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.
Pin This Recipe
The Best 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!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 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 Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 243mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 3g
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.
I followed your instructions to the “t” and they turned out absolutely delicious. Chocolate Chip Cookies are a favorite in our family and you are our #1 chocolate chip cookie recipe(s) go to.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad these are a family favorite and that I am your #1 source for chocolate chip cookie recipes!
These are a next level cookie! So good. Maybe a bit too chocolatey for my taste, but for the chocolate lover – these are a hit! Next time I might try 1 cup chocolate chips and add in walnuts. I just moved to my house and getting used to my oven, but did bake these for 14 minutes. Also reading through the comments I saw someone made these GF, used pistachio pudding and white chips. Now that’s. a cookie I’d love to try and will have to do that very soon. Anyway, taking some of these to my daughter who just a baby, and I know she’s going to love them.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that they turned out next level for you! And yes, it’s a very easy recipe to customized based on your exact preferences. I’m sure you’ll have fun playing around! And your daughter, who just had a baby will really love these!
These are my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, just love them and they turn out great every time!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love these!
The final cookie tasty great. The dough was drier than I normally make but the final product was delicious. Fellow co-workers loved them and all had great reviews.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these were great! Bravo to you too for baking all 5 chocolate chip cookie recipes of mine!
What do you me when you say combined until “creamed” when referring to the butter. How soft should the butter be, what consistency is “creamed”! Thanks so much!
The consistency of creamed butter. Google it if you need a visual reference.
The same way you would cream butter in any other baking recipes such as a cookie or cake that calls for it. Very soft and fluffy.
This is my go to chocolate cookie recipe!! Everyone loves these cookies. I top each (before baking) with a little seasalt! Soooo good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these are your go to choc chip cookies and everyone loves them! I love salt with my chocolate, too!
I may be missing it but, I’ve looked multiple times and I can’t seem to find where to share the recipe. Your recipes are so good and I’d love to be able to share them.
Share in what sense? Just send your friends this link! https://www.averiecooks.com/the-best-soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/ via your FB, text, etc.
All photos also can be pinned by hovering your mouse ove the top R or L corner, depending on your device and browser. Thanks for sharing!
The softest chocolate chip cookies I have ever made!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they’re the softest chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever made!
These cookies were a hit! Made a single batch for my family and they were gone that day. I had promised my daughter I would bake cookies for her faculty room, so I did that yesterday. But I had to put “School cookies. Do NOT eat” signs on them or they would have been gone. They went to school today. It’s not even noon and I already have a request for the recipe. I did make. a smaller cookie using a medium scoop and got a yield of 36 cookies.
Thanks for the five star review and I am glad that these were such a hit that you’ve made them a few times already and they are disappearing fast!
I want to thank you for sharing your secret ingredient of vanilla instant pudding added to your cookie recipes. Many bakers do not want to share their secret ingredients and I appreciate you wanting to. I am an excellent cook/baker and I had no idea that vanilla instant pudding can be used in cookie recipes for a more softer cookie. I have used this ingredient in my pound cakes and they are delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I am all about sharing my secrets and sharing recipes. Hoarding secrets or not freely giving up recipes is something I have never understood but I know it’s very common.
At any rate, the vanilla pudding mix is a great little trick and I have also had pound cakes with it like you mention – delish!
I have probably commented before on these cookies. I love this recipe! I used french vanilla pudding this time and 1 cup chocolate chips a little over a half cup of caramel bits and rainbow sprinkles. Made them for the neighbors children. You can not go wrong with this recipe. As always i either make the dough the previous day or I make the cookie dough balls and put them in the refrigerator for several hours. Always a hit! So soft and flavorful! Thank you Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love these cookies! I love all the add-ins and variations you’ve tried, too! They all sound delish!
I just want you to know that these chocolate chip cookies with the pudding mix are truly amazing! My family cannot get enough of them. I probably made them 20 times during COVID lockdown!!! I’m excited to try some of your other recipes!!! Thanks for this recipe!! It made staying at home pretty darn “sweet”! Oh and a side note, I accidentally grabbed the coconut pudding instead of vanilla and they were actually really good! Just a hint of coconut taste!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that these are a repeat favorite and that you’ve made them at least 20 times recently, wow, that’s great!
I love coconut as well so I’m sure it was a nice twist to that batch!
We tried all five Chocolate chip recipes Averie emailed to me. There is no favorite one, they are all good.I recommend if you like chocolate Chip Cookies to try these. We all like walnuts or pecans in our cookies so this was added to the recipe. Will make more of these.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you tried all 5 recipes and can’t pick a favorite and that you’ll make more cookies!
For some reason every time I make these, the dough after I add the dry ingredients is so crumbly. I just add a splash of milk and it makes all the difference. I also only use Ghirardelli chocolate chips and mix milk chocolate with white chocolate. My family LOVES these cookies 💗
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your family loves these cookies!
And good idea with the milk. To combat that in the future, use 1/4 cup less flour than indicated and depending on how the dough seems, you can add some of it back in.
Hey Averie! I’m planning on making these cookies but I have 2 problems:
1. Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder?
2. My pudding powder is a bake and serve one( you put the pudding powder and milk in a saucepan until it reaches a pudding like consistency), will that effect the cookies?
1. no
2. yes, adversely
I know times are hard right now with grocery shopping but for the best results you need to use the ingredients I call for and do not substitute, especially not with cookies.
I made your cookies today! Call in a quarantine cave…I had just been craving cookies! I made my husbands favorite to kill his willpower too and I wouldn’t be eating them alone! He said they were the best cookies you’ve ever made! They were fantastic! Thank you, I’ve shared with two girlfriends already!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad he said these are the best cookies you’ve ever made! Thanks for sharing the recipe and glad these were a big hit!
These are awesome cookies! Only thing is, for some reason the bottoms of the 2 batches I’ve made turn out so hard in comparison to the rest of the cookie. I cannot figure out why. I don’t have suggested mat, so I used wax paper the first batch and then used nothing the second time. Same result. 🤷🏼♀️ I’m wondering if my oven could be off?
A Silpat mat will take care of a lot of that issue but your oven could be running hot. Or the coating/color of your baking sheet could be to blame, too. Lots of different variables. I would replace the pan, get a Silpat, and buy an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running overly hot.
I made these cookies and had to leave the dough in the bowl because I didn’t have room in the fridge to put them on anything. The dough was hard but still workable plus it didn’t take long for the dough to soften up. They came out just fine and are still soft and chewy two days later! Thanks for a gr8 recipe. Will definitely be using this recipe from now on!
I prefer nuts. Is this a good recipe for this or do u suggest something else?
You can feel free to add a handful of chopped nuts to most any of my cookie recipes.
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!!!
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.
Glad they turned out great and correct, you need to chill the dough, otherwise yes they will spread a lot (too much) while baking.
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:)
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!
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 :)
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.
So confused. Just made these and they stayed balls even after cooking. I thought mixing the butter and sugars and egg for 4 minutes seemed long, and I think that messed them up. They are basically like balls of cookie dough. I thought the dough seemed pretty dry as well. Bummed.
What you just described is a classic sign of overflouring the dough. Make sure when you measure flour you use a light hand and do not pack the flour in. Less flour and the dough will not be dry and it will spread out like normal cookies.
I made these a while ago for a party and they were such a hit! So delicious and packed with chocolate chips :) My sister said they were the best chocolate chip cookies she’s ever had, and I would agree! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I’m looking forward to trying more of your creations!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you and your sister think they’re the best chocolate chip cookies ever!
Great recipe. Delicious cookies. They didn’t last a day.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they didn’t even last a day!
Hello! I am planning on making these this week but I was wandering if you know how long I should bake them for a 1-2 tablespoon cookie scoop?
Probably 8-ish minutes but just watch them closely.
These were delicious. They did take longer to cook than the recipe called for – I probably had them in the oven for 15 minutes before they were ready to come out (and even then they were very delicate and difficult to transfer to a cooking rack). But I will definitely be bookmarking this recipe for later.
Glad they were delicious! All ovens, pans, climates, etc. vary so 15 minutes for a baking time isn’t crazy or anything, especially if your dough balls were slightly larger.
I love this recipe so much!!
These cookies are decadent, chewy, and oh so delicious! I used light brown sugar and salted butter.
I highly recommend this recipe to any chocolate chip cookie lover!
Thanks for recommending the recipe and glad you love it!
I am just making these cookies now and for some reason the cookie dough is extremely crumbly. I followed the directions, but am stumped. Any chance I can save them?
Hard to say what happened…possibly you over-added the flour which can cause dough to be crumbly. Hope you were able to salvage them!
I cannot count how many times I have made this recipe. Each time, as soon as my cookies come out of the oven and onto the wire racks, my sons devour them as if there is no tomorrow!I have made them for a fundraiser, 2 years ago, for my brother-in-law who was hospitalized for thyroid cancer. Everybody in my workplace loved them!They are so chewy and irresistible, and they look so pretty! I particularly followed your tip on strategically placing the chocolate chips so they would look nice after baking. I have made mine with milk chocolate chips as well as with M& M’s. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad these are a favorite cookie that you make often!
Is this recipe easily doubled?
yes
Thanks for the recipe! I made it and for some reason mine were flat, even after chilling the dough for 24+ hours. Do you have any guesses why that would happen?
Did you do everything that I suggested in this post, i.e. Silpat, King Arthur Flour? Check you baking soda too. Those would be my first things as to why cookies spread. Thanks for trying the recipe!
My go to base for my “vanilla based cookie” I always can adapt this. Love love rave reviews. I have had a batch of dough in my fridge for 1.5 weeks (in Tupperware) I hate to waste!!!! I’m still going to make them and let’s just hope they’re still ok. Thanks Averie Oh and I’m getting your book !!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you love these cookies and that you use this as your cookie base! And thanks for getting one of my books, I appreciate it!
What if I don’t have pudding mix? Can you suggest what I can do instead?
I would either go buy pudding mix or make another recipe of mine for Chocolate Chip Cookies that does not caLl for it – but this one does for best results.
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!
I only have butterscotch pudding.
What do you think???
You will have butterscotch choc chip cookies then. I love butterscotch so think that sounds great.
can i bake the cookies right away take it out from fridge? or need to wait until its in a room temperature?
Yes bake straight out of the fridge – that’s the whole point of chilling them is to have chilled dough going into the oven.
I was so excited to try these, I had pudding cookies when I was a kid and they were so good.
I did exactly as you directed, made sure my butter was softened ( I left it out over night) my dough was still dry. It was also a little longer in bake time. Just wondering what could of happened?
It’s easy to accidentally over-flour dough which I am guessing what you did. Next time start using 1/4 cup less than the recipe calls for and evaluate if you think you need the full amount based on how you measure it, your exact brand of flour and how it interacts with the other ingredients, etc.
I am ready to make your best soft and chewy choc chip cookies but i noticed that there is a recipe for easy soft and chewy choc chip cookies? Which one do you like better? I want to make the best ever!!!
These are really delish – I think you will love them! I have tons of recipes for CCC’s and it’s hard for me to pick a favorite but you can’t go wrong with these!
My butter was a little on the cooler side and it dried out a double batch of cookies I was making for my son’s classroom. Such a waste! Make sure your butter is TRULEY softened before making these cookies. ?
With baking, especially cookies above all, nicely softened butter is definitely necessary.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My husband devoured all but 2 cookies! I baked 8! This recipe is a definite keeper. ?? This recipe is so easy! I followed the recipe exactly as written and they are delicious. I even have some in the frig to bake up when hubby comes in tonight. . He ask me to wait till he got home to bake them. . LOL! Again, thanks for posting.
Thanks for letting me know these are a huge hit with you and your hubby! Glad you’re loving them!
I love your recipe. Me and my son make these cookies every year for Santa. I bad a batch tonight and just realized I forgot the brown sugar. I already molded them and they are sitting in the fridge so I really don’t want to add it. How do you think it will come out without it?
It’s hard to say. If it was just 1/4 cup I would say probably okay. But 3/4 cup, I am thinking they are not going to be sweet enough and may be dry too.
Hello, am I using 1 egg or 4 eggs? I see it listed both ways. Thanks.
There is clearly 1 egg stated in the ingredients section. Not sure where you are getting 4 from.
i can’t find the pudding mix at my area :( . the pudding is use to make the chewy of the cookies right ?
Yes it adds a lovely texture, both soft and chewy. I have other cookie recipes in the Related Recipes section in the post that you may want to try that don’t use pudding mix. In this recipe, if you omit it, not sure what will happen.
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this recipe. Best ever!
Thanks for trying the recipe so many times and glad you agree that they’re the best ever!
This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies stay so soft and taste delicious. The vanilla really comes through! Everyone asks me for this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you agree these are THE BEST and that everyone asks for the recipe!
I found your recipe easy to follow and I made the cookies exactly as directed. The dough was very tasty. As I added the chocolate chips, I thought, “My! That’s an awful lot of chocolate chips!” I am a chocolate lover, especially semi-sweet chocolate, so I gave it a try. However, this was too much even for me! The cookies were quite good, except I could only eat one half of a cookie. Way too rich with all that chocolate. Next time, I will try using about 6 oz. of chips. I got sixteen cookies from the recipe. 12 oz. of chips = too much for 16 cookies in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Generally speaking most average chocolate chip cookie recipes have about 2 cups, or 12 ounces of chips but if you feel that’s too much, of course reduce to taste. My recipe yields 16 cookies, or so, because they’re on the bigger size. Many people could get 24-30 out of this recipe based on the size they shape their cookies, which is smaller than I tend to do. In that case you’d probably have no problem finishing a smaller-sized cookie. Thanks for trying the recipe.
What changes would you make for high altitude?
Not sure because I don’t live at high altitude but the King Arthur Flour website has great info on this.
These cookies are amazing! I was super excited to make them because I love all of your recipes. I ended up not having the instant vanilla pudding and instead used 2 tablespoons if cornstarch. They are so incredibly thick and taste! I’m really really impressed that they tasted as good as they did without the pudding mix and I’m excited to try them with the pudding mix next time
So glad that 2 tbsp of cornstarch did the trick and that these came out great! LMK how the pudding mix version compares!
I want to make monster cookies with this recipe, how much oatmeal can I add to this and peanut butter ?
I’m not really sure because I’ve only made the recipe as written.
These cookies are a HUGE hit in my house! But…my daughter is asking for a cookie cake for her birthday. My husband insists I use this recipe. Do you think I could do that? If so, do you think any changes would need to be made with baking temp or time? Thanks!
I haven’t ever made this as a cookie cake but Google: cookie pie Averie.
There’s a Triple PB one and an M&M one that are both AMAZING.
We have been having a blast with this recipe, so far…
Chocolate Chip as written
Chocolate pudding with Peanut Butter chips
Pistachio pudding – all white sugar and almond extract
Next we are going to try a vanilla pudding with mint extract and chocolate chips.
Thanks for the great recipe, so many possibilities.
Wow! Such amazing variations and glad you’re having fun experimenting and loving the results!
Thanks for your recipe, I have one question.
If I don’t have instant vanilla pudding mix, Can I skip it and if skip its will be still yummy.
Thanks a lot for your advise :)
If you don’t include the pudding mix the cookies will not have the same texture or flavor. I have many other choc chip cookie recipes that don’t include pudding mix as you can see from the related recipes shown, and you may want to check some of those out.
hey hello ive already try this recipe and its amazing , but i cant find the instant pudding around is there something else that i can use tu make the sustitution ??? tnaks
Instant pudding is pretty readily available at most any grocery store in the USA, Target, Walmart, etc. Or order from Amazon and have front door delivery.
You could possibly add 2-3 tbsp cornstarch but I haven’t tried that, and really recommend making the recipe as written.
I’ve used this recipe a couple of times now and each time they’ve been a big hit! When you make these, do you use eggs at room temp or straight from the fridge?
If you can think ahead to set your eggs out, that’s probably better but I don’t tend to and just use straight from fridge eggs. Glad you love the recipe!
Those cookies look so good. I like how the camera catches the melting chocolate between the cookies. I am getting hungry right now.
Thanks!
Very very delicious rerecipe! tried it tonight perfect
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
OH. MY. GOODNESS… I’m always a little (okay, a lot) skeptical of recipes that have “the best” in the name. They usually tend to leave me disappointed, because they aren’t usually the best I’ve ever tasted. This one, however, lives up to its name. These are truly the BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever made – and my twelve-year-old son agrees whole-heartedly (and he’s VERY picky)!!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that it lives up to the BEST OF title! :)
I made these for my kids. We don’t have sugar during the week so I try to have a little surprise for the weekend. I didn’t have vanilla pudding so I used chocolate pudding instead. I also used mini m&ms bc that’s what was in the pantry. I put a little piece of a Hershey chocolate bar in the middle of each cookie. They were a HUGE hit! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad your tweaks worked and that you loved them!
I don’t have vanilla pudding mix on hand but I do have 3.4 once box of instant cheesecake mix. Would that work? We want to make these for Santa
Not sure…cheesecake flavored pudding mix would be fine, but cheesecake mix? Not sure.
I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and this recipe is the winner! I’ve used your recipe several times, and they are the perfect texture and flavor. I use my large cookie scoop so they are very soft when I take them out the oven, but once they cool they are perfection! Thanks so much! Love all your recipes!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a favorite for you! Soft cookies are the best :)
Based on your recipe I was able to make about 32 cookies with 1/2 cup scoops. I ended up baking them for about 10-15 minutes (3-5 minutes longer than you had suggested) because they looked undercooked. They tasted and looked great. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it worked out great for you!
I set out on a mission to find the best cookie recipe and it didn’t take me long to complete my mission when I found this page. These are the BEST chocolate chip cookies!!! They are my go-to recipe when baking for crowds and they are ALWAYS a huge hit. They never last long! Since I’ve made them so frequently, I’m ready to try some variations to this recipe. Any suggestions without changing the perfect texture?
Glad you love these cookies so much! You can always add white choc chips, dried cranberries, peanut butter chips, toffee bits, sprinkles…really any kind of add-in you enjoy!
This cookie recipe is really great. This was my first time baking cookies, I baked them to share with my friends, and almost ate the all before sharing! If you’re looking for an easy yet delicious cookie recipe, this is definitely the one.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And congrats on baking your first batch of cookies!
i love ur cookies i just turn 10 in augest
Thanks and that’s great you’re baking at a young age!
I made these today. By far the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! They were a huge hit with my husband and I made some for his friends at work too! Thanks!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that they’re the best CCC you’ve ever made!
UPDATE: ok so yesterday I made the coconut flour chocolate chip cookies that I was gonna try (I was wrong, it wasn’t your recipe), and these are like, NO comparison. The other recipe was *promptly* deleted off of my Pinterest “Cookie” board, and I’m putting this one in my CCC repertoire (because I don’t just go with one, I rotate through a few. I get in CCC “moods” – like any woman. Haha). Anyway, this recipe is the bomb, as is most of your recipes I’ve tried, I’ve saved quite a few. Keep on keepin’ on :-)
Yes when you had originally mentioned that you were going to make a coconut flour recipe, I thought hmmm, I don’t have a coconut flour recipe for CCC’s. Coconut oil, yes, but not flour (it’s finnicky to work with and most people don’t want to hassle with it) but glad you love this version of my cookies and it’s going in your CCC repertoire!
Holy delicious cookies, Batman. i made these tonight to give to my buddy tomorrow as a surprise (he’s unfortunately working this weekend :( ), and I had to try one – you know, for quality assurance. I ran out of regular AP flour, so I used 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free AP flour + 1/2 tsp xantham gum in its place, and I also live in Denver and they STILL came out great!
Ok, seriously, I need it to be tomorrow so I can get these out of the house, away from me. I need room so k can try your coconut flour chocolate chip cookies next (I’m a glutton for punishment). :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Even with GF flour + XG AND…at altitude! Awesome to hear!
I can’t wait to go shopping and get all the ingredients for this!! I love chocolate chip cookies!! Do you use a pinch of salt in yours?
Yes I do add a pinch. Enjoy!
hello just wondering can I freeze them in already formed and bake them right of the freezer or do they need to be thawed first?
Yes just bake straight from freezer, that’s fine, no need to thaw. You may need to extend baking time by 1-2 mins but just keep an eye on them. Enjoy!
Always take these on family vacation. Store them in the tall round spaghetti storage container with parchment between cookies. Cookies are ready to bake and family loves to eat them warm out of oven. Thanks, your cookies are part of some great family moments.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a family favorite and part of some great vacation moments! What a lovely comment to read – thank you!
I tried these out yesterday for my family and they absolutely went over like gangbusters! Amazing recipe, the fam loved them.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Not sure what I did wrong but the dough was dry and crumbly. I still managed to make the mounds but they did not cook properly… Any ideas? I was so looking forward to these cookies.
Many people tend to over-measure their flour and use too heavy of a hand when adding it. If the dough was excessively dry and crumbly, my guess would be that you over-added something, more than likely flour. Use less next time and you should be fine.
WOW!!! Amazing cookie recipe. Thanks for sharing. I have now made these cookies 3 times. They are soooo delicious, moist, very easy to make and do not take a lot of time to put together. I’ve not EVER been able to make cookies this good before!! This is my new ‘5 out of 5 STAR’ staple recipe. Thanks again.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you – 3 times already! Glad it’s your new 5 star recipe!
Made these over the weekend, and they were a huge hit! Such dense chocolate-chip filled cookies — turned out just like the photos. I ended up with 18 cookies in all. These cookies are so rich and satisfying, you can eat just one. :-)
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
And I finally made these cookies today. Wonderful! Only variation was I substituted 1/4 of the butter with peanut butter. I do do this often when baking cookies etc mainly because I love peanut butter and also it helps hold the shape of the cookies or baked goods when baking. Thanks!
Jean
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! I love peanut butter and glad it worked well in these cookies!
Hi! I made these tonight and substituted a quarter cup of crisco vegetable shortening for the same amount of butter- I only had one stick. Poo! I also used mini chocolate chips, with the cookies being so large I thought that might be better. I’m sooo looking forward to them.. Accidentally read ‘freeze’ for two hours instead of refrigerate and they have been in an hour and a half.. Time to take them out and bake away haha. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!!
Sounds like you made a few tweaks based on what you had on hand and I’m sure they’ll turn out great!
I’ve made these a couple times now. I love the texture, and the extra vanilla flavor. However I felt like they were a little bland, so I put more salt (about a scant 1/2 tsp). Next time I’ll put fewer chocolate chips as well – it just seems like not enough dough for that many. Overall though this is my favorite cookie recipe!
Glad you liked it and yes, salt is one of those very personal preference type of things – and some brands are saltier than others. Just salt to taste and glad to hear this is overall your favorite cookie recipe!
Hello!! Love your blog and recipes!!! Been following for years and never had a problem with any of them!
Question: I’ve made these a dozen times but I’ve never doubled the batch. Would there be an issue if I were to do that?
Thanks so much!
Thanks for trying all kinds of my recipes over the years!
I have never actually doubled this recipe but I don’t think there’d be any issues. Cookie recipes normally double very well.
Best cookies ever
My son makes a batch every week
Thanks
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s your all-time favorite and that your son makes a batch every week!
Can you tell me what the purpose is for adding the vanilla pudding? I have never seen a chocolate chip cookie recipe with pudding in it.
Ahh, you’ve missed the pudding cookie craze then! Google pudding cookies and plenty will come up! But it makes cookies softer, more tender, and it lends an amazing texture.
I want to thank you for this new adaption of a chocolate chip cookie. I used soy free vanilla pudding and soy free unsalted butter, gluten/soy free flour, replaced the gums with chi & flax seeds and used 2 TBS of stevia and organic dark brown sugar. Dumped it all in the mixer added unsweetened coconut, soy free dark chocolate. Oh My Goodness! Outstanding. And the whole family will be able to enjoy them on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas and thank you.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with all the tweaks you made and that everyone will enjoy the cookies!
Hi, your cookies are amazing. I can’t wait to try these in our family gathering. Your recipes are awesome! Keep up the good work. Thanks!!
I just made these cookies today. They turned out pretty well. I rolled them into balls and chilled, but didn’t flatten them out a little bit (somehow I read right over that). So mine are a little misshapen and weird in the middle, but the flavor of them is awesome!! I love this recipe and I will definitely be making these again, and flattening them a little next time!! Thanks!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you love the recipe and will definitely make it again!
These are the best cookies I have ever made. I made two cookie recipes in one day and this one was the best one of all! I am only 18 and still learning took cook. I recommend this cookie recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I have to say, you have, hands down, the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipes. I’ve tried so many cookies from different websites before I found yours, and none were close to as delicious, thick, and chewy. I don’t usually comment on blogs, but I just had to let you know. Thank you so much for sharing with the world. My family and I LOVE this recipe as well as the quadruple chocolate chip cookie recipe. In fact I made both today!! There are so many other food recipes I want to try, such as the sweet potato bread. Your blog is a gift to my foodie self and my foodie family! Thank you again! :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And thanks for all the high and wonderful praise! Keep me posted what else you make!
Just made these today with my THREE YEAR OLD and they came out perfect. The only thing that was off was cooking time for us (had to add a few extra minutes) but that’s totally normal and certainly not worth getting all cranky pants over! Good grief, I’m shocked at how a cookie recipe can anger someone. As for the other nice people who had issues, I wonder if the way you mix it makes a difference? We used our kitchenaid mixer and I was actually excited over the ease of how well it mixed and how I didn’t have to scrape and fight the bowl like I usually do. Maybe people who use a hand mixer can’t work the dough as well as it should be worked? I’m a rare baker so certainly no expert but the ease of making this for me leads me to believe there must be something in the way it’s mixed vs. your directions or ingredients?
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Baking times, ovens, climates, etc. will vary a bit here and there and glad everything worked out great for you!
Hello, is it possible to chill all of the dough together before shaping them into mounds? That way the whole batch is refrigerated at once instead of having to wait 2 hours in between every 8 cookies lol. Or would it affect the way the cookies come out?
You form the entire batch of dough into balls right after you mix up the dough. THEN you refrigerate all the balls on a plate for at least 2-3 hours. At that point you can bake off how many ever you wish.
Hello Averie, I haven’t made this recipe yet but I was wondering if the egg had to be at room temperature as well? Thanks
I think it’s nice if you have time, but it’s not mandatory :) I’ve made these cookies a million times and my eggs aren’t always at room temp.
These cookies are my familys new favorite chocolate chip cookie. Everyone eats them up every time I make them. I took a huge batch to my aunts and she asked if she
should freeze some, as there were so many. I laughed and told her they probably wouldn’t last that long. Sure enough, the next day they were all gone and people wanted
more. To the person who asked about the pudding, add it in the powdered form.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi, I was wondering if I could add some food coloring and substitute the chocolate chips with white choc chips and make red velvet white choc cookies? Thanks
That would probably work out pretty well! I haven’t tried so can’t say for sure how much food coloring to use but LMK how it goes!
These were so yummy!!!
Don’t usually chill my dough, but they turned out perfect.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Dough chilling it awesome and so glad it helped to create perfect cookies for you!
I made these cookies. The texture was nice and plump. They did not spread to thin….which I don’t like…..the only feedback on these is….even my grandchildren, who love sweets, thought they were way to sweet! One of them only ate half of one and could not finish it. I felt the same way. Perhaps the sugar should be adjusted because of adding the pudding mix which is sweet?
In all the hundreds of comments I’ve received about these cookies, you’re the first who has said they are too sweet. We all have different tastes and preferences. Thanks for trying the recipe.
These are AMAZING! I followed the recipe exactly and they are perfect. I baked them for 12 minutes and then let them sit for 10. They were perfectly soft and a little gooey (in a good way) but still cooked through appropriately. Thanks!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
will it taste different if i don’t add the vanilla pudding?
Yes, and the texture will be different, and possibly the dough will be overly moist. For this recipe, you do need to include it – or select another one of my choc chip cookie recipes that doesn’t use it if you don’t plan to use it.
These cookies were FABULOUS! The most delicious cookies and a total hit with everyone! So soft and chewy but crunchy out the outside as well. I forgot to flatten them a bit, so midway through cooking i kinda pushed them down a bit, and it was fine.
Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These were absolutely delicious! However, even with adjusting bake time + or – since I only baked 4 at a time, I still couldn’t get them chewy! They were decadent, pillowy, chocolates, and oh-so-moist, but not chewy. Followed the recipe…any suggestions?
Also, I followed the baking tips to a T.
The cookies are definitely more soft and tender than they are chewy. If you’re looking for a REALLY chewy chocolate chip cookie, these aren’t it. They’re chewy to a point but not extremely so (I prefer softness to chewiness personally in my cookies). I’m glad you think they’re absolutely delicious as is and that would indicate to me to not mess with success and just enjoy them :)
If you want a chewy cookie that’s soft on the first day but is quite chewy, this one comes to mind https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/11/new-york-times-chocolate-chips-cookies-from-jacques-torres.html
Thank you for being so responsive! I’ll simply file this recipe under ‘dreamy, pillowy chocolatey deliciousness’ and try the other one you have. Looking forward to trying your other recipes! Thanks!
Hi, Averie! I love your site- your recipes are fabulous and your photography is amazing. I can tell how much time & effort you put into your work. I have made these cookies before and love them- they are so delicious! I had a quick question though just out of curiosity. I followed your recipe exactly and let the dough chill in the fridge for about 24 hours before baking. Like I said, the cookies taste amazing but they seemed to spread a lot and get pretty flat around the edges, but stay puffy in the middle. I was wondering if you had any tips / tricks to avoid that and keep them puffy all around. Yours are just so beautiful and I would love for mine to look half as pretty :) Thanks so much!
Anne
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you’re overall happy and thanks for all the wonderful comments!
This post has my tips for cooking baking success in it. It sounds like your dough is spreading just a bit more than it should. I would say make sure you’re baking on a Silpat (the results are night and day!) and make sure you’re using King Arthur brand flour. It truly does give my cookies the best shape and all my baked goods are just better with it!
Hi! I like others, rarely comment on, well anything. I actually haven’t taken a stab at this recipe yet, but plan too, and have used a similar recipe to make cc cookies already. Im looking forward to these, they look and sound wonderful and I’m sure they will be. My comment however is motivated by all the negativity, and quite frankly, rudeness toward not only your recipe, but to you personally……it’s truly shocking to me! Clearly a person has done something wrong, or just has different taste and or preference, when a recipe has had so many rave reviews, and it’s ignorant to assume it can’t be one’s own fault, and to take attack, is disgusting, regardless, even in the case that a recipe is terrible, just move on with your life, ya know. Kudos to you in your class and professionalism shown in response to your haters (a term I don’t like to use, but here no other word quite fits like hate), I’m sure it’s not easy, but it’s respected by all your admirers, just another reason to love you! Keep up the amazing work! xoxo!
Thank you for your support and spot-on comment. Everything you wrote, I think to myself and ponder whenever I get a doosie of a comment come in. After 6+ years of doing this full time, one does grow a fairly thick skin to survive but sometimes I still am even caught off guard by some comments and how other humans treat a stranger who’s just posting recipes for free for all to read and use if they wish :)
Im wondering if you weigh your ingredients, and if you might have those available? I feel recipes are always more consistent with weighted measurements.
Sorry I don’t, no.
THESE ARE AMAZING!!!
Thanks! :)
Hello Averie! These cookies are indeed the BEST soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies I have ever tried!!! I will admit that I cut back on the chocolate chips since the original recipes calls a little bit to much for my liking. Either way, these are the BEST cookies ever! Every single time I bake these I get so many compliments and they seems to be everyones favorite! Thank you for sharing this recepie! I can’t wait to try your other recipes! -Isabel
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hello Averie! These cookies are indeed the BEST soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies I have ever tried!!! I will admit that I cut back on the chocolate chips since the original recipes calls a little bit to much for my liking. Either way, these are the BEST cookies ever! Every single time I bake these I get so many compliments and they seems to be everyones favorite!!! Thank you for sharing this recepie! I can’t wait to try your other recipes! -Isabel
After (almost) the failures of hundreds of chocolate chip cookie recipes, I decided to give this one a try. Glad I did because these were amazing!! Officially adding these to my recipe book!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ A true hit in the family and also DELICIOUS with milk. Like D. E. L. I. C. I. O. U. S. Anyway, even though I only baked half of the batter, these finished in under an hour. Planning to bake the rest tomorrow since these already made 18 medium-sized soft and chewy but also somehow crispy cookies! Thank you so much for posting!! Love from Cali☀️
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it worked out great for you! Glad mine is the one success story out of so many other fails :)
Hi! First off, just have to say this is great recipe and now my “go-to” for chocolate chip cookies. I definitely think some of the difference (at least for me) is the 2 cups of flour vs. the 1.5 cups I have been using in previous recipes. But besides the point… I had a question! What would happen if I used the ‘cook and serve’ kind of pudding instead? I ask only because you do specify and I’ve almost grabbed the wrong box several times!
Thanks in advance for any answer provided and again for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Cook and serve vs. instant pudding has different ingredients (i.e. whatever they use to make the pudding set-up) and I think it has to do with how it reacts with proteins, i.e. milk, and really…I just wouldn’t mess with things since we know this works with instant, at the risk of ruining a whole batch of dough! :)
I tried these out tonight for a family celebration and they absolutely went over like gangbusters! Awesome recipe, the fam loved them :D
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These are definitely the best cookies. Everyone loved them, even more so than your previous go to recipe. My husband prefers them flat so I don’t chill them and just scoop, flatten and bake right away. Still awesome made this way. Thanks!!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a new favorite, even trumping my former recipe! Glad you found the perfect method to make them just like your husband prefers them, too!
Hey Averie,
I have been working my way through some of your cookie recipes and taking them to the office for taste testing by my co-workers. So far The Best Soft and Chewy M&M’s scored the highest with The Soft and Chewy Honey Roasted Peanuts and Butterscotch a close second. I personally love, loved the Big Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Crinkle, However a couple of the folks were a little “Meh” about them, but then I found out that they are not peanut butter lovers (and therefore CANNOT be trusted). I do have a couple of questions for you. Vanilla pudding vs. cornstarch. Can they be used interchangeably or is there a taste rule of thumb I can follow? Or are there specific reasons to use one over the other? And secondly I couldn’t wait to make the ANZAC biscuits, so much so that I didn’t make a special trip to the store for whole oats. Yes, it pains me to confess I used Quick Cook and have to assume that’s why the little devils spread out and never did set up for me. Delicious flavor, but a bit of a gooey mess to eat (but I still did). Just looking for confirmation that using the wrong oats is probably what did it. Thanks again for developing some fantastic cookie recipes and sharing them with us!!
I do have a couple of questions for you. Vanilla pudding vs. cornstarch. Can they be used interchangeably or is there a taste rule of thumb I can follow? = no, and no rules of thumb. Trial and error.
Quick cook and whole rolled are totally different in terms of how they behave when baked and cannot be used interchangeably and that’s definitely where things went south. Use whole rolled next time and you’ll be set!
I never leave comments but these cookies are amazing. My boyfriend requested chocolate chip cookies and I found this recipe. He said they were the best cookies he’s ever had. I’ve also tried a lot of your other recipes and all were a success. I think your directions are very well written and helpful. I’m not a baker at all so those who are getting bad results just aren’t following directions well.
Thanks for trying this recipe as well as many others and I’m glad they’ve all worked out great for you and glad to hear these are the best cookies your boyfriend has ever had! What a compliment!!
Thanks for your support and compliments regarding the way I write my recipes and directions. It’s nice to know that you don’t consider yourself to be a baker yet have success with my recipes and that’s nice to know. And I think your assessment is spot on :)
Do you make the pupping mix up with milk or add it in dry??
Dry.
“BEST COOKIES EVER!” A repeated comment received after making this recipe! Thanks, they were a hit :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that it’s a repeated favorite!!! That’s wonderful!
I was wondering what happens if you do use sugar-free pudding? I have all of the other ingredients and was thinking about trying this, but I only have sugar-free pudding? Have you tried it?
I have read reports that the texture can be a little off, as well as the flavor. You could take the gamble and try…If you do, LMK how it goes!
Have not baked the cookies just yet but the dough is chilling as we speak. My brother tried one of the formed cookie dough mounds and he said they taste great (I’m gluten free so I couldn’t try it :( but they looked good). The only thing I was concerned about was when I was combining the dry ingredients into the wet, the dough started getting crumbly when I wasn’t even finished putting all the flour in. I finished mixing the ingredients (had to finish with my hands because a spoon, spatula, or mixer wouldn’t work) and then put in the chocolate chips but when I started mixing those, it wouldn’t mix and just fell completely apart. I had to put in probably a tablespoon of milk in for it to come together a little better.
Don’t know if that was how it was supposed to be and I just panicked with the milk because I’ve made plenty of cookies from scratch but never this recipe or one with the instant pudding.
Do you think this sounds normal with the amount of flour in this recipe or could there be a step I missed that led to this?
Thanks so much!
The dough is thick and dense but not so dry that I’ve ever had to really struggle with it. Good call on adding a little milk in your situation and I think the culprit here was accidental over-measuring of the flour. Use a very LIGHT hand when measuring it so that you don’t overdo it. Between the flour and the pudding mix, there’s a lot of dry ingredients so you going overboard with the flour accidentally, even just a bit, could dry out the dough too much. That’s my hunch and what to do for next time (and maybe start with 2-4 tbsp less flour before adding the whole amount in at once, so you can eyeball things as the dough is coming together).
Hope your family enjoys the cookies!
Hi! I am making the divine looking cookies as I type but I was wondering if I could use custard instead of Vanilla pudding as it’s not really available in London… and if so would it be the same amount? Thanks ASAP !!!
I haven’t tried it with custard so not sure what to say about how much to use or the results but playing around with it will be half the fun for you :) Taste-testing!!
Like Lindsay above, this recipe didn’t work so well for me, and I think it’s for the reasons stated. I used every ingredient exactly (even bought King Arthur flour for it). I did cream the butter and sugar first (the same way I do for every other cookie recipe) and I did the dry ingredients separate, but I did include the pudding mix. And my batter came out way too… fluffy? Floury? (I’m not a baker so I don’t know what the correct term would be, lol) It didn’t stick together well. I had to literally mash it together with my hands just to make the rounds.
Then after being in the fridge a couple hours, I had to cook mine for 15 minutes just to get slightly brown, AND they didn’t spread AT ALL. I got really bally round cookies that were only about 2 inches wide.
However they still did taste amazing, thankfully. I like the recipe but I think it needs way less flour, since the pudding mix adds so much extra dry ingredients. That or maybe add a little milk to make it stickier?
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad they tasted okay. It’s so hard for me to be able to tell someone why their cookies didn’t work yet another person who makes the recipe (and I’ve made the recipe no less than probably 100 times) and it works great. It sounds like you did everything ‘right’ and the taste was good but like you said the dough wasn’t typical cookie dough consistency. If you think that given your climate, ingredients, oven, etc. that using less flour would be beneficial OR that if skipping the pudding mix would be better or using half, then you could always try those tweaks. Like I said though, I truly stand by the recipe as written because I always get great results. Sorry that you had a little trouble with it.
I was introduced to browned-butter from your ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL blog! Since my first time using it, I’ve become something of an addict… Heh… I looked up some browned-butter chocolate chip cookie recipes, but they didn’t appeal to me. Because I already love this recipe so much, would it be possible to just replace the butter with browned-butter? Thank you.
This would be tricky because it calls for butter in a stick, not melted, and the results would change if you try to use melted butter.
Make these with browned butter! https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/03/soft-and-chewy-peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Ms. Averie, I’ve been experimenting with different cookie recipes because I’m interested in starting my own business. I specifically liked your recipes because they gave me a little insight on different ingredients to use (cake flour, corn starch). I’m going to a family gathering on Friday and I plan to debut my cookies with your original chocolate chip and chunk recipe. Time allowing, I will report my results on your blog. By the way, I am also a chemist and what your last commenter missed was the fact that you added wet ingredients before adding dry. This is no different than knowing to add acid to water instead of water to acid. But unlike the lab, kitchens are suppose to have variation; that’s the beauty of cooking. I love the classy way you dealt with your hater…good luck to you and all your endeavors!
Thanks for your support and praise!
This was the worst cookie recipe I have ever made. First of all the directions are terrible. You always cream the sugar and butter. There is too much flour. You should recommend people add the pudding mix first then the dry ingredients. I ran a chemistry lab, if you were a person in charge of writing test procedures, you would blow the place up! If I could I would ask to be refunded for the cost of the ingredients I wasted.
You’re one of very few people out of hundreds over the years who have written to tell me they’ve made these cookies and that they didn’t like them. The directions aren’t terrible if so many other have made them with great success. And in baking, you don’t ‘always do…’ Sometimes you do, some recipes you don’t. Baking is both art and science and you don’t ‘always’ do the same thing for every recipe.
Running a chemistry lab is very different than running a blog. You may be an expert at that but you’re coming across as very hostile at a perfect stranger over something as trivial in life as a cookie recipe. Hope things get better for you!
I know this post is over a year old but it’s really annoying and I have to say something anyway. I have made plenty of chocolate chip cookie recipes successfully and this one was no different. First, it was super yummy once I got the timing right. Even without getting the timing right the first time they were delicious. Second, I have never seen a recipe use less than 2 cups of flour (for chocolate chip cookies)… Usually it is more if not the same. Lastly, you do NOT need to be a chemist to bake these. This is not a complicated recipe AT ALL and the directions were simple enough to follow. It is a bit sad that you messed up the recipe enough to have to deem the ingredients a waste and then blame it on the author of the recipe. So get off your high horse and find a recipe that better suits you. You are not the only one who has ever worked in a chemistry lab, and I’m glad I never had to work with someone as incompetent as you sound.
Great recipe though. My husband and I love them. :)
I’m glad you enjoy this cookie recipe, Vivian! And that you and your husband both love them!
Hi, I can’t wait to try these, they look so good. Do you know if they will be as chewy if I cut down on the choc chips, but add walnuts and cranberries?
I don’t think the type of add-in’s matters all that much in terms of if the dough will be chewy; I do have a couple really good cookie recipes with cranberries though if you’re specifically wanting one of those.
If you google ‘averiecooks cranberry cookies’ a bunch of ideas will pop up :)
I literally just finished baking these, I’m usually not much of a cookies kind of girl but I had a craving. It turned out very well for me however I think next time I’ll cut back on the chocolate chips (too much chocolate for me and my family’s liking). After looking through your blog I found lots of recipes I like to try out. Keep up the good work :).
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed them and yes, add chocolate as you prefer. We are chocolaholics here :)
I should explain that I’m using a tablet, and I couldn’t touch the screen without being redirected to an advertisement. And it didn’t matter where I touched the page. I was able to come back to the site and write this comment without it happening, so I’m assuming it’s been fixed. I’m not a complainer by nature, however I imagined that you would want to know what was happening.
There was a MASSIVE snag with Google Adsense for any blogs/websites running their ads combined with users accessing said sites via tablets or smartphones. It’s a google snag (you can google it if you want to read all the nitty gritty) and unfortunately until google fixes this at a systemic-wide level, it *could* be prone to happening again. Sorry for the trouble and if I could fix it 100% of the time, I would!
A person can’t even look at your site because of the advertising that keeps popping up.
Sorry for the inconvience. Not my intention and I passed your comment along to my tech support. Thanks for your patience.
Can i make it without the pudding mix cause it not available in my country
Yes.
I don’t know what’s best, since I’ve made cookies so few times and you have much experience. So doing it one at a time makes no difference? Also, how do you know when the mixing is done? When just combined, or when very combined? Any change in volume (fluffiness) or color? About 1 minute? I always had trouble with knowing when to stop.
You have a million questions :) and the best way to answer them is to go into your kitchen and experiment for yourself!! Have fun!
Hey Zeze, I’ve made these cookies probably 5 or 6 times now in the past 2 months, and even though I’ve made mistakes in following the directions, they always turn out well. As for the mixing, just follow the times Averie posted, 4minutes, then 1 minute, then mix in the chocolate chips, and it should be fine. Four minutes isn’t too long at all- the cookies don’t get tough. I would say mix until very combined. I’ve only noticed it become a tiny bit fluffy.
Hey Zeze, I’ve made these cookies probably 5 or 6 times now in the past 2 months, and even though I’ve made mistakes in following the directions, they always turn out well. As for the mixing, just follow the times Averie posted, 4minutes, then 1 minute, then mix in the chocolate chips, and it should be fine. Four minutes isn’t too long at all- the cookies don’t get tough. I would say mix until very combined. I’ve only noticed it become a tiny bit fluffy.
Hello Averie! May I just say that this recipe is the best thing I’ve ever found?? Chocolate chip cookies are my husbands favorite dessert and when I saw how thick these were, I thought I should try them. I doubt we will ever try another chocolate chip cookie recipe again!! (Except for the delicious recipes you have posted above.) I might cut back the chocolate chips as a personal preference, but my husband loves them and I wouldn’t change anything else. Thank you so much!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it comes out great for you and that it’s a family favorite now and you won’t cheat on it :)
Thanks for also chiming in about mixing and such. Nice to hear!
Hey, Avery. I’m just wondering why you mix the butter, sugars, and eggs all at once. Because all of the recipes I’ve seen and tried mix the butter and sugars first, then add eggs and vanilla extract. What happens if I mix the butter and sugars?
For cookies, I’ve mixed things every which way and in every order and if I thought it impacted results to do things more one-at-a-time, I would. But I don’t. And my method saves me time. Do what you think is best.
I plan on making these for my daughter’s college LaCrosse team..any experience with Ghiraldelli chips..I bought 3 bags last night???
Yes they’re wonderful and much more expensive than the Trader Joe’s I usually use. Enjoy!
Hi Averie, Just a quick update. I did use KAF & they came out lighter than my original batch with regular all-purpose flour. This is such an amazing recipe! I do like the lighter texture with the KAF so will continue to use. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Thank you!
Glad that the KAF made a difference. I really do think it’s the best AP flour for baking and I personally get the best results and glad it helped you as well! And that you’re loving the cookies!
Hey Averie! I’m so excited to bake these cookies for an upcoming community picnic. One problem though, I don’t have silpat for the time being, do you think they would turn out fine on a normal greased tray? Thank you so much! :)
DO NOT use a greased tray and expect thick and full cookies like I show.
Grease = slip-and-slide surface and cookies spread. It’s like a hockey rink for cookies.
Silpat = tacky surface and cookies have something to ‘grip’ and don’t spread. The taste will still be ‘fine’ but the overall texture and mouthfeel of flat cookies just isn’t like thicker cookies in my opinion.
This recipe is THE BEST!! I used regular all purpose flour & they came out great! Next time I will try King Arthur flour to see the difference. I chilled them in the frig about 2 1/2 hours…couldn’t wait to make them! Awesome recipe. Can’t wait to try a few more on your site. Thank you!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and if you try again with KAF, let me know how/if you notice any changes. Sounds like they were perfect for you just the way you made them though :)
Hi Averie,
I just made the mix and am I on the correct track if the mix is not dough-like, its very soft.. and also is it okay if i leave the bowl of mix in the fridge and then roll it into the pan later?
Thanks in advance!!!
Hello!
First off, amazing cookies. I make them so often because everyone eats them up so fast and wants more!
Iv decided to try to switch it up a little bit and make oatmeal chocolate chip, which I know you have a recipe for, but I’m in love with how this recipe turns out ( with the pudding mix to make them soft and amazing ) so how could I change this slightly to make oatmeal chocolate chip? Would just substituting one cup of oats for a cup of flower do the trick?
Thank you!
Would just substituting one cup of oats for a cup of flower do the trick? = probably not…you may need to add another 1/4 to 1/3 c of flour. I haven’t tested it so I don’t know but these posts, in the Related Recipes section, have oodles of oatmeal cookies I have made and the first link, ‘the best oatmeal…” those cookies are amazing. Honestly try them as written and then if you’re not in love, you can try doctoring up this recipe with pudding mix. But I would try those first! Soooo good!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/the-best-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/12/loaded-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Just made the dough and its chilling in the fridge right now waiting to be put into the oven! When I was making the dough, it seemed quite dry and the chocolate chips were having a hard time sticking to the dough. I managed to get the dough into balls but I just don’t know what I could have done to make the dough so dry! Also, I made my balls about half the size of yours, how long do you think I should bake these smaller cookies for? Thanks so much!
You probably over-measured the flour, which would render the dough dry. Use a very light hand and don’t pack it into the cup. You’ll just have to play baking time by ear….could be anywhere from a couple minutes less to much less, I’m not sure.
I am constantly in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I like them crunchy on the outside and gooey + loaded with chocolate chips on the inside. If I had to pick my last meal, I would need chocolate chip cookies to be the dessert. These cookies are fantastic! My son’s eyes opened up when he saw them coming out of the oven – he says they taste as good as they look and smell. I made a few more cookies than the recipe suggested – 20 instead of 14 – and cooked them for about the same time. Just delicious. Thank you again, Averie – your recipes always deliver the very best results!!
Thanks for the high praise and so glad you and your son loved them! Thanks for all the compliments, too :)
I made these cookies tonight and they were the best I have ever made!! I was a little skeptical about the vanilla pudding mix but glad I found this yummy recipe. The cookies came out thick & chewy. They look perfect. Not flat! Thanks soooooo much!! :)
Glad they were the best CCC’s you’ve ever made and that they came out just perfectly! Wonderful!
WOW, these truly are the best cookies I have ever made and tasted!
THANK YOU for all the tips!
You’re welcome and so happy they’re truly THE BEST you’ve ever made and tasted!
I made these cookies tonight. I consider myself a good cook, but baking for some reason eludes me, especially chocolate chip cookies. I never have good luck! But this recipe! They turned out absolutely perfect! They look just like your photos, and tasted amazing! My family was so excited, and the whole batch is already almost gone. I’m so excited I finally found a recipe that works for me. Thank you! I’m going to try some of your other cookie recipes as well.
Glad they turned out perfectly and that your family went to town on them :)
My first batch was a huge hit. My husband does want me to add some pecans. Do I need to change the recipe in order to add them, or can I just put them in with the chocolate chips? Thanks!
Just put them in with the chocolate chips!
Absolutely amazing! The best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. My husband and two boys agree as well! Thank you for sharing! KUDOS!
Glad they’re the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever made and that your husband loves them also!
has anyone been able to get an estimated calorie count per cookie? Thanks!!
i have made these SEVERAL times over the past months. My roommates and I devour them instantly. I tried making them at my parents house over the Thanksgiving weekend and they turned out so dry. We think it might be the elevation difference. Tried again today and added a bit of milk. Seems to have solved the issue! :) I swear by this cookie recipe!!
Hi! I am making these cookies for xmas! Just womdering, do you make the vanilla pudding? Or just add the powdered mix?
Thank you so much Averie ! These cookies are fantastic. I have been testing so many different recipes and these have definitely hit the spot. They are a little bit crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Beautiful :)
Glad these are a hit with you and came out great!
just a clarification for the chocolate cookie recipe, you just ad the dry pudding mix, correct?
correct, yes. Just the dry mix.
In the past week I’ve made these and the quadruple chocolate cookies. Love, love, LOVE the way they both turned out!! I’m not an experienced baker at all, just a mommy, and these recipes are super easy but taste gourmet!! And the kids live them, which is my #1 goal! Thanks for the recipes, keep em comin’!
Oh I am thrilled to hear you’ve made these and the quad choc cookies and that you’re kids are loving them! It’s always nice for me to know that ‘not experienced’ bakers can get in the kitchen and have success using my recipes. Thank you for saying that and trying these recipes!
I saw this recipe today and made them for the first time… however, I used butterscotch pudding mix instead of vanilla (because that’s what I had on hand and I didn’t think getting pudding mix was a good enough reason to drag my toddler and newborn out to the store in below freezing temps!)…. they turned out fantastic! Obviously I’m not sure what they taste like with vanilla so I have nothing to compare to, but the butterscotch is totally delish.
drag my toddler and newborn out to the store in below freezing temps <--- NOTHING IS WORTH THAT!. NOTHING. Bless your heart for even baking! omg. So glad the cookies came out great with the butterscotch pudding mix!
Averie, I made these tonight. They are beautiful and oh, so tasty! I am freezing them to take them to my nephew, but had to taste them. There’s nothing like a warm chocolate chip cookie! My 3-year-old daughter definitely agrees! Thanks for the recipe and the great tips.
So glad you’re happy (and your 3 yr old too!) and that is so nice of you to give them to your nephew! Glad the recipe turned out great for you!
Hi, I just made these and followed every tip and they turned out amazing!! Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to play around with different pudding flavors next time too.
Oh I’m thrilled to hear that! So glad you’re enjoying them and have fun experimenting!
I have made this recipe over 20 times! The first time I made them for my brother and his wife and they LOVED them. Then I made them for my husbands work party. They were such a success that they are now requested for any and all occasions. If you are giving these cookies as a gift don’t be surprised if they are soon after begging you to make more! Thank you for posting amazing recipes!
Oh wow, so glad to hear these are an ultimate favorite for you (and your family, friends, coworkers, etc.)! That’s great!! I really appreciate the high praise and the fact that you’ve made them 20+ times is just…amazing! Thanks for your support!
Hi I am in the process of making your cookies right now! I was wondering if I actually have to make the pudding mix before I add it into my mixer or do I just dump the dry mix into it!?
You just add it in with the flour like a dry ingredient.
WOW….oh WOW! Gosh these are the best darn cookies to ever come outta my kitchen and why oh why did I add a cup and half of walnut. Lord Jesus this is a sin before god…. Wow man my husband thinks I’m the sh*t. Thanks to you and thank you so much for blessing is with your recipe…. It will be place permantly in my recipe book. Thanks love your a blessing. WOW. SO YUMMY IN MY TUMMY
Glad these worked out perfectly for oyu and that they’re the BEST cookies to ever come outta your kitchen AND that your man is impressed :) Double win! Thanks for the great comment!
Amazingly yummy!!! Everything about them were perfect! Whipped up a double batch of cookie dough in the morning. Let them sit in refrigerator overnight. They baked beautifully and tasted as great as they looked. Thank you for my now “go to” cookie recipe!
Glad they came out just as great for you as they look in the photos and that they will be your new go-to cookie recipe!
Oh. My. Heavens. I made these tonight. I froze the dough for like a half hour because I needed cookies in my life tonight. I also used ener-g egg replacer because my hubster is allergic to eggs, added sliced almonds, and used half a bag of milk chocolate chips. These looked just like the ones in the picture- even using parchment paper. I suspect it worked because I didn’t use a real egg. They are amazing! I think I’ll add some coarse sea salt next time. Yummo!
So glad that you loved these and that they worked out great for you, even using egg replacer! Nice twists with the almonds and milk choc chips, and sea salt never hurts! Thanks for trying the recipe and making it your own!
Made these yesterday. They got a thumbs-up from everyone. My daughter even asked me where I got the recipe. I even bought the silpats you use and am so glad I did. The cookies looked just like yours. Many thanks.
I love comments and results like yours! Thank you for trying the recipe and you’re going to love Silpats. Your new BFF for all your baking! Thanks for trying the recipe and so glad it was a hit with everyone!
Just made a double batch of these so I could take them to everyone in my Physical Therapist Assisting program before a big week of tests!
I used liquid egg substitute and halved the chocolate chips. I chilled the dough for 3 hours and baked for exactly 11 minutes on a silpat. My cookies turned out as gorgeous as yours. I couldn’t believe how rounded, ooey and gooey they were, even the next morning. Everyone at school loved them, too.
That’s amazing that you use egg substitute and they came out perfectly! And halving the chocolate chips? You’re a better woman than me :) I need my chocolate…ha! Glad that these cookies will make you look like a star with your colleagues!
Do you leave the chilled dough on the counter a few minutes before you bake?
Do you take the chilled dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before you bake?
I put it on the baking sheets while the oven preheats.
Thanks for the response! I didn’t see it and thought I did it wrong earlier since I used my iPad… sorry. I baked these last night and just as you said, put the dough on the baking sheets while the oven preheats and I feel like they are not fully cooked… are these cookies supposed to have a dense texture?
They are on the denser side, yes, but if you feel like they need a few minutes longer in your oven, by all means, bake until they’re as done as you like them. All ovens and baking sheets vary.
These are amazing cookies! I to used Gold Medal flour. Never have a problem. After reading the posts from folks stating their cookies were too runny, I think they may be over beating them. Could be they’re overheating the butter or not using *real butter. A good cookie dough should just be moist enough to hold your chocolate chips in place. Thank you for your wonderful recipe!
Glad the recipe worked great for you and that you love them, Judy!
Oops! Sorry…my comment should have said “store brand chips won’t cut it for me anymore.” =) I need to proofread!
I made these two weeks ago, and they were a HUGE hit! I used my large cookie scoop and got 15 beautiful cookies. My husband loves chocolate chip cookies, and he said these were his favorite cookie ever! Thank you for providing great recipes, and all of your tips and tricks!
Oh, I froze half of the batch on a cookie sheet before storing them in freezer back. I added one extra minute to the baking time, and they were perfect. I another batch tonight!
Thanks for trying these and glad they’re you’re husbands new fave choc chip cookie ever! What high praise!
Glad my tips and tricks, including freezing the dough, is working out great for you!
Averie,
Just wanted to give you another field report. I made another batch of these cookies last night using store brand chocolate chips. The cookies were still excellent, but I am now a believer in quality chocolate chips. My first batch I used Ghirardelli chips, and the chips were slightly larger and added to the bakery cookie experience. Like I said, the cookies were still amazing, but quality chips won’t cut it for me anymore.
On a separate note, my husband has now requested large, thick, soft, and chewy peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. (No, he’s not particular about his cookies at alllll.) =) I looked through some the peanut butter cookie recipes you already have posted, and I didn’t see any with cornstarch and/or pudding, so I wasn’t sure if any of those would be similar. Can you give me some suggestions if you have already made similar recipes. If you haven’t, feel free to experiment. =)
Thanks again for sharing your recipes!
Choc chips make all the difference! I swear by Trader Joe’s chips if you have a TJs, use those. They’re my faves! Ghirardelli are amazing too, so are Guitard. But yeah most store brand chips are fairly horrific. Lol
large, thick, soft, and chewy peanut butter cookies – these would fit that bill, leave out candy, choc chips, etc as desired. They’re all very soft. Chill your dough, use a Silpat, and they’ll be nice and thick.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/02/soft-and-chewy-triple-peanut-butter-cookies.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/lofthouse-style-soft-peanut-butter-chip-sugar-cookies-with-peanut-butter-frosting.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/reeses-pieces-soft-peanut-butter-cookies.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/01/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html
Oatmeal Raisin
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/04/soft-and-chewy-oatmeal-scotchies-cookies.html Use raisins rather than butterscotch, love that dough base. I have an oatmeal choc chip cookie that will be published within the next 2-3 weeks, too. Amazing. Keep your eyes out for it!
LMK what you make!
Hi Averie, my dough looked kinda runny and soft. Is it supposed to be that way? I have yet to scoop it, instead I placed it in the fridge first. Kindly advise!
Thank you so much!
No it shouldn’t be runny and soft. It should be like normal cookie dough. If it isn’t, double check your measurements and that you did everything correctly. I would add more flour to bulk it up, up to 1/2 cup maybe depending on how runny it is…but I’ve never had this problem so can’t speak from experience.
Please HELP! I made a major mistake, I fear. I made the dough (yum) last night and put it in the fridge overnight. I just pulled it out and the dough is crumbly and dry. My biggest mistake was obviously using tin foil to cover it rather than plastic wrap because I didn’t have any in the house (I don’t cook/bake much so this is probably a rookie mistake). I wanted to send them out to my boyfriend in the morning so I really wanted to get them done and packed up ASAP. Any tips on what I can add to bring it back to a cookie dough consistency? Thanks!
Once you let dough, or any food dry out overnight in a refrigerator, it’s anyone’s guess if it can be saved. At this point the only thing you could do would be to probably press into a pan and bake as cookie bars if you think they’re too crumbly to bake as cookies.
I figured that might be the case, so I tried anyway and they actually pack together okay. I baked them and they’re DELICIOUS. They might not be the perfect consistency (for this recipe) but they’re soft with a bit of a crisp edge and they’re really really good. I’ll definitely make sure I use the plastic wrap next time. Thanks!
Great and glad you were able to save them and that they’re delicious!
What is the difference in using a sugar free vanilla pudding mix & a regular vanilla pudding mix? Can i add sugar in using sugar free vanilla pudding mix? Thanks!
There’s something about sugar-free that has a chemical in it that can adversely effect the outcome of the cookies. It’s beyond a taste thing. It’s a chemical reaction. It’s why you can’t make instant pudding with soymilk and have good results…chemical reaction situation.
Just made these a few hours ago and they have cooled now- AMAZING! I’ve never liked cookies because they were either store bought, or the homemade ones were too crispy. My mom’s favorite recipe has always been one on the back of the Toll House chocolate chip bag, but not for long! These will now and forever be my go-to cookies, thank you!!
I am so glad that these are your new favorite cookies and yes, the Tollhouse recipe is ‘fine’ but these are definitely my favorites! So glad they’re your favorites now, too!
Made them tonight! My absolutely favorite cookie so far! Thanks so much for posting and being so specific!!!
Glad they’re your fave cookie so far and that my specific details help!! :)
Hi Averie! I made and shared these cookies with my readers on facebook and instagram. They were wonderful. Oh and pinned, ofcourse ;)
Oh I am so glad you liked them and thanks for all the social media love! Have a wonderful week! :)
Truly the best cookie recipe ever invented. I swear up and down by two recipes: my coleslaw recipe and THIS ONE. As you said, I can’t find any reason to cheat on this recipe when it’s this good! The guys at work practically fight over them.
I don’t get to TJs often, so I like to make these cookies with 1/2c each of milk, semisweet, and dark chocolate chips, and the last 1/2c being mini chips of the flavor of your choice (I used semisweet, to total 2 cups). I made 3 batches today, and they are all lying pathetically on a tray, bleeding chocolate and just waiting to disappear…into my face!
lying pathetically on a tray, bleeding chocolate and just waiting to disappear…into my face! <--- I love that! Oh that is so awesome you made three batches! And that you like to mix up the choc chip types. I do that too if I'm not baking for my blog because I use whatever's open and random odds & ends but it's too hard to explain that on the blog :) So glad you love this recipe and swear by it up and down! And I am a cole slaw LOVER! If you feel like sharing, I'm all ears!!
I did end up taking those 3 batches into work, where they turned into that kind of bait one would throw into a pit of starving wolves (also known as hungry Air Force pilots). Just so you know, you’ve made me famous at work! Don’t worry, I always let them know where to find the recipe :)
Oh, I should have also mentioned, these cookies turn out absolutely PERFECT when made with gluten-free Bisquick, too! :D
Here’s the coleslaw recipe I use: http://www.food.com/recipe/corkys-memphis-style-coleslaw-5418
I usually double (or triple!) the cabbage mixture, because it does make a LOT of sauce, but if you like “wetter” coleslaw, then go for it!
Thanks again for being such a cookie genius!
Thanks for the coleslaw link. I need to remember that for summertime bbq’s!
Too funny about the starving wolves comment :) I know exactly what you mean though. People in workplace settings, I swear they do act like they’ve never seen food before! haha!
That’s crazy about the GF Bisquick working. I just made TWO recipes using Bisquick
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/easy-blender-batter-self-crusting-cheesecake.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/easy-4-ingredient-perfect-peanut-butter-cookies.html
Not sure how the cheesecake would pan out with GF but I think the cookies would be safe!
Keep me posted what other recipes you make and how they go over!
Thanks so much for such an awesome recipe! They came out perfectly, and I invested in a Silpat like you suggested. My boyfriend LOVES these cookies! :)
Glad your BF loves them and good call on the Silpat. You will have it for years and years & it truly does make a HUGE difference!
Hi Averie! I keep looking at all your chocolate chip/butterscotch chip/white chocolate chip recipes and wondering why your chips don’t melt and seep into the batter(not exactly a bad thing but I want them to stay intact). I always check after about seven minutes to see if the chips in the batter have spread but they always do. How can I get mine to stay intact? Do you think putting foil over the tin would help? Thanks for any help you can give.
Definitely no tin! I used Trader Joe’s choc chips, Nestle Butterscotch, and generic store brand white choc OR TJ’s white (but those are seasonal). Brands vary widely in their melting factor. I also ‘stage’ the chips on top of the cookies and always put a few by hand on the tops for visual effect. Not sure what else to say but that’s what I use and do!
I love all cookies but often they only taste best in the centre where it is soft and moist, but your recipe is moist throughout the whole cookie. I had eaten half the batch on my own! highly recommended, looking forward to trying the other varieties!
Thanks and glad you enjoy them!
I completely skipped over the “and flatten slightly” bit, so my cookies were super puffy, I baked an extra minute or so and they were still very gooey on the inside and quite round. Hopefully they harden just a bit overnight. still taste great, just very, VERY messy.
Hi Averie,
Based on your recipe I was able to make about 16 cookies with 1/4 cup scoops. I ended up baking them for about 16-17 minutes (5-6 minutes longer than you had suggested) because they looked undercooked. After I let them cool, they were still under baked in the centre despite baking them larger. I had also flattened them before chilling the dough. Otherwise they tasted and looked great. Any tips?
Thank you!
Lauren
Baking cookies for 17 minutes, even large cookies, seems very long. I would double-check with an oven thermometer ($5 bucks hardware store) to make sure you oven is working up to par!
I followed this recipe exactly, except I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter as substitute, and dark brown sugar because I didn’t have light. They taste amazing, but when I took my first tray out of the oven, they hadn’t flattened, even a little bit. They didn’t really look like cookies, so I hand-flattened the ones on my other two sheets, and those came out great. I think the chilling for 2 hours or more is unneeded, or maybe only for 30 minutes or so. Great recipe otherwise!
I’m glad they came out great for you, even using ICBINB substitute – that’s amazing! Thanks for the field report!
Well, I’ve just prepared the cookie dough balls, and it hardly made it into the fridge because my little porky hands were popping them in my mouth as fast as I could… I am supposed to be making these for my husband’s last week at work, and I can already tell that these are going to be winners before they’re even baked! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
So glad you’re excited :) Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi Averie,
I have followed this recipe to the exact, and I went ahead and refrigerated them overnight. I baked them exactly like the recipe and they got really flat, nothing like your pictures. Yes they are gooey, chewy, yummy, but they are really flat. I want that “bakery” look like yours. What do you think is the problem? This is my second time and they are still flat.
Also, I baked the chocolate fudge cookies, and they were perfect! But these were BAD. I even did it with the trader joes chocolate. Thank you for all your advice and help
Are you using King Arthur flour? My favorite, gold-standard & highly recommended.
Are you baking on a Silpat?
Chilling the dough?
If you answered no to any, I would make changes because I swear by all. And of course, make sure your oven is working properly, your baking soda is fresh, and that you measured everything totally correctly. Baking can be tricky but I know that somewhere in there, some little detail may likely went awry and that can contribute to flattening. I would surmise it’s the flour, baking soda, or Silpat…
I use gold medals flour and I bake on parchment paper…baking soda is fresh, did chill the dough, do you think that using dark brown sugar did it…I just like the more caramellly flavor of it…I will definitely change the flour. But when I made the chocolate fudge cookies and they were amazing, I used the same ingredients as this…thanks for all your time and help…you are amazing just like your cookies
Ok three things, Gold Medal flour has the LOWEST gluten content of all grocery store flours and King Arthur has the HIGHEST. Thus, the higher the gluten, the more rise, structure, and least prone to spreading things are. Swap out the GM for KA.
Next, parchment, eek. It’s like a hockey rink. The cookies have no traction, nothing to grip, nothing to hold onto, so they can spread. Silpats are rubbery and tacky, the cookies can ‘grip’ it, and they spread less. So worth the $20 bucks, trust me. You’ll have it for years.
And dark brown sugar has more water in it than light brown b/c it contains 3x the amt of molasses, thus, more water; thus moister dough. Again, prone to spreading.
None of this may matter for some people; in their kitchen. In yours, all the little things do matter it sounds like. And chocolate cookies are more forgiving b/c cocoa acts as a binder and dries things out so that explains that :)
Thanks again you’re awesome!
Ok well please keep me posted how things go in the future!
OMG Averie……I did just as you said, I bought KA flour, silpat, and light brown sugar…….they were just like yours! Delicious, chewy, soft, and just like you said, the BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve had, and I’ve had quite a few!
Thank you soooooo very much for sharing. They are a success! God bless
I am so so so glad that these came together perfectly for you! Sometimes a small thing or two is just a small thing, but in baking the small things can add up and turn into a big thing. Glad that everything is perfect now and I urge you to always bake with KA and on Silpats! Night and day difference in results, right!
Can I substitute the pudding mix with corn starch (equal amount or less) ? What does the pudding mix do ? Does it create the chewyness or else ? Thanks. Greeting from Indonesia.
Hi I discussed your questions in the blog post so go ahead and re-read that. If you don’t have pudding mix, make the cookies I linked to in the blog post that I said I didn’t cheat on for years. These cookies and those differ only in pudding mix vs. cornstarch. But no, you don’t want to use 3.5 oz of cornstarch; follow that link and follow that recipe.
These were absolutely fantastic. I am a chocolate chip cookie fiend and have never been able to find a recipe that I absolutely love (I usually just buy store bought or Otis Spunkmeyer frozen). This recipe has sealed the deal and I am pretty sure I will never go back! They were quite possibly the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, as it will be one that I keep for years. I’m not much of a baker, but you’ve inspired me to maybe try a few of your other recipes on this site as these were so good!
Why can’t we use sugar free pudding mix?
You can try it if you want but if you google pudding cookies + sugarfree pudding, the results are very varied and inconsistent from everything I’ve read; whereas I know for a fact that my recipe works, 100%.
I’m really bad at re-using recipes. I keep them, but I am always wanting to try others…just in case. (I should probably quit doing that) This, however, is now THE official chocolate chip recipe of this house. I make goodies pretty much every day and last night when I asked the hubs what he wanted his response was “those chocolate chip cookies you made a few days ago” SHOCKING, because I literally ask him EVERY SINGLE DAY what he wants for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and he NEVER has a response aside from a shoulder shrug or caveman grunt, which I have yet to interpret into any discernible dish. Truly cookies of perfection!
he NEVER has a response aside from a shoulder shrug or caveman grunt <--- I'd be rich if I had a nickel for every time this situation played out! Gah, I can relate all too well! The fact that this is now your go-to recipe AND they were requested as a re-make from your hubs, so happy to hear that! And me too with trying new recipe after new recipe especially with cookies; finally I have learned to just stop (well, mostly).
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Delicious, eye appealing, did I say delishhhhhhhhouuuuuussss? Thank you for sharing your gift!
Glad you’re a fan and thanks, Marisol!
Best cookies ever. If you are like me and check the reviews of recipes before making them, my advice is to make these cookies. I also got quite a bit more than 14 out of the batter and I used a 1/4 cup to form the cookies!
Hi Taylor, thanks for making them, for chiming in (I do the same thing you do when I read online recipes) and yes, if you make just-at the 1/4 cup size, you’ll get more. I go to the heaping 1/4 cup range and that’s about 14ish. But if yours are smaller, you’ll yield more. I just get to the point where I can’t form any more balls and start making heaping ones :)
THESE ARE AMAZING. I baked these for my grandfather and his wife who I’m going up north to see tomorrow, but now I’m sad because I want to keep all of these cookies to myself. I only have one question for you. Will you PLEASE adopt me? I just want to spend the rest of my life eating these cookies and all of the other delicious things you make :D
So glad you loved these enough to want to keep them for yourself! Your grandpa and his wife will be so happy that you baked for them I bet! And I would love to adopt you! I donate *so much food* every week, it’s nuts. Between what makes it onto the blog, the near misses, the cookbooks, etc. the sheer volume of treats in and out of this house is astounding. I wish I had more hungry mouths to feed!
These were incredibly delicious when I baked them! However, before baking the cookies, I placed them on a cookie tray covered in non-stick tin foil. I didn’t use the silpat (don’t have one) and the bottom of the cookies came out burnt. I scraped as much as I could and they taste delicious afterwards but I was just curious why the bottom of the cookies came out so burnt… is the silpat essential?
Aluminum foil is highly conductive and most definitely is the reason the cookies are burnt on the underside. You should invest 20 bucks in a Silpat for best results or simply bake on a cookie sheet, but not with foil! I truly believe in Silpats as taking baking results to the next level and for me, is welllllll worth the small investment.
Hi, I stumbled upon your blog and I love it so far! However I’m from Manila, Philippines and I don’t think I would be able to get my hands on a pudding mix, any suggestions for other/alternative ingredients? i’ve been dying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Hope you know how to help. :)
Use the recipe I linked that I mentioned I used for over two years. That’s the best alternative.
Hello! I’m coming from Greece, I would like to make these cookies but in the ingredients exist the vanilla pudding mix and i cannot find it in my country. Have you got any suggestion with what I can replace it? Thank you in advance for your time.
Use the recipe that I said I used for over 2 years. That’s going to be the closest to this if you can’t find pudding mix.
I refrigerated the dough like I was supposed to, but I forgot to put plastic wrap over them..is that a big deal? Or will the cookies be okay?
These are SO GOOD. The chilling step is key. I actually froze my dough balls overnight (unintentionally – I had meant to quick-chill them in the freezer so I could bake them earlier) so I moved them to the fridge the next morning to rest while the oven preheated. They baked up beautifully! I used about a cup of mini chocolate chips, along with about 2/3-3/4 cup total of chopped walnuts plus caramel bits, for a “turtle” variation. Delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I freeze all my dough, not right away (if I plan to bake it within 5 days, I just refrigerate it) but if I only bake 6-8 cookies at once, then the rest I freeze and store the frozen balls for up to 6 months. Your strategy of moving them to the fridge while preheating and the caramel/turtle idea, sounds great!
I just posted about Turtle Brownies yesterday :) https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/07/the-best-turtle-brownies.html
Hi Averie
I don’t have access to pudding mix so is there some alternate ingredient i could use? Like maybe swap it for cornstarch? If I did would i use the same amount as the pudding mix quantity?
These cookies look DELICIOUS :)
If you don’t have pudding mix, I would make the cookies that I linked in the post that I referenced not cheating on for a few years. They’re excellent and you would use the amount of cornstarch called for in that recipe. Enjoy! Love those cookies!
This recipe sounds wonderful! I want to make two pizza pan size cookies for my Daughter’s 30th Birthday. How long should I bake them?
I don’t know since I’ve never done that before.
ok, well thanks anyhow! :)
Just pulled these out of the oven and sunk my teeth into one- so delicious!! Really some of the best I’ve had. Making for a friend after a breakup, and think these will cheer her up :) I did an eighth of a cup size cookie (versus a quarter cup), and only used one cup of chocolate chips (vs. 2). I would do what you think best- you do want some in every bite though. 2 cups just seemed like a lot once they were in the batter! Chilled for about 7 hours and baked for exactly 11 mins. I even did some chocolate chip repositioning! In love with these cookies and will be repinning and making again soon :) Thanks for sharing!
Glad you loved them and that’s sweet of you to bake for a friend who’s going through a rough patch. These are certain to cheer anyone up! I love pretty chip-loaded cookies but if you got by with 1 cup and are pleased, that’s all that matters!
I made these cookies and they turned out great. I was wondering what the nutrition facts are for these cookies and if I could use your pictures.
No you cannot use my images and I am unsure of the nutritional stats.
Great tasting cookie dough, and great tasting cookie! Lol found that 11 minutes was way too long though. Baked mine for 8-9 minutes at most. The 11 minute ones turned ou more crispy than chewy. But still taste great!
Thanks for trying them and yes, all ovens can vary. The size of the cookies I normally make is on the larger side so I do need all 10-11 minutes (and I love barely cooked centers…ha!) but if you made them smaller and/or your oven runs hotter, I can imagine 8-9 minutes was perfect. Nothing wrong with under-baking, that’s for sure!
Can you just PLEASE adopt me!! It would make things so much easier! LOL
I can’t get past the photography! Seems like I should be able to reach out and take a nibble!!! Incredible mouthwatering photography. I’ll have to try the recipe next weekend and report back on the flavor. If it’s as amazing at the photos, I’m in trouble!!! Thanks for a wonderful post and blog Averie!
Thanks for the glowing and complimentary comment, especially about my photography – I try! And I’d be happy to adopt you! I give so.much.food away every week. I’m like a one-woman food bank :) There’s no way we can eat it all so it gets rehomed. If you try these, LMK what you think!
Wow!! For years I have been depressed over subpar chocolate chip cookies. These are what I’ve been searching for. Just made them last night and they are positively delicious. Extremely rich, but the perfect chocolate chip cookie, hands down. Thank you for sharing!!!
So glad that you finally have your new go-to after years of sub-par CCC’s! :)
I made these tonight. They were FABULOUS!!! Such a simple recipe too! They will be my new go-to cookies!!!
Glad you loved them and feel they live up to their title and that they’ll be your new go-to!
These were probably the best cookies ever! Thanks!
Glad you felt they lived up to their title!
I made these exactly as written and even though they turned out great they tasted like they were missing something. Next time I’m going to use dark brown sugar and add pecans or walnuts.
Some people really need more salt to feel ‘complete’. I am super sensitive to it, but that’s one thing to ponder. I also despise nuts in cookies, so for me, that’s a deal breaker BUT it just shows how different tastebuds are! Glad you think they were great though! LMK what you try, and what you think improves a great cookie to superstardom!
I have been searching for a friends secret choc chip recipe for years and I think your coconut oil choc chip recipe is very close. I had a problem with the end product feeling like there were still sugar crystals present, almost gritty. Any suggestions?
I answered your comment on the next comment that you left me on the other post.
I just made these cookies, and they are awesome! Especially when the chocolate chips are gooey and the cookies are fresh out of the oven! I hate thin, crispy cookies, so I absolutely love these :)
I hate thin and wimpy and crispy cookies too! So glad you’re pleased with these! :)
I just baked these cookies with white chocolate chips! The cookies came out looking amazing. I baked for 11 min and let them cool for 10 BUT when I started eating them the outside was good but the middle seemed extremely undercooked! Tasted more like dough than cookie… Suggestions?!?!?
Suggestions?!?!? <--- yes if they were too underbaked for your liking, bake another couple minutes. Easy fix!
Hi Averie! My mother and I are trying to bake your chocolate chip cookies. Unless we missed something the batter came out very dry. We added all the ingredients and its very dry.
Was the pudding mix meant to be mixed with water before being added? We just put the dry pudding mix into the batter and we even added another egg to try to make it moist.
Where did we go wrong?? Thank you!!
Did you compact the flour down too much? Flour should be measured with a light hand and very loosely piled in a measuring cup. Good call to add an extra egg but not, the batter is not dry for me and you don’t add pudding mix. I am thinking you over measured your flour and/or didn’t cream the sugar, eggs, etc properly. Sorry that you’re having trouble. I know the recipe works because I’ve remade it umpteen times and hundreds of others have had luck with great reviews. I am thinking your situation is the flour…LMK!
I got into the recipe only to discover that we only had pistachio instant pudding on hand. I’m happy to report that they were awesome :D
Well hey, that’s awesome that you just went for it and glad they turned out awesome! :)
I might be totally missing something that you already wrote, but I wanted to ask about the flour. In the old recipe, it looks like you use 2 cups of flour and it’s the same for this recipe. But earlier on the page, it says you reduce the flour in the new recipe. Did I use the wrong amounts?
I really liked this recipe. I’m not a baker at all, and in the past I’ve just used the Nestle Toll House recipe, but I always wanted a cookie that was softer/thicker and I saw this one. Very soft!
Great question and I can see where that would have been confusing. The flour amounts are actually the same in both versions but in the old version I used bread flour/AP flour combo, whereas the new I use only AP flour with pudding mix. I also have an old-old recipe that did use more flour, too. So many choc chip cookie recipes. But for this recipe and cookies, I altered the text in the body of the post to omit the discussion of flour. Just make the cookies as written and you will love them – I promise!
These are delicious. Hands down best cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! They taste better than store bought cookies. You are a miracle worker
Glad they’ve lived up to their title, ‘The Best’, in your mind! Thanks for trying them & sharing your thoughts!
I made double the recipe for my family get-together and these were so amazingly good!!! I love a good chocolate chip cookie and when I saw the picture of these awhile back, I knew I had to make them.
I ate two big cookies for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday…LOL! I couldn’t help it! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. It is my new favorite!
Two cookies for breakfast is nothing :) I’ve had much worse – ha! So glad you loved them and thanks for the great feedback & trying the recipe!
I just made these cookies and they are amaaaazing! I´ve always wondered what the secret to the soft and chewy middle was, now I know. :) Trying really hard not to eat all of them this second! Love your blog by the way!
Thanks for trying them and glad you loved them!
I am not a baker. I just made these and holy mother of dessert, these are awesome! I almost hesitate to call them cookies. They transcend the description of cookie.
I did use chocolate pudding rather than vanilla since that’s what I had. Serendipity! This is a keeper for sure.
Thanks for the glowing report & glad you love them so much! :)
I am trying these tonight – they are already chilling in my freezer.
I love to freeze cookie dough. If you were to freeze this cookie dough already formed into the balls, would you suggest letting the cookie dough balls thaw out in the fridge for a day? Or just plop the frozen cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet and bake for a little extra time?
Also, I kinda forgot to smash the cookie dough balls. Do I need to smash them when they are done cooking?
Or just plop the frozen cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet and bake for a little extra time = YES, that. Maybe like 1-2 mins more, that’s it. Just put them on the cookie sheet while the oven preheats and then bake as directed, maybe 1-2 mins more is all I ever do!
Do I need to smash them when they are done cooking? = flatten them slightly with the heel of your hand before baking them.
Hey Averie Sunshine i am just curious on the exact amount of chilling time you recommend for The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe?
I discussed it in the recipe section! :) At least 2-3 hours, up to 5 days in the fridge and re-read there’s more info!
I’m convinced! I MUST try pudding mix cookies! These look amazing, and I trust your judgement if you declare them the best yet!
Made these and they were great. I think they were even better the next day. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad to hear you loved them & they got even better for you the next day!
Hi, I was wondering if flan mix would work too. Thanks!
I just love how gooey your cookies always look!! Your photography and baking talent always make me smile! :)
I appreciate all your compliments about my pics…thank you for the confidence boost :)
I made these Monday to see if they truly are better than the chocolate chunk cookies! The dough taste so good I wanted to spoon feed myself, so I knew the cookies would taste awsome too! I fell in love with the chocolate chunk cookies and their versatilities, so I couldn’t wait to taste these. Well let me tell you they are as delicious as you described! I decided not to replace the chocolate chunk recipe, but rather, will make them both depending on if I have vanilla pudding in the panty. I made half the dough with chopped up payday bars instead of chocolate for my husband and you have his vote of approval as well. Bottom line is both cookies are the best chocolate chip style cookie available out there anywhere, so thank you for sharing!! By the way, I have the cinnamon applesauce bread in the oven as we speak, so later on I will let you know how mine turned out :)
Thank you for trying these and since you’re a long-time maker (and liker!) of the other version, you have a good basis of comparison and glad to hear that these slightly beat the competition :) And yes, that other recipe is totally solid and it’s the same thing as these, minus the pudding and with cornstarch. So as you said, making these or those will come down to whether or not you have pudding mix in the house. Great way to think of it! And chopped up candy bars, can’t go wrong there either! Glad your hubby is sold too!
And the applesauce bread…thanks for trying it!
Averie OMG your blog has everything I DREAM for in a cookie. You’re an absolute professional at illustrating your kitchen talents. I’m so thrilled to have come upon your page. I hope you continue to do this for quite some time. I most definitely will stay tuned in moving forward!!
Can’t wait to try the skillet cookie!
Thanks for the glowing compliments, Lacey! I appreciate it :)
These chocolate chip cookies look amazing! Approximately how much would they cost to make? (:
YUM!!! These chocolate chip cookies are perfection :)!
Hey Averie having a hard time choosing between your two recipes; The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies recipe,there for an event coming up my sis BABYSHOWER!!!! Making a plethora of desserts most from your website lol and the dessert she is most looking forward to is Chocolate Chip Cookies her all time favorite dessert. HELP! What recipe do you recommend?
They’re basically the same recipe except one has pudding mix, one has cornstarch. I slightly prefer the newer version (this one with pudding mix) but they’re both solid, solid recipes. LMK how it goes with what you choose!
Pinned! You always have the best cookies.
Thanks for the pin & the compliment!
I would love to try this recipe but can you show pictures of what smoothing out the dough looks like & re-positioning the chips? I am a novice and don’t want to screw it up! Thanks.
6th picture down, that’s the smoothed out raw dough with chips on top.
I love using pudding mix/corn starch in cookies! It gives them such a good height you can’t get any other way. My most recent post was about the original Nestle Tollhouse recipe, which doesn’t have nearly the same soft and chewy texture.
http://maryannekavjian.com/2014/02/23/baking-with-friends/
That recipe has served millions well, but…I agree, I like other recipes better :)
WOW, these look so delicious!! I wish I could grab a couple of these cookies right off the screen! Thanks for sharing and pinned! :)
Thanks for pinning!
I’m the same way — it totally feels like “cheating” on a recipe when I experiment with coming up with a new one! I almost feel guilty, especially if the new one turns out better… Maybe I’m just overly sensitive to my ingredients’ feelings. ;) I’m obsessive about my mix-ins too; I always turn the scoops of cookie dough around in the air before placing them on the Silpat to make sure the area with the best-looking chocolate chips is facing upwards. And I even save a tablespoon or two of chocolate chips to press into the tops to make sure they look picture-perfect!
Your TJ’s chocolate chips look a lot more melty in your photos than the, umm, brand-name yellow bag ones. Do they behave more like regular chopped chocolate than chocolate chips and turn gooier while baking?
I swear by the TJ’s cc’s. They blow the pants off anything else I’ve tried and yes, behave more like chunks/chopped chocolate without being quite as runny.
Good to know!! But darn, I just went to TJ’s this morning… Guess I’ll have to go back. With how much I love that store, it’s really not such a bad thing, but it can definitely be dangerous for my wallet! ;)
amazing looking! Hope you had a great weekend
Oh my… I’m salivating just looking at these! I have pinned them and will be making them soon for sure.
Thanks for pinning :)
Love these gooey cookies! Pinning & sharing on FB :)
Thanks for the social media love :)
Just stop it! These are some of your best photos yet (and that is saying something!)!! I obviously need to move this recipe to the top of my C.C Cookie list because if you say it’s the best, then it probably is…And that is just a little something I’ve learned ;-)
Pinned (twice…just for good measure)
Thanks for pinning twice! and the photography compliments!
You always have the best cookies recipes. Love these.
Chocolate chip cookies is the classic dessert which will always be popular. I think that the combination of cookies with chocolate crumb is amazing. I can eat a plenty of such cookies as well as my kids.
your gooey chocolate shots do me in every time. love it!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! They look beautiful!
Pudding cookies are the best. My recipe for chocolate chip cookies includes a vegan pudding mix and the result is the fluffiest and most soft cookies ever.
I didn’t even know they MADE that! Well that is great to know and so cool! :)
Oh I want about a dozen of these beauties right now!! Look at that height! Beautiful!! Can’t believe you found a new fave cc cookie! But, I understand. With food blogging being our job, we always find new ways to alter and enjoy our faves.
We just can’t stop tinkering, slightly changing, and messing with things as food bloggers :) It’s like with anything, you try new things and if we’re not too stubborn to admit it, sometimes the new things can actually be better, right! LOL
I LOOOOOVE how big these cookies are!!! I can just imagine how soft and gooey they must be! mmmmm
Girl so so good! :)
wow – those sure are chock-a-block full of chips!
Good golly these look insanely delicious! Think am gonna go insane with hunger ifI keep looking at these photos!
This looks amazing! I will definitely make this!!!
Oh my chewy goodness! I’ve never seen cookies look this fabulous before! Fantastic work!
Thank you so much!
What is it that you like better about this version vs. the former?
This one is just softer, more tender, more flavorful, and just a bit better!
Soft and Chewy is exactly how my cookies need to be! These look perfect!
they look like perfect chocolate chip cookies!
Hi, Averie! This is my first time here. I am about to bite the screen… :) These chocolate chip cookies are literally to die for — as well as all the other related recipes. Seeing how it worked well for your cookies, I intend to add pudding mix to my cookie batters next time. I usually add it to cakes to make them moist. Thanks for the tip and great recipe.
I love adding it to banana bread, too. 1 packet just turns the loaf into something magical! Thanks for stopping by and for the great comment!
I still haven’t tried making cookies with pudding mix… so many recipes look good with it and you’re really selling me with these ones here! I, too, am among one of the thousands (maybe millions) of people searching for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie! ;-)
I know what that search is like and every time I think I’m done, I always keep tinkering :)
All that beautiful, shiny, melting chocolate is calling my name! They look so beautiful, if there would ever be a fashion show for cookies, they would come on top!
if there would ever be a fashion show for cookies, they would come on top! <--- that's so sweet :)
These look so amazing and gooey!! They’re making my mouth water! Thanks so much for sharing! YUM.
These look literally PERFECT. I could so use like ten of these right now! Amazing looking cookies – love this recipe!
Thanks for the compliments :)
These cookies look like they defeat pretty much everything. All those gorgeous melting chocolate chips all over the place – I can hardly stand it. Stop.
Pinning these amazing things!
Thanks for pinning!
Love the tips and tricks! I especially like how you position the chocolate chips. I always do that and people think I’m crazy. Now I have the backing from a pro! :)
You’re not crazy – you’re super smart to reposition :)
OMG ! You are killing me! Looks so yummy!
Surprised to see a new fav chocolate chip cookie for you after seeing your standby recipe variations the past little while, and it’s awesome that you’ve come up with another great one! I’m going to have to try out that pudding mix, I can tell how soft and chewy it makes the cookies. Beautiful bright vibrant photos, too.
As I just told another reader, the thing about cooking, or art, or working out, or really anything in life is that the more you try things, do things, experiment with things, the more you realize that other things can be just as good, or better sometimes, than that old beloved favorite and admitting that (and embracing that) can be a great thing, no matter the discipline or topic, you know!
These and the Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies look just amazing. Incredible pictures as usual.
Thanks, Kevin!
Love all of your tips for the perfect CCC!! Also – recipes with the pudding mix are my favorite…I simply MUST try this one!
Glad you’re a fan of pudding mix cookies too!
I love your stack-o-cookies photos. :D
I actually baked cookies yesterday for the first time in months. I make much smaller cookies than these, as you know, but to save them from drying out, I underbake them and still get that wonderfully soft chewy center. It’s all oozy and delicious.
Glad to hear you baked cookies again! That’s great. Hopefully it helped warm up your house from all that brutal weather!
You are the queen of soft and chewy cookies so I totally trust your judgement here. These look amazing! Great tips on making the cookies smooth. I always just scoop them out and they come out looking a little rough. :)
Oh no girl. You have to finesse those babies and smooth them out a little :)
The clarity of these photos is just stunning, Pinned, of course!
I really took my time with the pics & tried so hard to capture them just as they really were! Thank you for noticing and pinning!
Loving that you added pudding mix to these cookies – beautiful photos Averie! These look fantastic, pinned and can’t wait to try!
Thanks and I’ve been seeing your recipes all over lately & have been pinning them too :)
That’s interesting that you are changing your mind and moving to pudding mixes. Looking forward to giving these a try. I’m laughing that you move around chocolate chips. I just choose to eat the less-chip-populated portion of my cookies first so I can end up with a mouthful of chocolate. Yum.
Yeah the thing about cooking, or art, or working out, or really anything in life is that the more you try things, do things, experiment with things, the more you realize that other things can be just as good, or better sometimes, than that old beloved favorite and admitting that (and embracing that) can be a great thing, no matter the discipline or topic, you know!
Bigger cookies = better cookies :D I love your tips AND these cookies — I need to get me a cookie scoop and make these cookies ASAP!!!!
You’ve convinced me, Averie! It’s high time I try these life-changing pudding cookies. If they have swayed you from our favorite cornstarch cookie base, then they must be mind-blowing. :) Gorgeous photos! Can I have the whole stack for lunch?!
PS: I don’t know what I would do without my Silpats. So critical to cookie baking for me!
Silpats are soooo critical, yes, I cannot imagine baking on a slip-and-slide cookie sheet. The cookies would just spread into puddles without that traction!
And yes, to get me to jump ship from CS cookies to pudding cookies, they’re totally awesome. I wish I could say, that it’s not like a little box of magic, but it kind of is :) If you try them, you’ll have to LMK what you think!
Whoa… these looks SO good and CHOOOOCOLATELY!! Yumm Yummy!!
It is true though… I change my mind on my “favourites” of something often… its so fun to tweak recipes and make them better :)
I also love your tips on making the perfect cookie – Thanks!!
Exactly. Sometimes tweaking beloved favorites and you do end up with an even better finished product – you’re so right!
I could totally go for a giant cookie right about now. These certainly do look thick and puffy! I don’t bake cookies that often because I can never get them to turn out they way I want them to, so I really enjoyed reading your cookie-baking tips too!
Glad the tips may help!
These look so soft! I think the bigger the cookie, the better :)
Its so hard not to keep improving a recipe, even if you know you have a winner. Can’t wait to try this
I know. A little tweak here, and there, and yeah, can’t help myself :)
If you say these are the best then I am all over them. I have loved every cookie recipe I’ve made from this site – they’re always super chewy! xx
That’s awesome to hear my other recipes have always worked out for you!
Pudding mix is the best! I feel so special when I add it to things ;) It sure does make a difference though, especially in cookies. It really shows in this recipe!
That IS a big statement – but I believe it because OMG. Pudding mix in cookies is the BEST THING EVER.
These are SO gorgeous. Like, I want that melty chocolate. These are seriously amazing Averie! Now I want to make pudding cookies again…
Girl I resisted hopping on the train for so long because, well, I didn’t want to admit that it could really work so well. But as you know, it totally does!
Averie, your cookie magic is amazing!
These look like they’re right here in front of me. Oh how I wish they were. :)
Just those pictures are enough to make me DROOL! Holy sweet mother of chocolate those cookies look incredible. I love the idea of adding pudding mix – I’m sure it t takes them to another level.
Thanks for the compliments!
I think the baking bug has bitten me….these cookies look ridiculously amazing!
Oh my gosh. The chocolate is so shiny and melty! Dying over here. And the bigger cookies the better!!!
I remember the choc chip and chunk cookies and thought those were pretty awesome, but…I know you know dough so I will give the pudding mix a try sometime. I redistribute my add ins too–can’t have them disappear in 1 or 2 bites!! Your cookies always look incredible and these are no exception!
Thank you Paula and I know you have made more recipes of mine than almost anyone (tied with 1 other lady) and so you know if I say they’re the best, I am not kidding! Thank you for the compliments :)
Oh wow, Averie. I am salivating this morning!!!! I always love your cookie recipes so I know I’ll adore this one too. :)
Perfection in cookie form – that’s what this is! Love.
That’s a HUGE statement for you! Cannot wait to try these!!
You know me well, and yes, it is! But totally true!
Made these last week and they are TO DIE FOR! The texture is incredible – still thick and chewy, but crazy soft in the center. Loved, loved, loved them!
Thanks for trying these & so glad you loved them! Thanks for the glowing field report :)
I just finished putting the peanut butter cookies from yesterday in the fridge, looks like these are next.
http://anitalianinmykitchen.com/
That’s awesome that you made the other cookies! If you try these next, LMK how they go!
Those may be the biggest, chewiest chocolate chip cookies I have ever seen! I LOVE adding pudding mix to cookies, such a great way for extra chew!
You can never go wrong with the classic choc chip…especially these choc chip.
Pinned!
Thanks for the compliments & the pin, Taylor :)