A lot of people put instant pudding mix in their chocolate chip cookies, but did you know you can also make instant pudding mix oatmeal cookies? As with the chocolate chip variety, the pudding mix helps keep the inside soft and the outside crisp while adding a little flavor.
Instant Pudding Mix Oatmeal Cookie Flavors
For today's batch, I used a combination of cheesecake pudding mix (because that's all I had) and butterscotch chips. It worked pretty well, though I wouldn't recommend going out and buying cheesecake flavor pudding just to make oatmeal cookies. Vanilla, yes! And if you can find white chocolate flavored instant pudding mix, that would probably be great combined with white chips. Or maybe butterscotch? banana? Whatever flavor you use, you'll get a fairly thick cookie with a soft, dense, middle. In my opinion, these are best when completely cool.
Recipe
Instant Pudding Mix Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature or slightly softened (8 oz/224 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (150-160 grams)
- 1 3.4 oz package instant pudding mix (vanilla) (95 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional since pudding mix is flavored) I use it anyway.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups oats quick or old fashioned (I used old fashioned)
- 1 cup butterscotch chips or more if desired I use more, but 1 cup is a good start
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until creamy. Beat in the pudding and vanilla (if using), then add the eggs and beat just until blended.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until blended. Stir in the oats.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop up dough and roll into balls. Arrange the balls about 2 ½ inches apart on baking sheets. Press tops down slightly.
- Bake one sheet at a time on center rack for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are nicely browned. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.
Anna says
Thanks so much for trying them, C! It's been a while since I made them and appreciate seeing their name in lights again :).
CV says
Oh my goodness, these are delicious! I added dried cranberries, golden raisins and chopped walnuts. My oven seems off and I had to bake a bit longer to brown but took them out at a very light brown and, sigh, perfection.
Really grateful that you shared this recipe and I came across it!
Anna says
You sure can! I will say that for some reason I think the butterscotch flavored pudding mix tastes better in recipes like this one (link below) that are not oatmeal cookies. The butterscotch flavor is more pronounced (especially if you use butterscotch chips). If you use it in this oatmeal cookie, you can taste it and it's fine, but it's even better in the non-oatmeal ones.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2010/03/01/half-a-box-of-pudding-mix-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Dawn Alice Surprenant-Chatwood says
could you substitute butterscotch pudding to make them a "super" oatmeal scotchie
Anna says
To anyone reading these comments and trying to decide whether to make the cookies, I re-tested and they are still great. Sandra and I are trying to solve the mystery of why hers didn't spread. I will keep updating the comments.
Anna says
Sandra, I wish I could help you but I haven't had problems with this recipe. When you say fluffy, do you mean cakey? For the sticks of butter, did you use 2 (4 oz) sticks or were they the little 2 oz size sticks like Land o Lakes now sells. The recipe says "2 sticks" which used to mean 2 four oz sticks, but now some sticks come in 2 oz. I really don't know what could have gone wrong, but I'll try to re-test this one. In the meantime, here's the chocolate chip oatmeal cookie I use more often. It also has pudding mix. https://www.cookiemadness.net/2008/05/chocolate-chip-cookies-with-pudding-mix/
Sandra says
Hi Anna,
My cookies turned out too fluffy - yikes! I weighed my flour - I used KA all purpose- I used half shortening/ half butter,2 C old fashioned oats and 1-1/2 C quick oats. My cookie dough seemed a little dry - do you think an egg yolk added to the dough would solve that? If the dough I made cant be saved,my DH will be a happy man as he will have two batches of cookie dough balls in the freezer 🙂 Help!
Katrina says
Mmm, now those are what look good to me right now. I'll have to go see what pudding mixes I have.
Stephanie says
Oh my...banana pudding, peanut butter chips and oats? YUM! Thank you!
Holiday Baker Man says
That was a twist I didn't see coming!
Kate says
My goodness, they look crunchy and crispy. What do you think about a little honey in there, Anna?
Anna says
Ela, I've never done it, but I googled it and looks like there are a few recipes.
http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-pudding-brownies-204564
ela says
That looks good. Do you think we can add chocolate pudding in brownies?