These pudding cookies are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had! THIS. IS. IT! My version of the perfect chocolate chip cookie includes soft insides with chewy yet crispy edges. This recipe checks every box!

A photo of a chocolate chip pudding cookie covered in chocolate chips.
 
 

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch

My love affair with these chocolate chip pudding cookies was fast and sweet. We met. Fell in love. And our relationship has been bliss ever since. It is the go-to homemade chocolate chip cookies recipe in our family.

I still love our NY Times chocolate chip cookie recipe because it has a little bit more of the buttery, traditional taste to it. But these pudding cookies are just so squishy soft I can’t decide which I prefer. 

You’d better make both recipes and have a family vote! Or better yet, make both and take them to some friends and neighbors. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love getting a plate a fresh baked cookies!

There are few things better in life then freshly baked, warm chocolate chip pudding cookies. Right? They are just heaven! Dip them in a glass of cold milk and life is SO GOOD!

A photo of a sheet pan full of baked chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

If you’ve made homemade chocolate chip cookies before, I bet you already know what the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies are. Keep reading for our recipe though, because it’s the ratio of ingredients that affects how chocolate chip pudding cookies bake up. 

Here’s what goes into these easy chocolate chip cookies: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Almond extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Baking soda
  • Instant vanilla pudding mix
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips

A photo of a chocolate chip cookies covered in chocolate chips.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pudding cookies are made just like all other cookies — wet ingredients, dry ingredients, chocolate chips, scoop, bake, EAT! Here’s an overview of soft classic chocolate chip cookie recipe:

  1. Cream together all the wet ingredients (softened butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extract) and sugars until well combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and instant pudding mix).
  3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then add the chocolate chips and stir slowly.
  4. Scoop the cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. We like to use silpats for baking these cookies.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the edges are set and the centers still a little gooey. 

You want the cookies to be golden on top. I like to wait just a few minutes and eat one while it’s still warm and gooey delicious!

How Long to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

We’ve found that the sweet spot for baking homemade chocolate chip cookies is 8 to 10 minutes. Each batch varies slightly depending on how large the cookies are. 

 

A photo of a sheet pan full of balls of chocolate chip cookie dough.

 

FAQs About Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

After testing countless gooey chocolate chip cookie recipes, we’ve encountered what seems like every cookie-related issue under the sun. Here are a few common problems that may pop up when making these easy chocolate chip cookies. If there’s an issue we haven’t addressed below, please leave us a comment and we’ll respond as soon as we can! 

Why Are My Chocolate Chip Cookies Crispy?

It’s a delicate balance getting that perfectly golden, round and soft cookie. If your chocolate chip cookies from scratch are overly crispy, there are few possible culprits:

  • Too much sugar was added
  • The cookies were overbaked
  • Dark cookie sheet was used

Why Do Chocolate Chip Cookies Spread?

There are a few reasons that can cause chocolate chip pudding cookies to spread or to go flat. The main reasons are: 

  • The butter was too soft or melted
  • Your flour was under measured
  • The cookie sheet was too hot when you placed the dough on it
A photo of a wooden plate full of chocolate chip pudding cookies.

Can I Add Extra Mix-Ins to These Pudding Cookies? 

We’ve only made this pudding cookie recipe as classic chocolate chip cookies, but I don’t see why you couldn’t add other mix-ins like chopped nuts or dried fruit. Just keep in mind that if you add other mix-ins you should scale back the amount of chocolate chips you add to the cookie dough. 

Should I Chill the Cookie Dough? 

We didn’t think it was necessary to chill the dough for these gooey chocolate chip cookies. However, if you chill the cookie dough and these cookies turn out well for you, please leave a comment down below! 

A photo of a sheet pan full of balls of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pudding cookies are made with the pudding powder, and no milk so it is safe to store them at room temperature. Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

How to Soften Cookies

It is pretty frustrating when you spend time making the perfect chocolate chip pudding cookies and then when you go to eat them a few days later, they have become dry and hard. It is quite easy to soften them. Place your cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread. They will soften right up in no time without altering the taste.

 

A photo of a chocolate chip pudding cookie covered in chocolate chips.

Can You Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?

You can also freeze the baked cookies. Allow the cookies to cool completely, and then store them in an airtight container. They will be good for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them, pull them out of the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature. You can also zap them in the microwave for like 20 seconds.

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

You can freeze cookie dough in bulk, or in individual balls. We like to freeze in individual balls so that it’s easy to pull out a few and bake whenever we have that chocolate chip pudding cookies craving!

  • Freezing Cookie Dough in Bulk — Put dough in an airtight container and freeze. To bake, thaw dough and drop by spoon fulls on cookie sheet and bake.
  • Freezing Cookie Dough in Individual Balls — Drop cookie dough into balls on a cookie sheet and freeze. When completely frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Remove as many cookies as desired and thaw before baking, or bake from frozen.

This recipe makes A LOT of cookies, so freezing the dough is a great option.

A photo of a stack of chocolate chip pudding cookies showing the crosssection of the cookies.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s very important that you purchase INSTANT vanilla pudding and not the cook and serve kind. The cook and serve style of pudding simply won’t work for this recipe. 

When adding in the instant pudding mix, add it like any other dry ingredient. You don’t actually make the pudding mix like it says on the box. Just stir it into the dough like you would normal flour. 

To make our homemade chocolate chip cookies even prettier, we like to add a few extra chocolate chips on top of the dough balls right before baking. It’s an extra step, but it’s so worth it! 

A photo of a gooey chocolate chip cookie covered in chocolate chips.

More COOKIE RECIPES You’re Going to Love:

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

3.83 from 58 votes
Servings: 100
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Description

These pudding cookies are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had! THIS. IS. IT! My version of the perfect chocolate chip cookie includes soft insides with chewy yet crispy edges. This recipe checks every box!

Ingredients 

  • 2 Cups Butter, Unsalted (4 sticks)
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Cups Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 5 to 5 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 5.1 ounce Pudding Mix, Box Instant French Vanilla, (the large box)
  • 3 Cups Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Combine butter, eggs, sugars, vanilla, and almond extract in large bowl until evenly mixed.
  • In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla pudding.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients.
  • Once ingredients are combined slowly mix in chocolate chips.
  • Place on greased cooking sheet.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

  • Baked cookies and unbaked cookie dough can both be frozen. Please see the post above this recipe card for instructions on how to freeze cookies and cookie dough. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 135IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: 100 Best Cookies Recipes on the Planet
Cuisine: American

A photo of a chocolate chip pudding cookie covered in chocolate chips.

REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO our FREE Oh Sweet Basil NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE EASY RECIPES DELIVERED INTO YOUR INBOX EVERY DAY!

When you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #ohsweetbasil on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured in our stories!  FOLLOW OH, SWEET BASIL ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER FOR ALL OF OUR LATEST CONTENT, RECIPES AND STORIES.