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!
If you’re looking for a similar recipe without any pudding mix, try Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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
- Butter: Soften by leaving out at room temp; avoid melting.
- Sugars: Brown and white sugar are used in this recipe.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and adds structure.
- Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt: Mix the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ones. This helps everything rise evenly.
- Vanilla Extract: Makes the cookies taste even better.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix: Use instant pudding mix, no other version works here.
- Toffee Bits & Chocolate Chips: Adding chocolate chips on top right after baking makes the cookies look amazing.
What Pudding Mix To Use
Only instant pudding mix works for this recipe, not cooked pudding. Don’t use sugar-free as it won’t give the same results.
Use the small 3.4-ounce (96g) box of pudding mix, and use it dry—don’t prep it as directed.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Leave Butter Out: Let butter sit out for about an hour to reach room temp.
- Beat Butter and Sugars: Mix until fully mixed in, but don’t over-mix.
- Dry Ingredients: Mix dry ingredients well to make sure everything is evenly spread out.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Don’t over-mix to keep cookies light.
- Add Add-ins: Gently mix in add-ins to avoid overworking the dough.
- Chill Dough: Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Taller balls will bake better and spread evenly.
- Bake Cookies: Don’t over-bake—they’ll firm up while cooling.
Variations
Switch Up Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Change up the flavor with different pudding mixes and add-ins:
- Cookies and Cream: Use cookies and cream pudding mix with crushed Oreos® or chopped Hershey’s® Cookies & Creme bars.
- Pistachio: Use pistachio pudding mix with pistachios and/or white chocolate chips.
- Lemon: Use lemon or white chocolate pudding mix with white chocolate chips and lemon zest (plus a bit of lemon extract for extra flavor).
- Banana: Use banana cream pudding mix with chopped walnuts or pecans.
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
- Magic Cookie Bars with a graham cracker crust
- Maple Cookies with a maple glaze
- Salted Caramel Cookies with a cream cheese frosting
- Cake Batter Cookies with sprinkles and white chocolate chips
- Peanut Butter Cookies dipped in chocolate
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.
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! 🙂