Chocolate Chip Cookies, extra tender
These Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies are the ultimate year-round comfort treat, with a soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth center thanks to the key ingredient, vanilla-flavored instant pudding mix! Loaded with chocolate chips and topped with flaky sea salt, these cookies are perfection!
Why this bake works
- Simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients for this chocolate chip cookie recipe, except for the instant pudding mix, are pantry staples you likely already have in your kitchen!
- Memorable texture and taste. The texture of these super-soft chocolate chip cookies features a soft, pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth center thanks to the instant pudding mix! Add to that the chocolate chips and flaky sea salt topping, and you and your guests will be in cookie heaven!
- Straightforward to mix. No overcomplicated steps here! This cookie recipe comes together quickly, and the best part? No chilling is required for the cookie dough! You can even make the cookie dough, then freeze it (as cookie dough balls), so you can make as many as you want, whenever you want!
- A strong match for any occasion. This familiar cookie recipe is a strong match for birthday celebrations, anniversaries, holidays, or whenever! Any reason to make this is a good one!
What goes in
The ingredients shown in the image below are used to make these especially soft chocolate chip pudding cookies. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need more explanation.
- All-Purpose Flour. A reliable flour to use is always King Arthur, no question.
- Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding Mix. The star ingredient in this super soft chocolate chip cookie recipe. You will use the powder mix for this method—don't make the pudding. If you don't have vanilla instant pudding mix, a house-made version is shown below. Make sure the box says “Instant Pudding and Pie Filling,” not “Cook and Serve Pudding and Pie Filling.”
- Unsalted Butter. When I first shared this method, I used vegetable shortening, which works fine, but A reliable choice is butter.
- Vanilla Extract. I also recommend trying vanilla paste! It's a more concentrated flavor, and you can see the vanilla beans in the cookie dough.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can also use milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate bars chopped into small pieces. The Ghirardelli brand is one of my favorites, which is what I used here, but use what you have on hand!
- Sea Salt Flakes. An optional ingredient you can top the chocolate chip cookies with right before you bake them! Not to be confused with table salt. If you're looking for a good brand to try, Malden makes truly good sea salt flakes.
For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.
How it comes together
Below is a brief overview of how to make these easy chocolate chip cookies with pudding mix. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements using the toggle switch, visit the method card below.
Step 1. Whisk the flour, vanilla instant pudding mix, and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
Step 2. Beat the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until well combined.
Step 3. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 4. Add the whisked dry mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until the dough has formed.
Step 5. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Step 6. Scoop the dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure to space the cookie dough balls out about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Step 7. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. The cookies should be a nice light golden brown with a slightly crispy outside.
Step 8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Keeping and freezing
For storing, keep the chocolate chip pudding cookies stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To keep them extra soft, add a slice of bread to the container.
For freezing, scoop the chocolate chip cookie dough onto a parchment- or wax-paper-lined baking sheet, spacing the dough close together. Freeze until the cookie dough balls are solid, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, no thawing is needed. Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake as instructed, and if needed, add an additional minute of baking time.
Vanilla Instant Pudding Substitute
If vanilla instant pudding is hard to come by in your area, you can use this easy substitute for this chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe. It's a house-made version of instant vanilla pudding and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Nonfat Dry Milk
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Powder
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl and store in an airtight container.
- Use 1/2 cup (96 grams) of this house-made instant pudding mix for this chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe.
This vanilla instant pudding substitute recipe makes approximately 2 1/2-3 cups. The chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for one packet of instant vanilla pudding mix, which weighs 96 grams (1/2 cup).
Baker notes
- Make sure you buy the pudding mix that says, “Instant Pudding and Pie Filling,” not “Cook and Serve Pudding and Pie Filling.
- To keep the chocolate chip cookies super soft, keep them stored in an airtight container with a slice of bread. The cookies will absorb all the moisture from the bread, leaving them nice and soft. My husband taught me that little tip almost 20 years ago!
- I highly recommend using a spatula to transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the cooling rack because they will be very soft!
- If you don't have vanilla-flavored instant pudding mix where you live, you can use the substitute I provide in this method post or leave it out entirely. The purpose of the instant pudding mix in this method is to boost moisture and flavor.
Questions on this bake
What is the purpose of including instant vanilla pudding in this chocolate chip cookie recipe?It's used to boost the moisture and the flavor of the cookies, and boy, does it ever!
Do I have to chill the cookie dough?Nope! Just make and bake! You can chill it, though, if you're planning to make them a day or two later. Just keep the bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap or place the dough in an airtight container.
What size cookie scoop did you use?I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
How long will these cookies keep at room temperature?At room temperature, in an airtight container (with a slice of bread), the cookies will keep for up to 5 days.
How long should I let the cookies cool after baking?Try letting the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely. And a highly recommended tip—use a spatula to transfer them because they will be very soft!
- Yield 40 cookies
- Prep 20 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 30 minutes
- Calories 149
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 3.4 oz Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding, just the powder, don't make the pudding
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Sea Salt Flakes, optional, for sprinkling over cookies
Tools
- Hand Mixer, or Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatulas
- Whisks
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
Method
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle rack (or the one just above it) and heat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and vanilla instant pudding. Hold to the side.
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium-high speed until fully incorporated.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract until completely blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add in your whisked dry mixture until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. For reference, I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop. If you're planning to freeze the cookies, you can place them close together on the parchment- or wax-paper-lined baking sheet. When done, place the scooped cookies into the freezer and freeze until solid. Then place into a freezer bag until ready to bake! No need to thaw them, but you may need to add 1 minute to the baking time.
- Sprinkle a little sea salt flakes over each cookie (optional), then bake for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF, until lightly browned around the bottom edges. For reference, mine were done at 9 minutes. They will be a little puffy when they come out of the oven, but they will go down once they cool.
- Remove from the oven, then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Keep them stored in an airtight container for up to a week. To keep the cookies soft, add a slice of bread to the container.
Baker notes
Make sure your pudding mix says, "Instant Pudding and Pie Filling" and not "Cook and Serve Pudding and Pie Filling."
Cookie dough can be made ahead of time. Simply scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment- or wax-paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them close together. Freeze until the cookie dough balls are solid, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, no thawing is needed. Simply place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake as instructed, and if needed, add an additional minute of baking time.
Recipe adapted from the 2001 A Taste of Bedminster Elementary School cookbook.
This method was originally published in 2018. The method has been updated slightly, along with the images and recipe content.
