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
Can I use salted butter? If so, would I simply skip adding the salt the recipe calls for?
They did not rise at all.
Best cookie recipe I have ever made !!!
I usually don’t leave ratings but oh my God were these soooooo GOOD! My parents loved them and they are so quick, easy, and DELICIOUS!!!!!
I’ve been using this recipe but using different puddings and I’m putting different feelings inside to make them sandwich cookies
Question: has anyone made these gluten-free? I have measure for measure gf flour. I was also thinking of using them as sandwich cookies with Nutella in between, or would they be too soft?
Delicious cookie. Really quick and simple but as delicious as any cookie I’ve ever made
My sister and I made these cookies today. They were so good! Our family loved them! They weren’t too sweet. They just had the right amount of sweetness. We had them with a cup of hot chocolate.
First time making. Used exact recipe and they were absolutely delicious. My whole family gobbled them up in no time! My new favorite cookie and great for the holidays. Thank you!!
Loved this recipe. I decided to add 2tsp of cinnamon to the batter along with 1 cup white chocolate chips. After I rolled them into balls, i then rolled them into cinnamon and sugar. I baked then for 16 minutes at the temp recommended. They came out as enhanced snickerdoodles. AMAZING!!!
So I had a box of English Toffee instant pudding, used this recipe with it. I was concerned about how thin the batter was, so I added 1/2 cup of extra flour. Also I had to bake them for 15 minutes instead of 10. That could very well be because of my oven. But they turned out amazing! Would have loved to add a Skor bar or something.
@Kate, thank you for that. Very helpful, bc this will be my first time at making these 🙂