Cookies and Cream Cookies with Oreo Pudding Mix

These Cookies and Cream Cookies have been a family favorite for years — and the secret is one ingredient most people walk right past in the baking aisle. Oreo pudding mix goes directly into the dough and completely changes the texture of the finished cookie.

Softer centers, chewier edges, and that deep cookies and cream flavor built right into every bite. No chilling required. Ready in 20 minutes. And once you know the pudding mix trick, you will want to use it in every cookie you make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Crowd favorite — every single time these show up at a gathering, someone asks for the recipe
• Perfectly soft every time — the Oreo pudding mix is the secret ingredient that keeps these cookies soft and chewy for days, not just the day they are baked
• No chill time required — the dough goes straight from the bowl to the oven, no waiting around
• Big Oreo flavor — between the pudding mix in the dough and the large Oreo chunks folded in, every bite tastes unmistakably like cookies and cream
• Ready in 20 minutes — one of the fastest cookie recipes on this site
• Simple pantry ingredients — nothing fancy, just butter, sugar, flour, a box of pudding mix, and a package of Oreos

Our readers absolutely love these cookies too!

Ingredients in Cookies and Cream Cookies

• Butter: One cup, fully softened to room temperature. Softened butter creams properly with the sugar and gives the cookies their structure and chew. Do not use melted butter — it causes cookies to spread flat.
• Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle depth of flavor. Make sure yours is soft and fresh — dried-out brown sugar affects the final texture.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the edges set up with a slight crisp.
• Oreo Cookies and Cream instant pudding mix: One 4.2 oz package, added to the dough as a dry powder. Do not make the pudding first — the dry mix goes straight in. This is what makes these cookies stay soft for days. Walmart carries it most reliably. Vanilla pudding mix works as a substitute if you cannot find the Oreo variety.
• Eggs: Two large eggs. Always use large eggs in baking for consistent results.
• Vanilla extract: One teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• All-purpose flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here.
• Baking soda: Make sure yours is not expired. Old baking soda is one of the most common reasons cookies do not rise properly.
• White chocolate chips: One cup. They add a creamy sweetness that pairs perfectly with the Oreo flavor. You can leave them out if you prefer — the cookies are delicious either way.
• Oreo cookies: 15 cookies, coarsely crushed into large chunks. Not fine crumbs — you want big, satisfying pieces of Oreo in every bite.

Why Pudding Mix Makes Better Cookies

Most cookie recipes rely on butter, sugar, eggs, and flour to create texture. Adding a package of instant pudding mix to that same dough changes things in a few specific ways.

Pudding mix contains cornstarch, which absorbs moisture during baking and holds onto it as the cookies cool. That is what keeps pudding cookies noticeably softer on day three than a standard cookie would be. It also adds a small amount of fat and flavoring that enriches the dough without requiring any extra steps.

The key detail is that you add the dry powder directly to the dough — you are not making pudding. The mix dissolves into the dough during creaming and baking, and the result is a cookie with a texture most people describe as bakery-style. Dense enough to feel substantial, soft enough to pull apart easily.

For this recipe specifically, the Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding mix does double duty — it adds the soft texture and builds the cookies and cream flavor into the dough itself, so every bite tastes like cookies and cream even without an Oreo chunk in it.

Tips for Perfect Results

Full instructions can be found on the recipe card above, but here are some helpful tips!

• Do not overbake. This is the single most important tip. The cookies keep baking on the hot pan after you pull them from the oven. When the bottom edges are just barely golden and the centers look underdone, they are done. They will set up perfectly as they cool.
• Crush Oreos into chunks, not crumbs. Place them in a zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin or meat mallet. This gives you full control over the size of the pieces. Stop when you have a mix of large irregular chunks — not powder. Large pieces are what give every bite that satisfying cookies and cream texture.
• Cream the butter and sugar fully. Set a timer for two to three minutes and do not skip it. Rushing this step results in a denser, flatter cookie.
• Check your dough consistency. If it feels too sticky to scoop cleanly, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it firms up. Sticky dough spreads too much in the oven.
• Use a cookie scoop. Uniform cookies bake evenly and look more consistent. A two tablespoon scoop is the right size for this recipe.

The Round Cookie Trick

Here is a simple trick for getting perfectly round, bakery-style cookies at home. Right after the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot and soft on the pan, place a round cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass over the top of each cookie — slightly larger than the cookie itself. Swirl it in circular motions, nudging the edges inward gently as you go. The more you swirl, the rounder and thicker the cookie becomes. Let them cool in place. This works with any drop cookie recipe and takes about 10 seconds per cookie.

How to Store Cookies and Cream Cookies

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Add a slice of sandwich bread to the container — the cookies absorb moisture from the bread and stay soft much longer than they would otherwise.

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Freezer (baked cookies): Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Freezer (unbaked dough): Scoop into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does pudding mix do in cookies? Instant pudding mix — added as a dry powder directly to the dough — keeps cookies softer for longer than a standard recipe. The cornstarch in the mix absorbs and holds moisture during baking, which is why pudding cookies stay soft on day three when most cookies have already started to harden.

Do I make the pudding before adding it to the dough? No. The dry pudding mix goes straight into the dough as a powder — you do not prepare it first. Just open the package and add the dry mix at the same stage you would add sugar.

Can I use a different pudding mix flavor? Yes. Vanilla pudding mix is the best substitute if you cannot find the Oreo Cookies and Cream variety. The cookies will be just as soft — they just will not have as much built-in Oreo flavor throughout the dough.

Can I leave out the white chocolate chips? Absolutely. The white chocolate chips add a nice creamy sweetness but the cookies are delicious without them. Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips also work well as a swap.

Why are my cookies flat? Almost always butter that was too warm or not enough flour. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted — even slightly melted butter causes cookies to spread flat. If the dough feels too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Why are my cookies hard or crispy? Overbaking. Pull the cookies out when the centers still look underdone. They finish baking on the hot pan, and by the time they are fully cooled they will have the right texture.

Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes — refrigerate covered dough for up to 48 hours before baking. Chilled dough spreads a little less in the oven, which actually gives you a slightly thicker, chewier cookie.

How do I soften butter quickly? Place the unwrapped stick of butter in the microwave and heat on the defrost setting in 6 to 7 second intervals, checking after each one. The defrost setting is more forgiving than full power and makes it easier to soften without accidentally melting.

More Pudding Mix Cookie Recipes

If the pudding mix technique is new to you, these are the other recipes worth trying next:

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies: The same soft pudding cookie base with peanut butter flavor and Reese’s pieces throughout. Great flavor, just like these White Chocolate Biscoff Cookies.
• Banana Pudding Cookies: Banana pudding mix in the dough with Nilla wafer pieces folded in — soft, pillowy, and packed with banana cream flavor.
• Lemon Pudding Sugar Cookies: Soft, pillowy sugar cookies made with lemon pudding mix for a bright citrusy flavor — no fresh lemons or zest needed.
• Chocolate Pudding M&M Cookies: Triple chocolate cookies made with chocolate pudding mix, cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and a full bag of mini M&Ms pressed right into the top.
• Mint Oreo Pudding Cookies: The mint twist on our classic cookies and cream cookies — the same Oreo pudding base with mint extract and mint Oreo chunks folded in.

Once you discover what pudding mix does to a cookie, it is hard to go back — and these cookies and cream cookies are the perfect place to start.