Quadruple Chocolate Pudding Cookies — These pudding cookies are packed with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chunks, and chocolate pudding mix to deliver seriously chocolatey flavor!
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Chocolate Fudge Cookies … Using Pudding Mix!
My first foray into pudding cookies went so well that I wanted to try a chocolate version. So I did with four kinds of chocolate in one cookie. May as well go big or go home.
These chocolate fudge pudding cookies are super soft, tender, slightly chewy, and are for true chocolate lovers. Chips, chunks, cocoa, chocolate pudding.
They’re thicker, bakery-style cookies that are bold and rich, not overly sweet, and oozing with melted chocolate. As you bite down, there’s a little chocolate explosion that happens in your mouth.
There’s an abundance of melted chocolate in every bite between the chips and chunks. I like to use both so that there are varied chocolate flavors and textures present. If you only have one or the other, use what you have.
Keep in mind that chopped chocolate melts in an oozing way, whereas chocolate chips have stabilizers. So while they do melt, they stay more intact.
Sometimes darker chocolate cookies can be almost overpowering but these are one of my favorite non-peanut butter, all-chocolate cookies that I’ve ever made. Pudding mix, I’m sold.
Chocolate Pudding Cookies Ingredients
These chocolate chip pudding cookies use most of your typical cookie ingredients, plus lots of chocolate. Here’s what goes into these chocolate fudge cookies:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Instant chocolate pudding mix
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chopped dark chocolate
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chocolate Cookies with Pudding Mix
These chocolate chip pudding cookies are made like most of my cookie recipes are. Quick, easy, and no-fuss!
Here’s an overview of how the fudgy pudding chocolate cookies are prepared:
- Cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.
- Then, mix in the dry ingredients followed by the chocolate chips and chunks.
- Scoop out the cookie dough and shape it into balls.
- Place the cookie dough onto a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
- Once chilled, place the cookie dough onto a Silpat-lined baking tray and bake until the edges of the pudding cookies have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.
Recipe FAQs
The pudding mix helps keep the cookies softbatch-style soft, supple, and gives them a surprising lightness. That’s paradoxical considering how much chocolate is packed into them, but they’re not lead balloons. Nor are they airy or cakey. They’re just right, says Goldilocks.
Yes, absolutely. Do not bake with unchilled dough because the chocolate chip pudding cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
If you’re not into pudding mix or don’t have it in your area, this probably isn’t the recipe for you. You can simply omit it, although the results won’t taste the same. There’s really no substitutions. Luckily I have oodles of other chocolate cookie recipes that don’t use it and recommend one of those.
The instant pudding mix gets added to the cookie dough like a dry ingredient. You do not actually make the chocolate pudding — just dump it into the cookie dough straight from the box.
You likely can add other mix-ins like chopped nuts or dried fruit, but you’d need to scale back the amount of chocolate chips you add to the cookie dough to compensate for the extra mix-ins.
Make sure to buy instant pudding mix and not the cook and serve kind. You also can’t use sugar-free pudding mix in this pudding cookie recipe. Don’t ask me why, sugar-free instant pudding mix just doesn’t deliver the same results.
Yes! I prefer using dark chocolate in this pudding cookie recipe, but you’re welcome to use a mixture of milk and dark chocolate if that’s what you have on hand.
I have made these for my family and friends on many occasions and everybody loves them! Around the holidays I’ll dip them in white chocolate and sprinkle peppermint crumbles on top. My favorite cookies ever!
Patty
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Fudgy Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 packet instant chocolate pudding mix, about 3.7 to 3.9 ounces (not sugar-free and not ‘cook & serve’)
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Bar)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pudding mix, cocoa, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 17 equal-sized mounds of dough. Roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center. Don’t overbake which is easy to do with dark cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Chocolate Cookie Recipes:
German Chocolate Cookies — An EASY recipe for soft, chewy, fudgy chocolate cookies that are topped with a rich and creamy pecan coconut frosting! If you love German chocolate cake but don’t want to deal with layering and frosting an entire cake, these cookies are PERFECT!
Dark Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies — Rich, soft chocolate cookies with chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — These chocolate crinkle cookies are slightly chewy around the edges with a very fudgy interior and perfectly crinkly seams!
Hot Chocolate Cookies — These gooey hot chocolate cookies are complete with big gooey marshmallows and chunks of melted dark chocolate. This is the perfect holiday cookie recipe!
Andes Mint Chip Soft Fudgy Chocolate Cookies — These quadruple chocolate Andes mint cookies are big, bakery-style cookies that are rich, not overly sweet, and loaded with chocolate and mint chips.
Caramel-Stuffed Quadruple Chocolate Cookies — The cookies are thicker, bakery-style cookies that are bold and rich, and are oozing with melted chocolate and stuffed with Rolos.
Chocolate Ganache Chocolate Cookies — There are chocolate chips and cocoa powder in the cookie dough and the cookies are topped with a rich, cream, fudgy chocolate ganache.
Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies — These buttery shortbread cookies are full of chocolate, cinnamon-and-sugar, and a bit of spice thanks to a couple unique ingredients! They remind me of a good cup of Mexican hot chocolate, in cookie form.
Originally published February 8, 2014 and republished with updated text February 5, 2020.
Amazing cookies! I recently made them for a friend and have been asked to make them again. I’ll be baking them this week for my boyfriend’s birthday. They are just that good! I use a chocolate chip cookie recipe that also incorporates pudding mix. Its the magical ingredient. Thank you so much for sharing these.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I love cookies with pudding mix https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/02/the-best-soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html are wonderful!! LMK what other recipes of mine you try!
If I wanted to add about a 1/3 cup of Nutella to this recipe what would I need to change? I was thinking either increase the amount of flour or decrease the butter.
If you want to make Nutella cookies, I recommend these https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/05/soft-and-chewy-nutella-white-chocolate-chip-cookies.html rather than tinkering with the Quad Chocolate Cookies.
Second time making these today and are the best! Everyone loves them. Thanks fo awesome recipes!!! :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! Both times! :)
These are absolutely the best cookies I have ever had! Thank you so much for the recipe! I substituted the chocolate bar with Carmel bits and they turned out so good that I am making them again. A quick warning to anyone thinking of trying this recipe: THESE COOKIES ARE EXTREMELY GOOD AND RICH! DO NOT BAKE THESE IF YOU ARE HOME ALONE WITHOUT THE WILL POWER AND RESTRAINT FROM EATING THEM ALL!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that they’re the best cookies you’ve ever had! And I totally agree about being home alone and willpower :)
I’m a diabetic, so would it be ok if I did use sugar free pudding.would it make much of a different?
Hi! These look delicious!! I can’t wait to try them! I was wondering if the dough can be chilled in the mixing bowl, and rolling them into balls after chilling? Thanks!
Not recommended because the dough can easily turn overly rock hard. Better to scoop, then chill; so that you’re not axe-picking and chiseling out dough from your mixing bowl :)
Oh my goodness- these are amazing!!! So chocolate-y and delicious. I’m a student in Chicago and brought a big batch into school one night when we were all studying for an exam and they were a huge hit- and definitely boyfriend approved ;) Two people asked me- “what the heck did you put in these things?!” I never had luck with getting soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies until I tried your recipes. Your chocolate chip pudding cookies are now a go-to! Thank you! :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And stay warm! I used to live in Chicago and this is the time of year you want to drink hot chocolate (with some Baileys in it!) all the time! Glad these will be a go-to for you!
You’re awesome, thank you!! I will try that then. :)
Hi Averie!
I wanted to try this out but plan to do a smaller cookie. You used a 1/4 cup as measure for each cookie dough and I plan to do a little less than half the size of yours. Do you think it will be fine? What adjustments in baking time and temperature should I do?
Thanks in advance.
It will be trial and error. Baking temp the same, and reduce the baking time. I would start watching them very closely at 7-8 minutes, just my guesstimate.
i was a little disappointed in these cookies. They were a little dry. Not sure what I did wrong. I guess I was expecting them to be like a brownie/cookie. Wasn’t like that at all
Guaranteed that you overbaked them a by just a bit. Chocolate (cocoa powder) in cookies is very drying and just the slightest bit too much time in the oven and they can taste dry. Bake them for at least a few minutes less than you think next time and I bet you’ll be all set!
I just have to say, I am a huge cookie fanatic, especially if they are chocolate cookies, and I have made many. These are so incredible, easy, and turn out every time (thanks, pudding mix!). Everyone who tries them falls in love them. I also wanted to note that, while I usually agree with having to chill the dough before baking, in the case of these cookies it really isn’t necessary. The cornstarch in the pudding mix prevents them from spreading too much, even without chilling the dough first (and I live at 5,000 feet where I have to normally take special precautions in order for my cookies not to spread – not so with this recipe, hallelujah!). I usually form all the cookies, bake off a few to eat right away, then freeze the rest of the dough to bake whenever I need a cookie, or want to take some to a friend. Anyway, thanks for a recipe that satisfies my most intense chocolate cravings. Just made another batch!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! (even without chilling sometimes!) And I have those same intense choc cravings and glad this recipe does the trick for you, too :)
Hi! I made these cookies before and they were to die for! I’m thinking of making them in bar form for my brother’s birthday instead of cookies. Would I need to do anything different? Do you have a recommended cooking time for bars? Thanks!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I haven’t tried this recipe as bars so can’t say for sure but generally I’d say 20-25 minutes max for bars, but it REALLY varies on the pan, the consistency of dough, etc. I would err on under rather than over-baking for sure so they don’t get dry…just watch them closely.
Just moved into a new apartment and decided that I deserved a treat– moving my entire life into a 3rd floor apartment with no elevator? Yep–I need chocolate.
These cookies are INCREDIBLE. Rich and delicious! I almost wish I didn’t know how to make them, it’d save me from gaining 5 pounds! Ha!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And yeah, moving on a holiday weekend, in the summer, to a 3rd floor with no elevator, in the heat….YES you EARNED these :)
Baked these today for a 4th of July dessert. Followed directions to a T but my first batch are super dense and grainy. They do not taste great. I’m guessing they are undercooked. I baked for 10 min and let them sit for 10 like you suggested. I should have done a test with just one or two cookies. Agh!! I always kick myself when I don’t do this with a first time recipe.
I baked the 2nd batch about 2-3 min longer and they look better. Lighter color and better texture on the outside. Hopefully they won’t be as grainy. I really want them to be good. I don’t make darker cookies much so judging doneness is tough!
Judging doneness with darker cookies is always tricky and ovens and baking sheets and climates vary SO much. There’s more humidity in the air since it’s the summer and things can take a minute or two extra to bake. Obviously if they taste underdone, they’re underdone. Just bake longer and play around with things in your oven during this hot weather and hope you find that perfect sweet spot for baking time!
Dear Averie, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I am an EXTREMELY PICKY eater, especially when it comes to sweets. I have been chasing down a dark chocolate cookie recipe since I was in my early 20s, and I finally found one: yours (and it only took me about 20 years to find it!…I am in my mid-forties, now). I tried this recipe last night, and was pleasantly surprised at how much l liked it (I’ve been very disappointed in the past with all sorts of chocolate cookie recipes—they have all fallen flat on flavor/texture). The cookies from your recipe came out with a mousse-like consistency in the center. I’ve noticed other commenters have inquired about using dutch-processed cocoa. That is what I used, and the cookies turned out wonderful. I also substituted the vanilla extract with a chocolate mocha syrup I purchased at Starbucks a while back. Again, thank you for this wonderful recipe. I passed it on to my sister.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad your 20 year search is over for perfect chocolate cookies!! Wow, that’s high praise and thank you!
Glad to know that Dutch processed worked great and the chocolate mocha syrup is a wonderful idea, too!
I only have dutch processed cocoa, can I use it in place of the natural cocoa if I substitute baking powder for the baking soda?
Honestly I haven’t tried it that way so I really cannot speak for sure what will happen when you start making those kinds of tweaks.