Pudding Mix Is The Secret To Chewier Cookies

Pudding mix can be used for much more than just a quick creamy dessert — it's also a great way to add flavor and texture to baked goods. This is a trick known to home cooks and professional chefs alike. People have been adding it to cake mixes for extra moistness for some time, and now it's working its magic in cookies. Since instant pudding mix is essentially just modified cornstarch and sugar, it can be used to make super-chewy cookies. Cornstarch is a thickening agent that absorbs moisture, and the sugar also mixes with the water in the dough, which hampers gluten formation. This means your cookies will be soft and chewy not thin and crispy. 

Because it comes in so many varieties, pudding mix can also add new layers of flavor to your cookies. Whatever kind of cookies you're making, you can get creative with pudding varieties to add complementary or pleasantly contrasting flavors. In a recent TikTok video demonstrating how to make pudding cookies, user @berberk777 adds white chocolate pudding mix, and people were quick to comment with their favorite pudding flavors to use. One person suggested cheesecake-flavored pudding, while another suggested banana pudding mix for a riff on banana bread. 

With so many instant pudding varieties, the possibilities are almost endless for creating custom cookie flavors. Flavors like vanilla or butterscotch work well in chocolate chip cookies, adding a depth of flavor to a well-known classic. If you like to eat cookies with the season, you could add pumpkin spice pudding mix in autumn or strawberry pudding mix for a taste of summer. Coconut mix plus flaked coconut would go well with a pina colada, and lemon mix would add some zing to a simple sugar cookie. Adding unique flavors may also call for mixing it up with different elements like white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or a variety of nuts.

If you are in the mood to make cookies, but don't have any pudding mix on hand, at a pinch you can substitute plain cornstarch. Regular cornstarch is different from the modified cornstarch used in pudding mix because it is activated with heat, but it will do the trick if you're looking for soft and chewy cookies. Since it's also used as a thickener it can help prevent the cookies from spreading. A good rule of thumb is to add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per cup of flour. But if it's the perfect texture and some fun and surprising flavors you're after, reach for that packet of instant pudding mix.