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Perfectly soft, thick, and chewy, these are truly the best chocolate chip pudding cookies! Serve a tray with cold glasses of milk for the ultimate sweet treat!
Table of Contents
There’s a “secret ingredient” in the mix! Yep, that’s right — you make these chocolate chip cookies with pudding! File this recipe away, because a platter of the soft, fluffy, rich, and buttery goodies are always a crowd-pleasing dessert.
What are Amish Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pudding?
I originally came across a similar recipe in an old Amish cookbook many years ago. I have since tweaked the original chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe to suit my kids’ preferences, and I’m confident that we’ve landed on the ultimate homemade treat. They taste like a classic homemade chocolate chip cookie; however, the vanilla instant pudding mix gives them a light, fluffy, thick, and chewy texture that’s absolutely irresistible!
What does pudding mix do in baking?
The pudding mix plays a couple of different roles in this cookie dough. First, it adds rich vanilla flavor and sweetness. The gelatin component in the pudding mix also keeps the cookies moist, and gives them a soft, fluffy texture. Don’t skip this important ingredient!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of jello pudding chocolate chip cookies. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Salted butter: gives the cookie dough its rich flavor and keeps the cookies moist and tender.
- Shortening: such as Crisco brand, which yields a puffier, softer cookie than just using butter alone.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness.
- Small box of instant vanilla pudding mix: just the dry mix — do not prepare the pudding according to the package directions.
- Vanilla extract: for warm, cozy flavor.
- Eggs: for structure.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the cookie dough.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies rise, giving them a lighter, puffier texture.
- Salt: to balance the sweetness and enhance the other flavors in the cookies.
- Chocolate chips: we like semi-sweet chocolate chips, but any variety will work.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Instant Vanilla Pudding
The easy homemade cookies come together with just a few pantry staples and about 10 minutes of prep. Just make sure that you allow some time to chill the dough if you want ultra-thick cookies! I’ve included the detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Use an electric mixer to make the dough. Stir in the chocolate chips at the end.
- Chill for about 30 minutes.
- Drop the cookie batter with a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined or silicone-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for about 10 minutes.
- Cool on wire racks, then enjoy!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This cookie dough does not need to be chilled before baking; however, putting it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) before baking prevents the cookies from spreading as much and yields puffier, thicker cookies.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last on the counter for about 3 days.
- To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This dough freezes best if you portion it into dough balls before freezing. Arrange the dough balls on baking sheets, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the oven and bake in a 375°F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Variations
- Substitute an extra ½ cup of butter for the shortening. The texture of the cookies will be slightly different, but the recipe will still work. You’ll also need to reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon to account for the additional salted butter.
- We like semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can use any variety that your family prefers. Milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even butterscotch chips will all work!
- Make Triple Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies by using a variety of chocolate chips.
- Double all of the ingredients for a big batch of cookies!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pudding
- Do not prepare the pudding according to the package directions. Just add the dry pudding mix directly to the cookie dough.
- Don’t over-mix the dough once you add the dry ingredients (which can result in tough, dry cookies).
- Line the Baking Sheets. Spraying the baking sheets with cooking spray or greasing with butter or lard creates a slippery surface that causes cookies to spread. Instead, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for “grip,” so that the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Shape into Large Round Balls. Placing a rounded ball of dough onto the baking sheet yields a taller, thicker, softer, and chewier cookie.
- Don’t Over-Bake. Pull the cookies out of the oven as soon as the outside edges are set and lightly browned. The inside centers should still be puffy and soft. While they might look under-baked, the cookies will firm up as they cool, maintaining that great soft and chewy texture that we all love! Baking them for too long yields a crispy cookie.
- Serve the cookies warm or at room temperature with a cold glass of milk on the side for dipping.
More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes to Try
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {Soft & Chewy!}
2 hrs 26 mins
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
1 hr 40 mins
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
40 mins
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco brand)
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla INSTANT pudding and pie filling mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips, plus extra for topping (if desired)
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the pudding mix, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat well. Gradually add the flour, baking soda and salt, beating at low speed just until blended (careful not to over-mix). Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets that are lined with parchment or silicone mats. Top each cookie with extra chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 9-11 minutes. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so be sure that you don’t overbake them or they’ll be tough and crunchy.
Notes
- Do not prepare the pudding according to the package directions. Just add the dry pudding mix directly to the cookie dough.
- Don’t over-mix the dough once you add the dry ingredients (which can result in tough, dry cookies).
- Line the Baking Sheets. Spraying the baking sheets with cooking spray or greasing with butter or lard creates a slippery surface that causes cookies to spread. Instead, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat for “grip,” so that the cookies stay thick and chewy.
- Shape into Large Round Balls. Placing a rounded ball of dough onto the baking sheet yields a taller, thicker, softer, and chewier cookie.
- Don’t Over-Bake. Pull the cookies out of the oven as soon as the outside edges are set and lightly browned. The inside centers should still be puffy and soft. While they might look under-baked, the cookies will firm up as they cool, maintaining that great soft and chewy texture that we all love! Baking them for too long yields a crispy cookie.
- Serve the cookies warm or at room temperature with a cold glass of milk on the side for dipping.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in March, 2020. It was updated in February, 2023.
Love the idea of vanilla pudding aroma…. I have to bake the chocolate chip cookies to taste, it looks divine.
Blair, these look great, but curious do the cookies have sort of an artificial taste from the pudding? I ask because I made a cake from King Arthur Flour, and the cake was good but it did have that chemical type taste. I know you say these are awesome, and I would love to try, but am curious if that flavor comes through–you know what I mean? Thank you.
Hey, Teresa! That’s a good question! Personally, I don’t notice an artificial taste in the cookies. If you’re sensitive to that, though, it might be more prominent to your palate? If you want a really great chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn’t use pudding, these are awesome (just swap out the white chocolate chips and cranberries for your favorite milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips): https://www.theseasonedmom.com/christmas-cookies/
Hope that helps, and enjoy!