A box of fragrantly spiced Pumpkin Spice pudding mix makes the most delicious cookies, full of white chocolate chips. You’ll love this simple recipe and the fall vibes that come with it.
If it’s Fall, you better believe that I’ll be enjoying ALL of the pumpkin-spiced goodies the season has to offer. I’ll take pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, and I’ll definitely be making these pumpkin spice cookies too!
This pumpkin cookies recipe uses a secret ingredient! Ok, It’s not really that secret, it’s Jell-O Instant pudding mix!
If you haven’t made cookies with pudding mix yet, you are in for a surprise! Pudding mix in cookie recipes creates perfect chewy, soft-baked cookies. It adds a richness and creamy texture, as well as all the flavor of pumpkin spice.
After you’ve tried these pudding cookies, make double chocolate chip cookies with pudding next!
Pumpkin spice instant pudding mix is usually only available in the Fall, so stock up when you see it. For more fall flavored cookies, Try Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Banana Bread Cookies, Butterbeer Cookies, or Pistachio Pudding Cookies.
and these adorable Turkey Cookies!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice: I told you, I love pumpkin spice everything! The amount of pumpkin spice flavor in the pudding mix is just enough to flavor these cookies without overpowering them with spice.
- No Pumpkin Needed: These are pumpkin cookies, but you won’t need to open a can of mashed squash to make them. All the flavor we need comes from a box of seasonally available pumpkin spice instant pudding.
- White Chocolate Chips: I love the creaminess of white chocolate blended in with the spices of the pudding mix. It’s the perfect match.
- Easy to Make Ahead: This dough can be stored in the freezer and popped in the oven whenever you get the urge for a pumpkin spiced treat!
- The best pumpkin cookies: Other pumpkin cookies are dry and cakey. These cookies are soft, chewy, and buttery, just like I like them. Pudding mix completely changes the texture of the cookies, making them unlike any other pumpkin cookie you’ve had.
Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Unsalted Butter: Be sure to let the butter sit out and come to room temperature. Softened butter will give you a smooth, well-mixed dough.
- Sugars: Both white sugar and brown sugar are needed here. They each have a part to play! Brown sugar creates chewiness, while white sugar allows the edges of the cookie to get slightly crisp.
- Eggs: If you didn’t already know, you should always let your eggs come to room temperature when you’re mixing them into a dough. Room temperature eggs mix in better than eggs directly from the fridge.
- Pumpkin Spice Instant Pudding Mix: We are using an entire 3-ounce package of just the powder. There’s no need to actually make the pudding.
- Vanilla Extract: Stay away from imitation vanilla flavoring, and go for pure vanilla extract instead.
- Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt: The dry ingredient line up for this easy cookie dough recipe.
- White Chocolate Chips: These creamy chips are perfect in this cookie recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Pudding Mix
- Get Ready to Bake: Start by preheating the oven 350°F/180°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until well combined. Then add the eggs, pudding mix, and vanilla extract and beat until the eggs are well incorporated.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt using a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in White Chocolate Chips: Pour in the baking chips and stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Bake: Use a medium cookie scoop (1 and half tablespoon size) to scoop out cookie balls on a cookie sheet, placing them 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is lightly browned.
- Cool: Let the pumpkin cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overcook Them: These soft cookies might appear undercooked when you remove them from the oven. The centers should be soft and the edges just barely starting to brown.
- Use Instant Pudding Mix: Pudding mix is the key ingredient in this recipe, and it’s what makes the cookies so soft and chewy. Only instant pudding mix will have this effect though, so don’t try to use a cook and serve type.
- Add Extra Chips: Stick a few chocolate chips on top of the cookies before they go into the oven to get cookies that look as good as they taste.
Storing Tips
You can store pumpkin pudding cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 5 days. They will stay best if stored at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
If the cookies start to get stale, put a piece of white bread in the container with them. The bread will dry out, but the cookies will stay perfectly soft and chewy.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Pudding Cookies
You can easily freeze these cookies after they’ve been baked, or freeze the cookie dough and bake them later.
To freeze baked cookies: Place the cookies in a ziplock bag or freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy them frozen, let them thaw first, or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up!
To freeze unbaked pudding cookies: Follow the recipe and stop at the point where you make the cookie balls. Fill a sheet tray with dough balls, and then place the tray in the freezer for about an hour. After an hour, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer bag or container. You can freeze cookie dough like this for up to three months.
When you’re ready to bake the frozen cookie dough, bake it directly from the freezer. Add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Banana Pudding Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
- Spiced Eggnog Cookies
Recipe FAQs
Jell-O instant pudding in the pumpkin spice flavor is a seasonal find, typically only available in the fall, aka “pumpkin spice season”. You should be able to find this pudding mix in big grocery stores around thanksgiving. If you’re trying to make these cookies outside of prime pumpkin season, look for the pudding mix on Amazon.
I’m not certain if there is a sugar-free version of Jell-O instant pumpkin spice pudding, but if there is, you can use it to make these cookies. If you’re using sugar-free pudding mix, just note that the package is not 3 ounces because the sugar substitutes weigh less. Still use one regular sized package in the recipe.
You can make pudding cookies using any flavor of instant pudding mix. Try vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, or any type that you like!
These are going to be the best pumpkin spice cookies that you’ve ever made! They are so chewy and delicious. Feel free to double the batch so you can share them, and Pin the recipe so that more people can find it!
Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 200g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 3-ounce package pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, using a hand held mixer beat the butter until creamy (30 seconds). Add sugar and beat until well combined (2 minutes).
- Add eggs, pudding mix, and vanilla extract, and beat until the eggs are well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). Mix that with the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons size), scoop out cookie balls onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is lightly browned.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
- To Store: You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep soft cookies soft, store them with a piece of white bread. The bread might dry out, but the cookies will stay perfect.
- To freeze baked cookies: Place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Enjoy them frozen, let them thaw first, or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up!
- To freeze unbaked cookies: Follow the recipe and stop at the point where you make the cookie balls. Fill a sheet tray with them, and then place the tray of dough balls in the freezer for an hour. After an hour, transfer the frozen cookie dough to a freezer bag or container. You can freeze cookie dough balls for up to three months.
- To bake frozen cookies: You can bake the dough balls directly from frozen. Add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time (bake for 11-14 minutes).
- Sugar-free pudding mix can be substituted for regular pudding mix if desired.
- Be sure to use instant pudding, not “cook and serve”.
- Other pudding flavors can be used instead of pumpkin spice. Try chocolate, pistachio, butterscotch, or your favorite.
- Before baking, top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips so they will look as good as they taste.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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Comments & Reviews
Karen says
Hello. what would you recommend if I can’t find the pumpkin spice pudding?
Diana says
Hi Karen, you can try and use vanilla pudding instead and add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice? If you can’t find pudding at all, maybe check out my Pumpkin Sugar Cookies or these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
Linda says
How many cookies does this recipe make
Diana says
Hi Linda, this recipe makes 26 medium cookies.
Mario says
Made these and they were fantastic! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
Diana says
Thanks for the great feedback. So glad to hear you liked them!