Grab a cold glass of milk because these Triple Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are about to become your new favorite! Soft, chewy, and packed with three kinds of chocolate, these cookies are made extra rich with a secret ingredient—pudding mix. The result? A bakery-style cookie with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that stays fresh for days.
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Best Ever Pudding Cookies Recipe
Let’s be real—there’s no such thing as too many chocolate chip cookies. But these pudding cookies take it to the next level. The pudding mix adds extra moisture and richness, the oats add just the right amount of chew, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt finishes it all off.
I bake chocolate chip cookies at least two to three times a month, always looking for ways to make them better. After testing dozens of recipes, I can confidently say this one is a winner. Whether you’re making a batch for a party, a bake sale, or just because (no judgment here), these cookies deliver every time.
Success Tips for Pudding Cookies
Baking the perfect cookie isn’t just about following a recipe—it’s about knowing the little tricks that make a big difference. Here’s how to get the best results every time:
- Use good ingredients – Real butter (no blends), high-quality chocolate chips, and pure vanilla extract make all the difference. Cheap ingredients = mediocre cookies.
- Don’t overmix the dough – Overmixing can overdevelop the gluten and result in dense, tough cookies. Mix just until the ingredients come together.
- Watch the bake time – The key to soft, chewy cookies is taking them out when they still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue to cook on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven. Overbaking = dry cookies.
- Chill the dough (if you have time) – While not required, chilling helps deepen the flavors and prevents cookies from spreading too much. Even 10-30 minutes in the fridge makes a difference.
With these simple tips, you’ll get chewy, soft, ultra-chocolatey pudding cookies every time. And trust me—once you try them, you might not make regular chocolate chip cookies again!
Also, try these amazing recipes: Chewy Blondies Recipe, Giant Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, S’Mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Triple Chocolate Cookies.
Ingredients for Vanilla Pudding Cookies
- BUTTER: Always use real butter in cookies, blends that are soft coming out of the fridge will yield different results. I use salted butter in my baking, if using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon additional salt.
- LIGHT BROWN SUGAR: Lends the warm, caramel undertones to the cookies
- INSTANT PUDDING MIX: I’ve used vanilla pudding, butterscotch pudding and chocolate pudding — be creative!
- EGGS: I use large eggs in all my baking; room temperature is best.
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: I use unbleached, organic all-purpose flour
- OAT FLOUR: Adds a bit more chewiness, but this is optional
- CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or chunks, Milk Chocolate and Mini Chocolate chips.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Step 1 – Cream butter and sugars
Place your room temperature butter and and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Or in a large bowl using a hand mixer. This process is called creaming.
Now would also be a good time to preheat your oven to 350°F (175° C) and prep your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2 – Measure Dry Ingredients
While you are creaming the butter and sugar, measure your all-purpose flour and oat flour into a medium bowl, adding your baking soda, baking powder and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.
Add in the instant vanilla pudding mix, on medium speed mix for an additional minute.
Step 3 – Add Wet & Dry Ingredients
Next add eggs and vanilla, mix until evenly incorporated, about a minute. Scrape the sides down. Ever made your own vanilla extract? Please oh, please give it a try!!
With your mixer on low or stir, slowly pour in your flour mixture, mixing until just combined, scraping sides if needed.
Step 4 – Add chocolate chips
Here’s where it really gets fun! I did a “chocolate chip cleanout”.
Do you ever had ½ a package leftover from a recipe, then your kids and husband sneak into the bag, so now you’ve got a ¼ of a bag?? No? Just me? Well, that’s okay, it’s how my family rolls.
I had several partial bags of mini chips, dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips and a small handful of M&M Mini’s, so I tossed them in, just make sure you end up with 3 cups total. Give these combinations a try; white chocolate, butterscotch, mint or toffee bits.
Incorporate your chocolate chip concoction evenly into the batter with your mixer on low or stir by hand.
Drool alert! Look at the batter!
Step 5 – Scoop and Bake
Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, which is about ¼ cup of cookie dough!) or if you need to stretch the recipe a bit further, then use a medium cookie scoop; yielding slightly less than double the amount of cookies.
Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets about 12 to a sheet (9 for large cookies). If desired, sprinkle with a little more of that wonderful flaky sea salt.
Bake at 350ºF (175° C) for 10-12 minutes for large cookies or 8-9 minutes for smaller cookies. Edges should be set and just barely starting to turn golden.
The centers will seem under-done, that’s just how you want them, don’t overbake them. Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Variations for Pudding Cookies
- Change up the pudding – Substitute the vanilla pudding mix with chocolate, butterscotch, or white chocolate for a delicious new twist. Each one adds a unique depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Make chocolate pudding cookies – Use instant chocolate pudding mix in the dough for an extra chocolatey version. Perfect for serious chocolate lovers.
- Mix and match add-ins – Instead of just chocolate chips, mix and match your favorites—white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, or dark chocolate chips for a fun flavor combination.
- Use leftover candy – Got extra Halloween or holiday candy? Chop up candy bars like Snickers, Twix, or Reese’s and fold them into the dough. Just be sure the total add-ins don’t exceed 3 cups for the best texture.
- High Altitude: No modifications were needed in making these cookies at high altitude.
Pudding mix makes cookies softer, chewier, and keeps them fresh longer. It adds moisture, a rich flavor, and helps them hold their shape while baking. Plus, it gives cookies that melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes them irresistible!
No, cook-and-serve pudding won’t work the same as instant pudding in cookies. Instant pudding is made to thicken without cooking, which helps keep cookies soft and chewy. Cook-and-serve pudding needs heat to set, so it won’t give you the same texture. Stick with instant pudding mix in your cookie recipes.
Yes! You can by using gluten-free cup-for-cup flour instead of regular flour. Also, check that your pudding mix and chocolate chips are gluten-free. The cookies might be a little softer, but they’ll still be super tasty!
More Pudding Recipes
Do not overbake these cookies, or any cookies; this will cause the cookie to dry out and turn out cakey.
Recipe adapted for altitude and personal taste Cookies & Cups,
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature, if using unsalted increase salt by ¼ teaspoon,
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 3.4 oz pkg instant vanilla pudding Or favorite pudding mix flavor
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup oat flour or omit oat flour, but increase all-purpose flour to 2 ½ cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt fine or kosher works well too
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Flaky Sea Salt for sprinkling on top optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C) and prepare your pans with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Place softened butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This is called creaming the butter and sugar.1 cup salted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar
- While creaming your butter and sugar, measure your all-purpose flour and oat flour into a medium bowl, adding your baking soda, baking powder and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ¼ cup oat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Add instant pudding mix and mix on medium speed mix for an additional minute.1 3.4 oz pkg instant vanilla pudding
- Next add your eggs and vanilla, mix until evenly incorporated, about a minute. Scrape sides.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- With mixer on low or stir, slowly pour in your flour mixture, mixing until just combined. On low or stir (or by hand), incorporate your chocolate chip concoction* evenly into the batter.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, which is about ¼ cup of cookie dough!) or if you need to stretch the recipe a bit further, then use a medium sized cooked scoop; yielding slightly less than double the amount of cookies
- Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets about 12 to a sheet (9 for large cookies). If desired, sprinkle with a little more of that wonderful flaky sea salt.Flaky Sea Salt for sprinkling on top
- Bake at 350º 10-12 minutes for large cookies or 8-9 minutes for smaller cookies.
- Edges should be set and just barely starting to turn golden. The centers will seem under-done, that’s just how you want them, don’t over bake them.
- Once you remove them from the oven, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt or Fleur de Sel, if desired.
- Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You may substitute regular salt (fine or kosher) for the flaked sea salt, but if you have never tried salt on your cookies, what are you waiting for?
- Try other flavors of pudding mixes! Why not!? The pudding adds a delightful, tender gooey texture to the cookies.
- Choose your 3 favorite combination of chips! Dark, Milk Chocolate, Semi-Sweet, Butterscotch, White Chocolate, Mint or even English Toffee Bits would be delicious!
- CHRISTMAS PUDDING COOKIES: Try using Andes Mints, White Chocolate and Milk or Dark Chocolate Chips! Sprinkle with a little crushed peppermint or candy canes. Or just use white chocolate chips, seasonal M&M’s and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Storage Tips
- Counter Storage – Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days for the best freshness.
- Freezer Storage – For longer storage, wrap cookies individually (or in pairs) in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. This makes it easy to grab one at a time.
- Thawing & Enjoying – Simply let a cookie thaw at room temperature or toss it into a lunchbox for a sweet treat later. Cookies stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Or, what I do most often for the freshest cookies is bake up a dozen or so, enough for my family to enjoy, then freeze the dough balls for later baking.
- Once ready to bake, simply remove the number of desired dough balls, place on prepared cookie sheet and allow to come to room temperature while your oven preheats, bake as directed. Hot-Fresh-Cookies!
Nutrition
Heather
Made these and loved them! It actually took me a few tries and tweaks to get mine as pretty and wrinkly as yours, but my family inhaled every variation of this recipe, so you really cannot go wrong! Thanks for the amazing cookies!
Thank you Heather!! Sorry it took a few tries, most of my baked goods work pretty well at sea level, but sometimes there are subtle variations when I am baking at altitude! Thank you!!
Dawn Levine
Super good and super easy recipe! They are just like described and will be gone in an instant! I love making cookies and these will definitely be in the rotation!
Thank you SO MUCH Dawn!!! Love that you enjoy these cookies!
Caitlin
These turned out great! I made a big batch for our weekend soccer games – I’m sure the boys will love them. I slightly overcooked mine (accidentally) so they’re not as thin/crispy as the ones you show in the photo, but they taste delish and the flaky sea salt is an excellent touch. I didn’t have oat flour so just used all-purpose flour as indicated. Easy recipe – will definitely make again!
That’s awesome Cailin, so excited to hear! And glad that my notes worked for your taste!
Caitlin
These turned out great! I made a big batch for our weekend soccer games – I’m sure the boys will love them. I slightly overcooked mine (accidentally) so they’re not as thin/crispy as the ones you show in the photo, but they taste delish and the flaky sea salt is an excellent touch. I didn’t have oat flour so just used all-purpose flour as indicated. Easy recipe – will definitely make again!