These simple Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies with a special ingredient are so tender, buttery, and loaded with chopped pecans and semisweet chocolate chips.
What is the secret to *soft* chocolate chip cookies? It's instant pudding mix! For this regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, we will use vanilla instant pudding. My White Chocolate Cranberry Lemon Cookies are made with lemon pudding mix for a super soft and flavorful cookie and my Oreo Pistachio Pudding Cookies are made with pistachio pudding mix for flavor and color!
I know there are SO many chocolate chip cookies out there, I even have a few myself from Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies to Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies but these soft chocolate chip cookies are just so soft and yummy! They aren't very gooey or chewy, just soft and almost cake-like - but in a good way.
Jump to:
Here are some more great cookie recipes to try next!
- Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies - These shortbread cookies are so delicious and elegant.
- Best Ever Ginger Cookies - My absolute favorite ginger cookies! They are chewy and delightfully spicy.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies - These fudgy chocolate cookies are loaded with all sorts of goodies!
- No-Roll Sugar Cookies - Easy, no-fuss sugar cookies? Yes, please!
⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Flavor - Just your classic buttery vanilla chocolate chip cookie made with brown sugar and pecans.
- Texture - Super soft and fluffy almost with plenty of melty chocolate chips and crunchy pecans.
- Method - These cookies are super easy and quick to make and do not require any chilling before baking!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these soft chocolate chip cookies with instant pudding mix.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter - Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature to begin this recipe!
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - The pudding mix might be a surpising ingredient but it makes these cookies SO soft and flavorful!
- Chocolate Chips - I like semisweet chocolate chips but you could make these cookies with milk, dark, or white chocolate instead.
- Pecans - I love pecans in cookies (Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies) and brownies (Flourless Pecan Brownies). You may use walnuts or almonds instead or omit the nuts entirely!
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and vanilla pudding until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Continue creaming at high speed for 1 minute or until fluffy.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the bowl and mix at low speed just until fully incorporated.
Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans (if using).
Step 5: Roll into balls or scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of spreading room between each cookie. Top with additional chocolate chips and pecans to garnish, if desired.
Step 6: Bake one pan at a time in a preheated oven for 10-14 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
🤍 More Recipes with Pecans
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet(s)
- parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- electric handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter * softened
- 102 grams instant vanilla pudding mix (powder)
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips *
- ½ cup chopped pecans *
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, vanilla pudding mix, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat on medium speed until fluffy.1 cup salted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 102 grams instant vanilla pudding mix
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped pecans
- Scoop the dough by medium-sized cookie scoop onto the prepared baking sheet, placing each cookie 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and pecans, if desired. Bake, one pan at a time, in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Bake the remaining cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
- Or you could use unsalted butter with an additional ½ teaspoon of salt added to the dry ingredients.
- I like semisweet chocolate chips but you could make these cookies with milk, dark, or white chocolate instead.
- You may use walnuts or almonds instead or omit the nuts entirely!
Leave a Comment