Classic Chocolate Chip Pudding Mix Cookies are bakery quality cookies, freezer friendly and quick. Makes 40-50 cookies. Great for bake sales!
Originally published September 5, 2017.
Everyone has that go-to cookie recipe. Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding are dearly beloved, bakery quality cookies. I have the recipe memorized I make them so much! Some people like their cookies crispy, I do not. I like mine chewy and fluffy, and not dried out or crunchy with too much flour. That’s where the pudding mix comes in.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that I can make ahead the cookie dough, freeze it, and bake it easily. It turns out that frozen cookie dough only takes a few more minutes to bake than regular dough!
This recipe was featured on I Wash You Dry and the recipe was developed and written by yours truly! I have a few tips for how to make these magical cookies amazing every time. 
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Pudding
- Cream the butter and sugar on high speed for at LEAST 3 minutes. Light and fluffy is what we want! When adding dry ingredients, start with the minimum amount of flour and then add more if needed. The dough is a soft play dough texture and pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily, it is not crumbly at all.
- Don’t over bake the cookies! I bake them for 10-12 minutes, usually 11 does the trick. Edges of the cookies should be barely golden brown when removed from the oven, and the tops barely beginning to crack.
- Use a large cookie scoop. You can’t go wrong with big cookies. I use a heaping 1.5 inch scoopful. I also do rows of 3 and 2 on my cookie sheet, so I can bake a bakers dozen (thirteen) at a time instead of twelve cookies.
- Try out different kinds of instant pudding mix and chocolate chips. I love to use french vanilla, white chocolate, and cheesecake flavored pudding, and butterscotch and white chocolate chips.
Lots of recipes feature a “secret ingredient”, this recipe is no exception. The secret ingredient in my recipe is Bird’s Custard Powder. However, not every American happens to have custard powder stocked in their pantry. This recipe is perfectly acceptable without it, the custard powder just gives it a little extra “umph”. In America it’s not very common in grocery stores, I ordered my Bird’s Custard Powder {aff.link} on Amazon. 
How to freeze cookie dough:
- Make recipe for dough as directed.
- Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper close together but so edges are not touching.
- Freeze 4 hours or overnight, then place into a freezer safe bag to use later.
- To bake thawed: Place cookie dough balls in refrigerator overnight and then onto prepared cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake as directed in recipe.
- To bake while frozen: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place frozen cookie dough balls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown and the tops are beginning to crack. After 14 minutes check every minute until done.
These are great freeze or make ahead chocolate chip cookies for weddings (think ice cream sandwich cookies), Christmas, weekend treats, and bake sales!
If you’re a fan of chocolate, make sure you try my Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies or Best EVER Fudgy Brownies! And remember to share the love on Pinterest or your favorite social media channel. ❤️
Classic Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 3.4oz package instant french vanilla pudding mix (instant vanilla, white chocolate, and cheesecake pudding may be used)
- 1 tsp Birds custard powder (Optional)
- 4 to 4-1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment combine the butter, white sugar and brown sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until fluffy.
- Add salt, baking soda, and vanilla pudding mix, and (optional) Birds custard powder. Mix well. Last, add the flour a cup at a time and mix on low speed until combined. The cookie dough should be the texture of soft playdough and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It should not be stiff or crumbly.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a 1-1/2 inch scoop, drop cookies onto prepared baking sheets. I do rows of 3 and 2 so I can bake 13 at a time instead of 12.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, do not over bake. The bottoms/edges of the cookies should be barely golden brown and tops beginning to crack. Time may depend on number of pans in oven and racks being used. I recommend rotating pans halfway through baking time if baking two pans at a time.
- Let cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown and tops will be barely golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
How to freeze and bake chocolate chip cookie dough:
- Make recipe for dough as directed.
- Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat close together but so edges are not touching.
- Freeze 4 hours or overnight, then place into a freezer safe bag to use later.
- To bake thawed: Place cookie dough balls in refrigerator overnight and then onto prepared cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake as directed in recipe.
- To bake while frozen: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place frozen cookie dough balls Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown and the tops are barely beginning to crack. At 14 minutes check every minute until done.
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