Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Preheat and prep
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment for easy release and even browning.
Make the dough
- Beat the softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and instant vanilla pudding mix until fluffy for a thick, chewy base.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture looks smooth and cohesive.
- Mix in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, then fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until just combined.
Bake
- Scoop 2-tablespoon balls onto the sheets, spacing them apart so each cookie can spread without merging.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes at 350F until the edges are lightly golden while the centers still look soft.
Cool
- Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then serve warm or transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Pro tip: Spoon dough into even 2-tablespoon portions for consistent bake time, and don’t overbake—the centers should look slightly underdone so they set into chewy cookies. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days (or refrigerate up to 5 days). Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat vanilla pudding mix if you want a slightly softer, less rich texture.
