Very Vanilla Pudding Cookies
These Vanilla Pudding Cookies are light and fluffy, with a perfect vanilla flavor. Delicious hot from the oven or on the second day.
These vanilla pudding mix cookies might be the best cookies I’ve ever made. They might be the best cookies I’ve ever eaten… and I’ve eaten my fair share of cookies.
These instant pudding cookies are light and fluffy, with a perfect vanilla flavor. I love it when I can’t decide if a cookie tastes better hot from the oven or on the second day. When still warm, they tasted like the cookie form of vanilla pudding. I prefer my vanilla pudding warm like the way my mom used to make it when I was a kid.
Once upon a time I wanted to make vanilla pudding all by myself. That’s when I learned the very valuable lesson that you have to follow a recipe, and that it really does make a difference what order the ingredients go in. Read: don’t add eggs to a warm mixture… unless you want scrambled eggs in your pudding. I’ll never forget that.
What’s in Vanilla Pudding Cookies?
If the title of this recipe didn’t give it away, there’s an important “secret” ingredient in this pudding cookie recipe. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
How to Make Pudding Cookies
- Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.
- Scoop pudding mix cookie dough into balls.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.
Can I Use Another Flavor of Pudding?
Yes! I typically make these pudding mix cookies with vanilla pudding, but I’ve had readers leave glowing reviews after they used different flavors of instant pudding. Red velvet, butterscotch, chocolate, lemon — anything seems to work well here!
Do I Have to Use Instant Pudding Mix?
Yes, the instant pudding mix is a key ingredient. Do NOT use cook and serve pudding, it has to be instant. If you can’t find instant pudding mix where you live, I’m not sure this is the right cookie recipe for you. Sorry!
Tips for Making Instant Pudding Cookies
- Add the instant pudding mix to the dough like it’s a dry ingredient. You don’t need to make it as the box instructs.
- These cookies are gobbled up in no time at my house, but I’m sure the baked cookies or raw cookie dough would both freeze beautifully. You can bake the frozen dough straight from frozen.
- You can prep the cookie dough in advance, roll into balls, and chill in the fridge for a few hours before baking, if desired. This way you can have freshly baked cookies for guests!
More Easy Cookie Recipes:
- Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Cookies
- Brown Sugar Cookies
- Salted Caramel Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 small package instant vanilla pudding
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy; gently beat in eggs.
- Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla pudding mix in a separate bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 9-10 minutes.
Notes
- You MUST use instant pudding. Cook and serve pudding won't work.
Nutrition
This is a great recipe worked out great! I used brown sugar instead of regular and I didn’t add the extra vanilla, they sweet but not to sweet and nice a chewy ????
I made these this morning. They turned great! I made half of the recipe with mini chocolate chips. Original and with the chips were delicious! The first batch was flatter than the second batch baked with an already hot cookie sheet, I feel the second batch looks better, but either way, they taste awesome! Would’ve loved to post a picture.
Currently have them in the oven…. but I switched out the vanilla pudding for red velvet. Super excited!! Thank you for your wonderful recipe! Just are ate one and it’s the softest cookie defenently going to be adding this to my favorites!
OMG! How did this go?
Did it turn out with another flavor?
Just made these and they are delicious! They look like they could using icing but they are sweet enough without!
Hi Emily! I’ve been searching for a recipe on the old fashion Jackson lemon jumbo cookie,
So reading your pudding recipe gave me the very idea.
I’m trying lemon instant pudding mix with lemon pure extract. Thanks so much I’ll let you know my results.
I love lemon! Do let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Do you bake on greased or ungreashed cookie sheet?
Ungreased
I made these but doubled the recipe and added 1 package of chocolate pudding and 1 package of white chocolate chips and 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
They’re the best cookies I’ve ever had.
how many caleries do you think this is?
its 85 calories excatly i made it will french vanilla pudding they turned out great!
Asi was wondering about the sprinkles so roll them in sprinkles and then bake is that cortect
That is correct!
I was wondering what the amount in ounces is of the pudding mix
These did not work for me. They either burned or remained too gooey. The center never baked and the edges burned. I followed the directions precisely, baked according to the instructions, and they never come out. I thought at first maybe I was using the wrong sized box of pudding, but nope. Tried adding flour, tried chilling the dough, nothing worked. Complete flop.
Sorry to hear that Katy. I’ve made these several times without issue. It could be a number of things- the temperature of your butter, the calibration of your oven, how long you beat the dough, etc that can make a difference in your results.
@Katy, I made so many mistakes and mine came out excellent.
Is there any way to make theses cookies a little bit harder. They are a little too soft for me
Have you tried it with different flavors of pudding? I’m thinking chocolate or lemon. I assume it doesn’t matter. Excited to try these!
@laura, I used cheese cake flavor pudding Royal brand
When you put them on the cookie sheet do you rolls the dough in a ball or what?
Hi Terri- I use a cookie scoop, but if you don’t have one available then yes I would shape them into a ball. Hope this helps!
Flatten the dough with a wet glass covered in confectioners sugar, and they’ll cook more evenly. Make them all the same size.
These are absolutely divine!!! I was about 1/4 tsp short of vanilla so I just added what I had. Glad I didn’t have enough because in my opinion these have the perfect amount of vanilla flavor with 1 3/4 tsp vanilla. I also refrigerated the dough about 3 hours before baking. Kept the dough chilled before each batch went in the oven. They turned out lovely. Thanks for the recipe!
The cookies are delicious! I substituted Greek yogurt for the butter (because I was out) and they came out equally splendid. Thanks for such a quick and easy recipe for our family. These are a big hit at our home!
I just made the mix and it is stiff; It is to wet to be rolled into balls. What can I do to fix it?
Hi Sasha, the dough will be a little wet/sticky- it helps to use a cookie scoop, but you can also try to add a little more flour. Or maybe let it chill in the fridge for just a bit. Hope that helps!
WOW! These look gorgeous and sound wondermous. I am definitely a Cookie Monster and will have to be trying these! Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. We’d love it if you’d link back to our party within your post (it makes you eligible for being featured=) Let me know if you need help doing that. Please come back soon.
Great project !!
I would love you to come and share @ Craft, Create & Inspire linky party !!!
Look forward to seeing you there 🙂
http://livel0vecreate.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/craft-create-inspire-linky-party.html
Claire x
I just finushed making these. They are dangerously good! I can’t wait for my husband to try them. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Oops I meant “finished”
I was thinking of doing these for some christmas baking. Do they freeze well?
Hi Lana- I’ve never tried freezing them, but they should!