The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — One of my absolute favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies thanks to a special ingredient! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies…With Pudding!
These really are my new favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Now, that’s a big statement because I haven’t cheated on this recipe in years!
I’ve used the base of that cookie recipe for Twix Bar Cookies, Snickers Cookies, M&M’s Cookies, S’mores Cookies, and many others when I want a hearty, but buttery dough base. Any cookie I’m going to stuff with add-ins or candy, that’s not a peanut butter cookie, I use that base.
But all good things eventually get knocked off their pedestal and something better, shinier, and newer comes along. Enter: these big, chewy chocolate chip cookies . Spoiler: these sot and chewy chocolate chip cookies are made with vanilla pudding mix!
The dough is buttery and moist with hints of vanilla, and it’s the perfect canvas for the melted chocolate chips.
So it’s ‘the best’ according to me and my family, and of course, this can change. Food bloggers, we change our minds, if you haven’t noticed. But for now, these gooey chocolate chip cookies are the top dog.
I can’t wait for you to try them and let me know if you agree.
What’s in These Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies?
These gooey chocolate chip pudding cookies are thick enough to sink your teeth into, with slight chewiness at the base and edges.
It’s just enough to balance the very pillowy soft centers and give me the mouthfeel I want in a perfectly baked, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the absolute best chewy chocolate chip cookies:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
To make truly soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, you first need to cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat the mixture for a good 4 minutes — don’t skip this step!
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Note that you add the pudding mix like a dry ingredient. You do NOT actually make the pudding. Scoop the cookie dough into balls using a large cookie scoop, then place on a large tray and cover with plastic wrap.
I baked my chewy chocolate chip cookies for 11 minutes, but if you choose to make smaller cookies, you’ll need to bake for less time. How much less? I don’t know.
Tip: The secret to making the best chewy chocolate chip cookies is keeping them a touch underbaked. I think that’s the secret to most good cookies!
Can I Omit the Pudding Mix?
The pudding cookie craze certainly isn’t new. I’ve used instant pudding mix in my Soft M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dark Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies, and Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies and I wanted to create a classic chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe with it.
This chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe is nearly a carbon copy of my old standby. The significant change is that I omitted 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and replaced them with one packet instant vanilla pudding mix.
If you don’t like pudding mix or can’t find it in your area, I recommend you use this soft chocolate chip cookie recipe because there are really no substitutions you can use in this chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Do I Have to Freeze the Cookie Dough?
As with all my cookies, you must chill the dough before baking these chewy chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding mix. It’s absolutely crucial for thick, puffy, full cookies.
If you bake with warm, limp dough, your chocolate chip cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. Why bother? Plan ahead and chill your dough.
Can I Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes, although I actually recommend making the cookie dough and freezing it in balls rather than freezing baked cookies. You can bake the cookie dough straight from frozen, just note that you’ll likely need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
But if you’ve already made these gooey chocolate chip cookies and want to freeze some for later, just pop them in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat them, leave them on your counter to thaw or reheat them in the oven.
Can I Make These Gluten-Free?
Without having tried it myself, I can’t say for sure. If you find a way to make these chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding gluten-free that works for you, please let me know in a comment below!
Can I Add Extra Mix-Ins?
I’m sure you can! These thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies can be loaded up with chopped nuts, M&M’s, chopped candy bars, and more. Just be sure to add no more than 2 cups of mix-ins total.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate chip cookies with pudding can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 6 months. I like to reheat frozen cookies in the microwave or oven so the chocolate chips become gooey.
Tips for the Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tip 1: The big, chewy chocolate chip cookies are slightly larger than you may be used to baking. There are about 4 tablespoons of dough (1/4 cup) per cookie, and the batch makes just 14 large-ish cookies.
The cookies are still so much smaller than cookies I see for sale at bakeries and coffee shops, and eight comfortably fit on a baking tray.
I’d rather bake fewer bigger cookies because frankly, it’s less work. But also because the size and the related surface area does matter in terms of the final taste and texture.
Tip 2: Smaller cookies tend to dry out faster and relatively speaking, there’s more chewy edge than soft center.
Conversely, bigger cookies have softer, tender, juicy bites loaded with chocolate due to a greater interior surface area. Christina Tosi speaks very eloquently about this in her book.
Tip 3: You also need to make sure the butter is truly soft. If it’s not, cheat and zap it in the micro for 5 to 10 seconds.
It’s best to plan ahead and set your butter out 2 to 4 hours ahead of time, but it’s better to cheat with the micro than try to cream cold butter.
Your dough will seem overly dry and crumbly after adding the dry ingredients if your butter wasn’t sufficiently softened. I used Trader Joe’s unsalted butter.
A few more tips and tricks for making the best chewy chocolate chip cookies:
- You’ll want to use a high-quality flour like King Arthur. It has just a bit more protein (gluten) than other brands so your baked goods have more structure and will rise higher.
- As I’ve already mentioned, you MUST chill the dough so the cookies bake up thick and don’t spread as much.
- Underbake so the cookies are (almost) as good on the third day as they are right out of the oven.
- And bake on a Silpat because it provides traction so the cookies don’t slip-and-slide around a slippery greased baking sheet.
- Use a cookie scoop. I first portion out the dough with the scoop so all the mounds are the same size, and then I smooth them out with my hands so they’re perfectly smooth.
- Finally, you want to strategically re-positioning the chocolate chips while smoothing the mounds.
Obsessive? Yes, but I am asked all the time what my tricks and secrets are, and now you know.
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The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix, not sugar-free and not ‘cook & serve’
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- one-12 ounce bag, 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Trader Joe’s)
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 flour, pudding mix, 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, 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 14 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) and bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. 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
- *Tip – Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
- 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, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, 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 Pudding Cookie Recipes:
ALL OF MY PUDDING COOKIE RECIPES!
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!
Soft and Chewy M&M’s Cookies — These big, bakery-style cookies are very soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and loaded with M&M’S and chocolate chips.
Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies – For true chocolate lovers, these super soft cookies are loaded with chocolate!
Mounds Bar Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These big, thick, bakery-style cookies are pillowy soft in the interior, slightly chewy at the edges, and are loaded with chocolate chunks and hunks of Mounds Bars.
Oreos and Sprinkles Chocolate Chip Cookies — The cookies are loaded with Oreos, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and are adapted from my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
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.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies— You won’t miss the butter at all in these coconut oil chocolate chip cookies! They’re so soft and ever so slightly chewy. Dangerously good!
This is a repost of this 2014 recipe, and while I’ve made many other chocolate chip cookies since then, these particular cookies are some of my absolute favorites.
Hate to beat a dead horse but dangit…this recipe is FIRE! The cookies come out moist and like clouds they are so soft. I’ve made them with walnut pieces and they aren’t as soft but the result is still a fabulous cookie!
I’m glad you love them so much!
Hi Averie. I baked these cookies last night and I don’t think they came out right. The cookies got hard after cooling. They weren’t really chewy and kind of dry. The chocolate chips didnt really seem to melt in the cookies either. I accidentally bought milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Do you think that affected them? Also I left the dough in the fridge overnight and it was really hard, should I have let it thaw out a little before baking? I really want them to come out perfect. What do you think?
I accidentally bought milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Do you think that affected them? = yes
They weren’t really chewy and kind of dry. = probably overmixed the dough after adding the flour
should I have let it thaw out a little before baking? = not necessary
Thanks so much for replying. I will try again with your tips!
Using milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet should make no difference. I always use milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate bars. Also since I don’t like to wait for my cookies, I almost never refrigerate the dough. The reason your cookie goes flat is because you’re over beating the egg. I mixed up the ingredients well except for the egg and the flour. Then I beat in the egg for about 30 seconds and hand mixed in the flour and chips. The cookies were thick and chewy with no Refrigeration.
These are my go to cookies for EVERYTHING! This recipe taught me how crucial it is to refrigerate the dough and under bake a bit!!
If I only gave a sugar free vanilla pudding, do you think it’ll be ok?
I have never tried with sugar free so cannot say for sure.
I met my in-laws 2 years ago and I decided to bring them these cookies and they were a HIT! Now this is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use. Thank you Averie!!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is the only CCC recipe that you use!
By far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried a BUNCH. People rave over these for days and days. Is there a particular way that you would recommend storing the baked cookies in the freezer? Someone has asked me to make them some to enjoy over a 2 week period, and I know they’ll be dry after 5 or so days, so I was thinking maybe a freezer bag? Just curious what your thoughts are.
Thanks for the five star review and glad this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ve ever tried! I would say honestly it’s best to freeze the balls of dough and bake those off a couple at a time than it is to freeze already baked cookies. But if you still want to go that route, yes freezer bag is what I would do as well.
This is my go to cookie recipe for chocolate chip cookies and every time i make them people fall in love with them. I never give away the recipe as this is my own little secret recipe that keeps friends and family coming back for more. I have not tried another recipe since having tasted these cookies and actually have to make three batches tonight for friends and family. I have made small changes in terms of using mini chocolate chips over the larger ones as I feel you get more of them in one cookie over the bigger ones almost making these cookies have a Molten core of chocolate. I adore this recipe and thank you for sharing it to the masses!
Thanks for the five star review and glad these are your absolute favorites and that everyone wants the recipe! I agree, mini choc chips can give you better distribution of chocolate in many recipes from cookies to muffins.
Re: The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Is chilling a two-step process: chill dough once ingredients are mixed and again chill cookies on baking sheet, prior to baking? I will be using a 1 1/2 Tbsp. scoop. Will that size scoop work?
Also, will salted butter work if I omit the pinch of salt listed in the ingredients?
You mix everything up, form balls, chill them, then bake them.
Yes re salt.
This is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is your favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies!
I wholeheartedly agree that these are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made! I started underbaking cookies after seeing your cookie recipes a few years ago and my family has been clamouring for more of these cookies ever since!
I love hearing that! Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is a favorite recipe for you and your family! And yes under baking is my favorite way with chocolate chip cookies.
I have been making these delicious cookies with the pudding mix for years, and you are absolutely right about the pudding mix making a big difference in both the quality and the taste of these chocolate chip cookies. Every time I bake these cookies, I receive rave reviews. Also, I learned the hard way many years ago that it is best to chill the dough at least a few hours before baking nearly any kind of cookie that I am baking, but especially during the summer months of the year. Otherwise, my cookies will go flat and spread to the point of looking very unattractive. In fact, I even think that it affects the taste of the cookie, as well. Great recipe and great tips, Averie — please keep them coming!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you’ve been baking these cookies for years now! I totally agree about chilling the dough and I completely agree that not only does it make the cookies actually bake up thicker but when you don’t chill the dough, I completely agree that it also affects the taste of that cookie. There’s just something off about them.
That looks delicious!
This is the classic recipe my mom always made growing up! Everyone would always RAVE about them…the secret ingredient is the vanilla pudding mix! :)
That’s awesome that your mom always made these with pudding mix (the secret ingredient)!
This Recipe is a WINNER….My cookies were delicate and chewy at the same time. What a Great Way to send my Baby Boy back to college!
Glad they are a WINNER! And what a perfect off-to-college treat!
I make these a lot and nevervfeel like chilling them so I dont but they never spread at all?? Like they are literally just chocolate chip cookie balls. I have no idea what happened. I love how they taste though so I just keep making them.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the taste. Cut back on the flour by 1/4 cup or even 2 tbsp. I have a feeling you are accidentally over-flouring the dough and that will cause them to not spread.
The BEST!! Made just as the recipe calls for and they came out perfect. Wound up with 16 cookies on the dot with the 1/4 cup measure. They are fluffy, thick and delicious! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think these are the BEST!