
Maple Cookies Recipe
Desserts
Bakery Style Chocolate Cookies
Desserts
Cake Batter Cookies
Desserts
Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Made with pudding mix, chocolate chips, and toffee bits, these Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are ultra-soft and wonderfully sweet!
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″) 15 x 21-inch, lined
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2-1/3 cups flour
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix dry, see note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pull butter out about an hour before using to get it to room temperature. Don’t melt the butter in these cookies—it will cause greasy and flat cookies. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, add the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Once incorporated, stop mixing; you don’t want to beat too much air in. Add in vanilla and 1 egg. Mix until incorporated. Add in the other egg and mix again until incorporated.
- In a different bowl, add in the flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add in the toffee bits and chocolate chips. Fold these ingredients into the dough. Cover the dough tightly and place in the fridge for 20–30 minutes. This allows the pudding time to firm up the dough. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll the cookie dough into large balls, about 2 tablespoons each, shaping them taller rather than wider. If the dough becomes too warm while rolling, freeze the balls for 5–10 minutes to firm them up. If the dough feels wet and soft, it may spread too much and flatten while baking.
- Add cookie dough balls to the prepared and lined baking sheet, about 6–8 cookies at a time. They spread a lot while baking and need ample room! Bake for 9–12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown. Be careful not to overbake as they firm up while cooling.
- Remove tray from the oven and press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies within 1–2 minutes of pulling them out. This ensures even placement of chocolate and also makes them look pretty. Allow cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Repeat, baking the remaining dough balls until all the cookies are baked.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use instant pudding mix instead of cook-and-serve pudding mix. Make sure the pudding mix is not sugar-free or reduced-calorie, as these varieties won’t yield the same results. Pay attention to the box size; you need the 3.4-ounce box. When incorporating the pudding mix into the cookies, use it in its dry form—do not prepare it according to the package directions.
Storage: These cookies will stay good for a week, but they’re best in the first 2 days. Let them cool completely, then place in an airtight container at room temperature. To freeze the dough, freeze cookie dough balls on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or bag, separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can freeze for up to 3 months and bake without thawing, just add 2 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.5g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 31.1mg | Sodium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 8.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
Switch Up Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Change up the flavor with different pudding mixes and add-ins:
- Cookies & Cream: Cookies & cream pudding + crushed Oreos® or chopped Hershey’s® bars.
- Pistachio: Pistachio pudding + pistachios or white chocolate chips.
- Lemon: Lemon pudding + white chocolate chips and lemon zest.
- Banana: Banana cream pudding + chopped walnuts or pecans.
These cookies are unbelievably delicious and simple! My kids know this recipe by heart we make it so often! Thanks for the amazing recipe Chelsea!
Thanks so much Justin! 🙂