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.
OH! EM! GEE!!!!! I had some pudding mix that I needed to use before it expired. I used this recipe with pistachio pudding and white chocolate chips. They were FREAKING awesome!!! Also, on a side note, I’m Celiac so I used gluten free flour. Sometimes I have to cut back the amount of flour in recipes as they are too dry. I used 2 cups of Gluten free flour and it seemed sorta dry so I added 1/4 c of water and they were perfect!
OH! EM! GEE!!!!! I had some pudding mix that I needed to use before it expired. I used this recipe with pistachio pudding and white chocolate chips. They were FREAKING awesome!!! Also, on a side note, I’m Celiac so I used gluten free flour. Sometimes I have to cut back the amount of flour in recipes as they are too dry. I used 2 cups of Gluten free flour and it seemed sorta dry so I added 1/4 c of water and they were perfect!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they turned out amazing with the pistachio pudding and white choc chips! I can actually see that as being AMAZING! Great to know that you were also able to use GF flour!
I love this idea of the pistachio pudding, white chips and GF!!!
Whoever said a skinny girl can’t bake hasn’t seen your blog. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, for different occasions and events and they’re always a hit. Whenever we’re making cookies my kids and I (not too far from you up here in Julian) search your site to get your take, but nothing beats good old-fashioned chocolate chip!
Can salted butter be used and omit the salt. Baking is science so I don’t want to mess the dough up.
I would say yes as long as you like salty-sweet desserts. I think the overall salt level in a stick of butter is greater than the amount of salt called for in the recipe, but I like salted chocolate desserts overall so I would be fine but if you don’t then use reg butter.
Wow, really really good. I suck at baking, cause I’m a 33 guy. But these turned out way good. And was impressed with my skillz and how gournet looking and tasting they turned out. Super dank. I figure you prolly can’t leave out the two hour dough chilling partncauee they would loose form. In
Wow, really really good. I suck at baking, cause I’m a 33 guy. But these turned out way good. And was impressed with my skillz and how gournet looking and tasting they turned out. Super dank. I figure you prolly can’t leave out the two hour dough chilling partncauee they would loose form.
Glad they turned out great and correct, you need to chill the dough, otherwise yes they will spread a lot (too much) while baking.
These cookies were AMAZING!!!! I altered the recipe slightly by using browned butter that I let cool down enough to be warm to the touch. I also used a combination of semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chocolate chips. I also added extra vanilla flavoring. The brown butter gave the cookies a decadent flavor and both the white and semi sweet chocolate worked amazingly well together. I couldn’t wait for the dough to chill so I made three cookies before cooling the dough as a test run. They were nice and chewy in the middle and slightly crisp around the edges. They baked up nice from the rolled balls and were not flat at all before refrigeration so I’m positive they’ll be even better after the cooling process. HANDS DOWN MY NEW FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!!
Cookies are just as good with gluten free flour! :)
Great to hear!
Wow, really really good. I suck at baking, cause I’m a 33 guy. But these turned out way good. And was impressed with my skillz and how gournet looking and tasting they turned out. Super dank. I figure you prolly can’t leave out the two hour dough chilling partncauee they would loose form. In
Hi Averie! These cookies are INCREDIBLE! One question–for refrigerating the dough, is it possible to refrigerate in one large ball or will that effect the overall bake.
Thanks:)
Hi Averie! These cookies are INCREDIBLE! One question–for refrigerating the dough, is it possible to refrigerate in one large ball or will that effect the overall bake.
Thanks:)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that the cookies are incredible!
No don’t refrig in one big ball because you will be trying to chisel off rock hard dough and it’ll be a crumbly mess that is unnecessary and avoidable if you do as indicated.
These cookies were AMAZING!!!! I altered the recipe slightly by using browned butter that I let cool down enough to be warm to the touch. I also used a combination of semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chocolate chips. I also added extra vanilla flavoring. The brown butter gave the cookies a decadent flavor and both the white and semi sweet chocolate worked amazingly well together. I couldn’t wait for the dough to chill so I made three cookies before cooling the dough as a test run. They were nice and chewy in the middle and slightly crisp around the edges. They baked up nice from the rolled balls and were not flat at all before refrigeration so I’m positive they’ll be even better after the cooling process. HANDS DOWN MY NEW FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were AMAZING! Great to here they’re you’re new fave chocolate chip cookies!
I’ve never been much of a baker and have never been able to master chocolate chip cookies, until now. This recipe is phenomenal and I definitely appreciate all your tips and tricks. They definitely make The best cookies!
I’ve never been much of a baker and have never been able to master chocolate chip cookies, until now. This recipe is phenomenal and I definitely appreciate all your tips and tricks. They definitely make The best cookies!
Thanks for the five star review and glad these cookies have turned you into a great chocolate chip cookie baker! Glad you appreciate my little tips and tricks too!
My cookies didn’t spread out like they should have. And I can barely taste any vinilla in them. What did I do wrong?
Over-floured the dough, i.e. added a bit too much. Stiff overfloured dough will not spread easily. That’s my hunch.
Not enough vanilla and/or low quality vanilla. I would add more or upgrade to a better quality one.
This is the best recipe I have tried so far! This last time I experimented with gluten free flour and they were just as delicious! The texture is a bit different and they don’t brown as much but over all the flavor is the same. I was very happy and will make them gluten free from now on! Thank so much for sharing :)
This is the best recipe I have tried so far! This last time I experimented with gluten free flour and they were just as delicious! The texture is a bit different and they don’t brown as much but over all the flavor is the same. I was very happy and will make them gluten free from now on! Thank so much for sharing :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these are the best cookies you’ve tried! And that they were good with GF flour, too!
They look incredibly soft and chewy!! I think there is nothing better than the classic chocolate chip cookie. And you nailed this recipe! Thanks for sharing.