Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

do you have to cook the pudding first or do you just add the mix to the recipe? i just added the mix and the cookies came out very crumbly in texture. it didn't form quite well either. please help!

I followed this recipe exactly and loved it. I enjoy reading other people's reviews because you can find some really good advice on the recipes you're making. For instance, thank you to everyone who mentioned that the cookies are done after 12 minutes even though they may not look it - you're absolutely right! They were done to perfection. Also, thank you to whoever suggested refrigerating the dough before using. That makes it much easier to handle. I have only one piece of advice to add: These cookies DO NOT spread out at all when they cook, so feel free to put them close together as possible on the cookie sheet - it will save you time if you're making all 7 dozen! Finally, thanks to Debbi for sharing such a wonderful recipe.

I belong to a family of bakers, and believe me when I say this is THE BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe ever..I have replaced my Neiman Marcus recipe with this one. BUT (and this is important)it helps to bake these (and all cookies)the following way... on a baking stone (which I do, so they don't spread) or use parchment paper in your pan. It also helps to have a convection oven which is perfect for baked goods. If you don't have any of these, refridgerate the dough before baking to prevent spreading. Take the cookies out of the oven about 1 minute before they are actually done to prevent overcooking.. The texture of these cookies is perfect.

This is THE BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have EVER found! I half'd it and it comes out perfectly fine. I always make the cookie dough and scoop/spoon out all the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and then I freeze them and store them in a large tupperware bin. With the cookies frozen individually that way I can take out and bake as many cookies as needed/wanted (my husband and I don't need to polish off a whole batch at a time!). My tips for these cookies: I use dark brown sugar and cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer, until light (3-5 minutes); I use 2 tsp of vanilla; eggs at room temperature; I add almost 1 tsp of salt; and I bake the cookies at 325* and I check them at 12 min and go from there depending on how done I want them. Be sure to make these and enjoy!!

AMAZING!!!! Who ever had problems with these cookies, I'm sorry but you did something wrong. I halved the recipe because at first was afraid because of some of the negative reviews. Don't let them stop you!!!!Like I said I did half the recipe and the only thing I did different was add 1 tsp. salt and just 1 12oz bag of semi-sweet choc. chips not two cups. I think a major key to this recipe is to make sure butter is really good and soft. Also cream your butter and sugers together really well and add the pudding mix a little at a time to the butter/suger mixture, mixing well in between. Add flour mixture about 1/3 at a time, mixing good each time. I used an electric hand mixer for the whole recipe except when adding chips and nuts. Also don't over bake.I did 10 min and took right off baking sheet. They are perfect. Not to fat, not to thin, no bitter after taste, soft on the inside (I wouldn't say cake like) crisp out. I've tried ALOT of cc cookie recipes and this one is perfect.

What award did this recipe win exactly? The Stone Masons Union award for best alternative substance to brick? I guess the term 'Soft' that's used in the title is subjective and open to interpretation. Maybe the author/chef could put an astrics next to 'soft' and add some spiffy legal jargon at the bottom. Example: *The term 'Soft' is only an opinion and has little or no relation to the actual cookie(s) resulting from this recipe. Technically, the cookies could qualify as 'soft' when compaired on Moh's Hardness Scale to corundums and diamonds.

It was well worth the effort trying this recipe. I generally follow the recipes on this site verbatim the first time through and then make any substitutions or modifications if I use the same recipe again. I don't think I'll be making any changes whatsoever to this cookie recipe, its great just the way it is. As I was making these I couldn't help wonder about some of the negative reviews and how some people indicated they followed the recipe exactly with poor results. Perhaps technique, tools or materials are to blame. For instance, I wouldn't attempt this cookie recipe without using, at the very least, a hand-held electric blender, particularly when creaming the butter and sugar. Maybe it just goes without saying, but I still wondered if some folks try and mix this by hand. As someone else mentioned earlier or in another recipe, using an ice cream scoop to drop the dough makes it easier to yield consistent sized cookies.

I was a little apprehensive about these, not because of the recipe, but because I am horrible at making cookies. I was SO careful when I was measuring and made sure I did everything perfectly, with no variations (except adding 2 Tbsp vanilla extract). It really paid off in the end, they turned out wonderfully. Not cakey, bland, or weird tasting like some people said, just delicious!!! A few MUSTS: 1)Mix the brown and granulated sugar together first in a LARGE bowl and make sure there are NO lumps and it is very smooth. Cut the 4 sticks of butter into cubes and put in a seperate microwaveable bowl. Heat on medium level for about 5-10 second intervals, stirring well in between, for approx 1 minute. You want the butter to be very soft, almost melted, but right before it gets to that gross clear, oily state. Then mix with the sugars. It makes the ingredients cream together great.2)Chill the dough in the fridge for a little before cooking it and keep it in the fridge while you are cooking each batch. 3)Between batches run the pan under cool water. 4)Each oven is different, so take the cookies out when the edges are turning golden brown and the highest point of the cookie is also golden brown. Mine were perfect at exactly 9.5 minutes... for some reason those 30 seconds really made a difference. If you are a cookie expert and you know what you are doing, unlike me, then you can really go wild with variations. Otherwise, stick with the recipe and you should not go wrong!!

These cookies are VERY good. If you are used to Tollhouse cookies these might not be what you are looking for, but if you are looking for something a little different this recipe should make you happy. This is a HEARTY cookie. When you bite into these you know your eating something! I think Tollhouse are my favorites, but this is a very close second. While these do come out nice and moist, after a few days they might start to dry out a little, as with any cookie. Here is my tip for keeping any cookie moist in your container. Put a double thick piece of wax paper on top of the cookies and on top of that place a piece of white bread, I like to use the crust since no one in our house likes to eat it anyway! (If the bread touches the cookies, the cookies will get soggy.) If the piece of bread dries out replace it with another. This will keep your cookies moist no matter how long they last.

I was excited to bake these cookies since the ratings were so good. BUT, I really didn't like them. The cookies were dry and brittle. I baked them for exactly 10 mins and at 12 mins. Made no difference. Also, so much butter. It was kinda gross. I just couldn't eat more than one. My husband didn't like them, neither did my kids and my mother in law. But I will try another recipe. Give this one a miss if you're not into fatty, greasy, high calories tasting cookies. Sorry! They were just YUCK!!!

Are you guys serious? I followed this recipe to a T and they were nothing great. I have been searching for a really good ccc recipe for the past few years. I have made dozens of different batches and this one wouldn't even make my top ten. I was really disappointed. I thought with all of the good reviews they had to be something spectacular. The response I got from friends and family was...eh. The dough was just too bland tasting and I think the pudding gave it a bit of a dry floury taste. Now...for presentation I would give this cookie five stars. They turned out beautifully. Nice and round, puffed just enough. The texture was just right. So I don't know. I think I will be submitting my number one recipe and see what kind of reviews it gets because this cookie was nothing to go as crazy about as some of the reviewers have said. I'm almost tempted to try it again just to make sure I'm not off my rocker but I swear I followed the recipe exactly!

Absolutely delicious. I honestly don't understand some of the negative reviewers, and have a handful of questions to ask them. Surely something wasn't done quite right for them. I halved the recipe, left out the nuts, added a 1/2 tsp of salt, an extra tsp of vanilla, and cut back by 1/4 cup on the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Used vanilla pudding. (By the way, you're using the pudding mix, not prepared pudding.) I appreciated that the dough wasn't sticky, unlike Nestle Tollhouse. Rounded 52 tablespoon size balls, flattened them in my hand. Placed on parchment paper for 10 minutes, but you'll want to adjust the time to your liking. Make sure to take them out BEFORE they look done. Quite soft and yummy. I did not detect any strange aftertaste as reported by a few. A new favorite.

Caution to chocolate chip cookie lovers - this is NOT a chocolate chip cookie!! It is a cakelike cookie with chocolate chips in them. I DO NOT KNOW why these are getting such rave reviews as chocolate chip cookies, because they are not. That is why i rated these at a 1 star. They are mini cakes with chips. My kids liked them (I have 4 sons), but they felt that the "cookies" were more like a portable cakes. Overall, they were a good (but not great) "cookie". a little artificial tasing, I could have just bought Little Debbie snacks, and saved the time, effort, energy and money!

I've made these cookies numerous times now and I know from experience that the results can vary a lot. the first two times I made this recipe, the cookies came out terrible. however after looking over some reviews, I've made a few changes to the recipe, and now they're THE BEST!!! they really look picture perfect. Here's what you have to do... when mixing wet bowl and the wet bowl and dry bowl combined, use hand held electric beater,(thanks to MYMORGAN) beat very thoroughly, there must be no chunks in the dough. Put parchment paper on cookie sheet, and use two TABLESPOONS vanilla instead of one teaspoon of vanilla. Also, add one fourth tablesoon salt (makes them rise more)to the dry bowl. make sure and sift salt in with the flour and baking soda. Finally when pouring in pudding mix pour it in as dry powder form (thanks to CYPRIAN) into the wet bowl AFTER the brown sugar, white sugar and butter have been beat thouroughly, dough must be very smooth. put pudding mix in before the eggs and vanilla have been put in. If you follow these instructions, these cookies are awesome! NOTE: these changes are for the recipe cut in half( 36 cookies not the original 72 ).

AWESOME COOKIE - new favorite! I made a half batch because 6 dozen is too much for my family and they turned out great! I followed the advice of SVROSS (Add 2 teasp. of baking powder, 1/2 teasp. salt and 2 TABLESPOONS (yes, you heard right) of VANILLA. This gives them what they were missing as noted in serveral reviews., but halved it for the half batch) My tips in making these: Make sure your butter is soft not melted when you make them, add the pudding from the box, don't make it into pudding first, and put the dough in the refrig inbetween batches. They do not "melt" down, so if you like mound chocolate chip cookies then don't do a thing. I used a small scoop and pressed mine down with my fingers a little before baking. I also cooked them for 14-15 minutes instead of 12. Very easy to make!! A+++++++ recipe! Thank you Debbi!!

HELPFUL TIPS TO MAKE THIS 5*: This definitely needs 1tsp salt or else this is bland (sweet but not right). I am a dark brown sugar girl but I find the results are better with light brown sugar for this recipe. I put it in the fridge for an hour and did find it necessary to push the cookie down a little (just used my finger tip) or they baked into a big puff ball instead of a nice cookie. My very fast oven bakes these (out of the fridge) perfectly at 10 min. FWIW, my male guests still say this isn't better than the "Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe on this site, but I can never resist trying something different. The women tend to like it more. This is great for those who want a lighter fluffier cookie instead of sweet and dense like the recipe I mentioned. Last thing, I always halve the recipe!! With that said, to add a little something special, try adding just 1/4th a cup of Andes baking chips mints in... everyone always talks about my cc cookies! My family doesn't like a load of chocolate chips so for any recipe.. I only add a heaping cup (1/4th less when adding the additional andes mints).

I made these cookies for a catering job and didn't receive any comments about them. I may not have baked them long enough and I froze them for 4 days before using at the event. Next time, I will serve the cookies without freezing first.

I don't want to seem like an amateur baker or anything, but I am. This is a stupid question, I want to bake these but I'm struggling with one part of the recipe, when you add the pudding mix in, is it supposed to be made into pudding, or do you just add the powder?

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by this recipe. I know it has received a lot of ratings, but I like a really chewy cookie and this was not it. It tasted alright, but I thought it was a little dry. I don't know exactly what the pudding mix does for it. So if you're looking for not just a soft cookie, but a chewy cookie, I don't think this recipe is for you.

i followed this recipe to a T and my cookies came out like dried out scones. no flavor, no color and no appeal. seriously they got harder by the minute and were not at all like any chocolate chip cookie i've ever eaten. they are NOT soft or CHEWY. i don't understand why so many people gave this recipe such high ratings. DO NOT USE THIS RECIPE UNLESS YOU LIKE HOCKEY PUCKS THAT DO NOT TASTE LIKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.

There is no better receipe out there for choc chip cookies. One hint to make them extra great - make the day before and chill dough overnight in fridge. In my opinion, the very best.

I LOVE this recipe! My Husband was so happy with them:) I like to make BIG cookies. So i lowered the temp down to 335 because of how big the cookies are. And baked them for about 13min, till there golden on the edges. Again i LOVE this recipe!

Best cookies I have made, hands down! I make this recipe about once a week for my family. Suggestion for those doing this recipe the first time: for the softest cookies, use JUMBO EGGS. Some variations I have done: White chocolate and makadamia (sp?) nut, and M&Ms instead of chocolate. Just make sure you use the JUMBO EGGS and people will think you are a God when it comes to making cookies. This recipe is super easy!

Ive made these often...i use all sorts of pudding flavors a favorite is choc fudge pudding n peanut butter chips or pistachio pudding n cherry chips aso butterscotch pudding n chips but we also adore the recipe as is

Ok, originally I wrote that this cookie wasn't all that great, but I didn't want to give up on this cookie. So, here's what I did that made this cookie turn out well for me. I used 1/2 butter flavored shortening (helps preserve softness) and 1/2 butter. I used only 4 cups of flour. Many people complained about them turning out rock hard and I had the same problem until I reduced the amount of flour. With the pudding, you have to compensate and change the flour or it's too much dry mixed in with the wet ingredients. Also I did increase the vanilla but 2 full tablespoons was a bit much for me (especially since it calls for vanilla pudding), so I used roughly 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons. (I think this is subjective though). And I added 2 teaspoons of salt (just like the Tollhouse recipe would call for). I took this mixture to a cookie exchange and was overwhelmed with compliments and requests for the recipe. So: 4 Cups of flour (rather than 4.5) 1 Cup Butter Flavored Shortening 1 Cup Butter 1 Tablespoon (or more to taste) of Vanilla 2 Teaspoons of Salt Make sure the egg/butter/sugar mixture is mixed well and very fluffy before adding the dry ingredients and it will be perfect. It helps if you have a Kitchenaid Mixer to help you along. Mine baked for approximately 13 minutes in a 350 oven.

Note: I just made these cookies again...I've been making the "Big, Fat, Chewy" cookies most recently, but I wanted a change. For some unknown reason, these cookies came out COMPLETELY flat...almost ran off my cookie sheet!! What on earth? Maybe it was the barometric pressure outside on this rainy day!! LOL! You can read the review I submitted last time I made these directly below, but I'm changing them from a 5 start to a 4star rating. I can't imagine what happened this time! Got milk?:-) You have to have milk with these scrumptious cookies. All 4 pans of cookies turned out perfectly for me, so here are my suggestions. I actually halved the recipe because 72 cookies was way too many for my hubby and me. I didn't put quite the required amount of butter in mine. I cut out a couple of tbls worth. I added an extra 1/2 tsp of vanilla (for the whole recipe, add 1 tsp extra). I also added 1/2 tsp of salt (1 tsp for whole recipe), and 1 tsp of baking powder (again, 2 tsp for whole recipe). Like another reviewer suggested, you can put the cookies pretty close together on the cookie sheet to save time. They don't spread very much at all. They turn out to be very cake-like, which adds a unique characteristic to these cookies. I am astounded at the negative reviews I read about these cookies. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this mouth-watering recipe!!! It's obvious why these cookies have won awards. They really are perfect!

Well, this recipe probably doesn't need another review to let you know how good it is, but since my husband is upstairs trying to convince himself not to have a 6th cookie, I decided I'd put my two cents in! This was really easy and I basically followed the recipe to the letter. The only thing that I changed was to use extra brown sugar in place of the white sugar. I had the same concern as another reviewer; I wasn't sure if I was supposed to prepare the pudding or not. Since it didn't say prepared in the recipe, I forged ahead with just the powder and I guess that was right because they turned out great. One thing that I did that may have made the dough less flaky is I (accidently while I was trying to soften it)melted most of the butter. All in all a hit - thanks!!

Everyone, I have made these cookies for love them!!! I have to make 2-3 batches at a time. But, a few tips I have found that work for me. 1. You should use parchment paper to line cookie sheet. 2. A pre-heated oven is a must#. Using real butter, Jello- brand Instant Pudding and Good semi sweet chocolate chips really make a difference. 3. Also Baker's Sugar makes it an even bigger difference. I usually only cook mine for 8-10 minutes each batch, then place them on a wire coling rack immediately! I noticed you want them to be very soft coming out of the oven as they will harden as they cool off & they are incredible! Soft, chewy on the edges too good. The only thing I want to know about this reciepe is whether it makes any difference whether you use light or dark brown sugar, and what other flavors of pudding can you use? P.S. the best batch was on that I made a mistake on and used 1 package of instant pudding and 1 package of cook & serve pudding of the same flavor. That by far was the best batch I ever made. Enjoy you will love them!

The cookies were really good, if you like cakey cookies these are for you. In my opinion the recipe called for way to many chocolate chips, if i make them again I will reduce by 1/2.

These cookies don't spread like other recipes. So to make perfect circles that weren't overly mounded in the middle, I shaped rounded spoonfuls of dough with my fingers into thick hockey pucks (kind of like a cube, but with round sides). The cookies baken into perfect circles.

These cookies were so good i made them over 10 times!! For my friends, for my class parties, for a WEDDING, and for my mom to take to work!! Not one has ever been left on the plate (so i just eat my portion before i bring it out)For the people who tweak the recipe and then give it a two start rating (huh, maybe that's why they dont turn out) here are some tips. -Dont melt the butter all the way it makes it sticky, thats what the recipe calls for anyway -to make them look gorgeous roll it into one inch balls not just dollop them. -the pudding mix should be INSTANT and you just for in the package contents into the recipe. -for people who like peanut butter do half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips...AHHH! just for the record i've made at least one million 1/2 chocolate chip cookie recipes and none..let me say that again...NONE have ever turned out so: -Beautiful -Soft -Fluffy (not flat) -Spectacularly wonderful for my swt tooth -Etc *please dont alter the recipe until you've followed this one WORD FOR WORD. *make sure the oven is preheated *dont forget to sift the flour** *dont blend/mix the eggs STIR them *~*It CANNOT get better then this*~* ~*~Everyone comes to me when they need cookies because these can not be beat~*~

i couldn't figure out just how to put the "vanilla pudding mix" in the mixture [to put the mix as is or to actually make pudding] so i decided to just make vanilla pudding and then pour it in the mixture. definitely was a bad desicion. cookies came out looking and tasting like pancakes with chocolate chips :|

I have been searching a long time for a wonderful cookie recipe........I finally found it!!! Thank you for putting it on this website. My husband and kids love them!! They came out perfect!! Anybody reading this should NOT pay any attention to the ONE negative comment on these cookies.......I don't think that person made them correctly.......they are AWESOME!!!

These are really quite awesome. I make my cookies in huge batches and freeze them so we always have fresh hot cookies whenever we like. These freeze very well. Just bake them at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

great soft chewy cookies....

Made these Sunday afternoon. Took them to work yesterday. Everyone couldn't get over how soft they stayed. Few things I altered: 1. Half the batch. Changed 6 doz to 3doz and there was plenty for my family and my co-workers. 2. eggs room tempature 3. 1tsp baking soda (for 3 doz cookies) 4. 1/4 tsp salt (for 3 doz 3 cookies) 5. 1TBS vanilla (for 3doz cookies) 6. cream sugar/butter/spices/etc together with a hand mixer 7. Cook at suggested oven temp for 11-12MINS! To Alter for next time: Reduce the chocolate chips to 1Cup for 3 doz cookies. The first cookie i tasted almost made me want to gag from all the chocolate(Just being honest). The second one i tried, had less chips in it and was MUCH better!

O.k. I really had high hopes for this recipe and I couldn't put my finger on what was missing and I finally figured it out, its missing salt!

FABULOUS!!!!!! We absolutely will make these again...so soft & chewy!!

Just when I was about to give up on making home made chocolate chip cookies, I found this recipe! Thank you Debbi!!! ***Just wanted to add a note after making them again!! This time I made half a batch. Used Butterscotch pudding, added 1/2 a tsp. salt, doubled the vanilla and added a splash of milk. You don't really taste the pudding, it just gives it more flavor!! I think the salt helped with that too! Also got rid of that "boxed" taste. Love this recipe!!!***

These are the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever! They are so soft and not at all cake-like as some people complained. I just made a batch to take to a 4th of July barbecue tomorrow and I know they're going to be a big hit. I read back a few pages of reviews, and from everyone's suggestions, I added 1 teaspoon of salt to the recipe, used French vanilla instant pudding mix instead of regular vanilla, and used half regular unsalted butter and half butter flavored Crisco. For some variety, I split the dough in half and did one half milk chocolate chips and the other half butterscotch chips. Both came out DELICIOUS! Some things I learned after making these: you will be tempted to leave them in the oven longer than they should be -- don't. Take them out when the edges are even slightly golden brown (even though they don't look done, they are.) Also, chill the dough before use and also when it's not in use -- it will be much easier to work with. I made my cookies slightly larger than tablespoon sized, and I got a little over 4 dozen. I will definitely be making these again and again -- and they are now the ONLY chocolate chips cookies I will ever make!

For those of you looking for a great recipe- Beware. You will be very disappointed. For starters, this recipe does not have enough sugar. The cookies are not any softer than your normal cookie. I am not sure why these other people are rating it so high because the taste is very disappointing. Again, I would strongly suggest you make these for yourself before you make them for company. I just threw away 72 cookies.

Comes out as promised as long as you don't try to cut the recipe. I cut in half and had very hard cookies.

These were "ok", not what I was expecting in a chocolate chip cookie. Like another reviewer, I prefer a dense & chewy cookie. If you like your chocolate chip cookies to be soft and fluffy-like then this is your recipe.

I spent a lot of time looking at the reviews here and tweaking this recipe so that I wouldn't have cookies that were too cakey or too flat, or have that nasty aftertaste people complained about. I came up with one that produced FABULOUS tasting cookies! My changes are as follows: I only used 4 c. of flour. I added 2 tsp of baking powder. I used unsalted butter. I added 1 tsp of salt (a MUST!!!). I used only brown sugar (2 c.). I used 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks. I used 2 TABLESPOONS of vanilla extract. I used 2 1/3 c. of mini semisweet morsels. I also refrigerated the dough for an hour before baking, and kept it (and the pans) in the refrigerator when I wasn't spooning it out. My cookies didn't have that spreading issue people complained about. I also molded my dough into balls, and didn't flatten them down at all. Baking time varied according to my pans. The cookies on my dark metal pan took 9 minutes, while the airbake pans took about 10.5 minutes. DEFINITELY take your cookies out BEFORE they look "done." I took mine out when the sides and tops were just beginning to turn golden, and let them stay on the pans for several minutes before transfering them to racks. My cookies came out of the oven rather poofy (making me think they'd be too cakey but as they cooled, they sank to the perfect thickness. They taste better after cooling for several hours, and there was NO bad aftertaste. Just thought I'd share!

Awesome! I cut the recipe in half and threw in a half bag of heath toffee chips! Wow did the toffee really balance out the chocolate!!!!

YUMMM! These are delicious! They are also the best looking cookies I have ever made, I will be bringing them to work parties from now on. I'm shocked that some people don't like these! I also followed the advice of others and added 2TBL of vanilla, 1/2 Tsp of salt and 2 tsp baking powder. Also to let a few of you know, you do not prepare the pudding, you only add the mix to the recipe.

This has become my signature cookie. Everyone asks me to make these for them. The batter makes 7 dozen cookies for me and it is never enough. I usually end up having to make two batches because everyone wants at least a dozen. The key is to use the right pan (do not use non stick pans), ALWAYS use parchment paper, and bake it on the rack second from the bottom. Put an empty cookie sheet on the bottom rack and the cookies on hte next slot up. It makes ALL the difference in the world. Also chill the batter before baking. Use these tips and the cookies will be flawless.

Excellent cookies but for goodness sakes if you want cookies to look professional, don't put the chips in the batter. Put the cookie dough on the pan then put chips on each one. This is the only way to have the chips showing. I don't know why they never include that in recipes for Nestles etc. because that is the only way to do it to make cookies look like the ones in the pictures.

The texture was too much like cake. I did not enjoy the pudding flavor.

I had a request from my 11 year old son to make "soft" chocolate chip cookies - he got em'! I had to cut the recipe in 1/2 due to a shortage of chocolate chips, meaning an unknown spawn opened the bag & chowed. Well I did pick up on an "odd" after taste though, I'm thinking maybe from the baking soda, or pudding? Hmmm, I'll have to figure that one out. Thanks Debbi!

*These cookies are the BEST I have ever made!* I am a huge fan of chewy, moist chocolate chip cookies. These are perfect! I even shipped these cookies across the country (in zip-lock baggies and a box), and they stayed chewy days later! Here are some tips that will ensure that your cookies turn out perfect: --Add chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. It makes the cookies REALLY amazing. --Make sure to add: 1/2 tsp of SALT, and 1 tsp of baking powder. It definitely helps. --Halve the recipe to 36 cookies. The original recipe makes a ton! --Make these cookies big! A great treat! Hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did! Enjoy!

I didn't like these cookies at all. They are ok if you like a very "cakey" kind of cookie. I followed the directions to a T on the recipe and just found them to be bland and entirely too cakey.

Extremely disappointing cookies. There is no way you can read all 2ooo+ reviews but most seemed so positive that I thought I couldn't go wrong. Well, I was! I will never make again and they don't have a buttery sweet taste like a gooey choc chip should have -- they instead taste like a chewy Chips Ahoy cookie, which is gross. A fake tasting cookie and if you are a cookie connoisseur then stay away from this recipe – a waste of ingredients.

Unpleasant chemical taste (probably from the pudding). I didn't like the fact that they stayed "fresh" for more than a week - something wrong with that picture. Won't try these again.

Owning a cafe and baking thousands of cookies, I feel qualified to say that I seriously feel like I wasted a pound of butter. I've been eyeing this recipe for quite a while and finally decided to try it. I should have trusted my instinct. Yes, these were nice and soft - but that's it. No flavor at all. If you must make these - at least add 1 tsp salt. It saddens me to think that so many people love this cookie when there are much better cookies out there. Try Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles or Aunt Cora's Peanut Butter - THOSE are good cookies.

I wanted to try a new recipe out and I thought this one would be delicious...As I was making it I realized I only had whole wheat flour instead of white and I was a bit sceptical of what they would taste like...Well let me tell you! They worked out amazing!!! They were big and fluffy and no one could tell... unless I told them so, which they were very surprised!! Would do it again using whole wheat.... makes a healthier cookie..somewhat!

Slight crunch on the outside, soft on the inside. Perfection! I made a couple of changes with the suggestions of others. Though I really don't think they're necessary other than the salt. Changes: 2Tbl vanilla extract, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt. Yum yum!!

Love em! You can throw just about any type of pudding mix in and any type of add it. It need not be vanilla and choc chip. I found white cheesecake pudding and threw in some blueberries. Raspberries and white chocolate chips were another one. The possibilities are endless! Feel free to dream with this one, the base is excellent

Reading through the reviews, I noticed two distinct schools of thought on this recipe. Some praise the cookies as wonderfully moist and soft. Others didn't care for the texture and ersatz flavor of the pudding mix. I'm with the second camp. I'd surmise that it depends on what kind of chocolate chip cookies you came to know as a kid. Some people's idea of a great soft chocolate chip cookie was Soft Batch. Others, like me, grew up on Mom's fresh, home-baked treats. For my palate, I found the taste of vanillin (artificial vanilla) just overwhelming. And yes, they were soft. Just like Soft Batch is soft. You could put them in a time capsule and some shmoe is going to dig it up 5000 years from now, and those suckers are STILL going to be soft!! I'd rather have a chewy, gooey, full-of-melty-chocolate-chips, home-baked bit of goodness. These aren't horrible by any means, but no one here found them to be worth the calories. Whereas these are not my particular idea of a good time, if that taste/texture happens to float your boat, go for it. You just might love them.

I have made two batches of these cookies in the last week, one I followed the recipe to the T, the other I fodified...both came out wonderful! The first batch we decided needed more vanilla, this is a personal prefrence of course! The second batch I made I used french vanilla pudding, 4 tsp of vanilla and white chips and macadamia nuts! This batch was AMAZING! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!!

The absolute best chocolate chip cookies. This recipe has become my standard. I usually use cheesecake flavored instant pudding. They also freeze pretty well too.

WOW. I thought "how could you make a better chocolate chip cookie". But they did it. It makes a lot so I made balls and froze them by the dozen in ziploc bags. Now I can bake them at a moments notice.

This is exactly like the Toll House recipe, except for the instant vanilla pudding powder. I divided this recipe into half so I only made about 40 cookies, but I added 1/4 t salt and 1/2 t baking powder. They came out deliciously!!! This will be my new cookie recipe! One tip, once you pull them out of the oven, hold your cookie sheet over the stove top about a foot and drop it, do this about 3 to 4 times and it will nicley and evenly flatten your cookies (but still leaves you with a fluffiness). I cooked these on parchment paper in the oven which helps with a more even browning of each cookie!

these "award winning" cookies are not soft at all. the pudding in the recipe tastes good but you're still going to be eating a hockey puck if you make these cookies.

These are an absolute favorite at my house now. Based on other reviews I reduced the flour to 4 cups and added a teaspoon of salt. If you don't like cakey cookies then press them down slightly before putting them in the oven. Thanks Debbi

5 Stars! EASY TO MAKE. So simple! DELICIOUS. WOW! I had tons of people asking me for the recipie, saying these were truly the best cc cookies they have tasted! INGREDIENTS AND TIMING ARE PERFECT. I wouldn't suggest changing a thing. I originally used Vanilla Pudding, and they were excellent. The second batch I used Chocolate Pudding, and it was a bit too sweet that way. LONGEVITY/FRESHNESS. The cookies stayed fresh for quite awhile in the cookie tins they were in. OVERALL, an excellent recipe that I will be making and sharing constantly!

This cookie recipe is even better than the other cookie recipe I found on this website. I've been using it for quite some time now. But I must admit that I made a boo boo when I first did this recipe. Since the recipe calls for instant pudding mix I thought I had to make the pudding first then mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Needless to say I was wrong. So for those who are making these for the first time please remember to NOT make the pudding just use the powder. Great chocolate chip cookie recipe. My kids LOVE them!!

I am not a fan of sweets of any kind (cookies in particular) but my boyfriend is and these even won me over. We didn't change a thing and I must say these are the softest, most delicious cookies I have ever had! We spilt the batch, half with chocolate chips (for him) and half without (for me...I told you, I'm not a fan of sweets) and we were moaning in ecstasy for hours! Thank you Debbie for posting this great recipe!

Awesome cookies stay soft. Made exactly as recipe is written.

I just made these cookies, and they turned out pretty good, but DO NOT OVER COOK!!! I made one batch for 12 min, and when I took them out and they looked "done" on the inside but were sorta mushy and tasted doughy. So I let them cool for about 5 min on the pan and then on the cooling rack until they had COMPLETELY cooled... and they were PERFECTO! I also made another batch at ~15min and they looked alright when they came out, but once they cooled they turned out really cruchy and dry. My advice to you: when you take them out and they don't look taste done, but the bottom is lightly browned... you should be fine! yum!

I over cooked the first time I made the batch. They were more cake-like that way. The second time I baked them for the recipes' suggested time and had more of a soft, chewy cookie that everyone preferred more. I'm going to try them with white chips and macadamia nuts next!

I ate one cookie and threw the rest of my batter out! The addition of the pudding mix makes the batter taste too artificial. It also is very gooey. I prefer natural ingredients without all the genetically modified ingredients that are developed by “flavor experts”. Read the pudding label. I missed the traditional "home baked" chocolate chip cookies and I love chocolate chip cookies. I don’t usually write reviews but felt this needed a review!

I guess I'm the only one on here who didn't like these. I even made them twice because I thought I must have made a mistake the first time. They were much too bland and dry for my taste.

I thought these would be great since 3000+ rated them and they had 5 stars. They had an artificial taste due to the pudding (I think) and the texture was off. My first batch was too buttery, I added some flour and that made the cookies too cakey. Also, if you're going to make these, cut the recipe in half. I made the whole thing and we have enough cookies for a year. I wouldn't recommend this recipe.

I added an extra tsp. of vanilla and a tsp. of salt to the full recipe like suggested by other reviewers. These cookies tasted great right out of the oven and I thought I had a winner. But, after they cooled I didn't like the taste of the cookie. The after taste isn't very appetizing. Their only redeeming quality is that they are soft and chewy. I'll keep looking for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. I didn't find it here.

I brought these cookies into my husband's office and they were a huge hit! I used chocolate pudding, the only kind I had, and it made the cookies more like a double chocolate cookie! I loved it!

This is a good cookie but we enjoy the Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip cookie by Elizabeth more.

Ok, I realize that 4000 people liked this recipe, but I didn't. My usual chocolate chip cookie recipe (off the back of the chocolate chip bag, I admit) tastes like butter, sugar, vanilla -- real ingredients. This one had a very peculiar artificial flavor. No one will eat the rest of the cookies, and i will not make them again.

ok so i have been making these for a while and accidently stumbled on the mistake that makes them 20 times better: Use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour, it makes them less doughy and brings out the flavor.

I also tried this recipe using oatmeal and raisins and they were delicious. My husband raves about them.

I'll start of by saying that these cookes do flatten out, not sure how the other viewer got them not too. These also took my oven 15 minutes to bake. I folloed the recipe except for adding the walnuts. They are delicous and soft but not too much flavor. My boyfriend loves just plain old tollhouse cookies and I'm sure he'll say they still taste better than these.

YUM! I used dark chocolate chips and these are amazing. They are hard to stop eating, so good! Thanks for the great recipe :)

This is a great recipe, and the first time I tried it, I used butter-flavored Crisco instead of the butter, (to use Crisco instead of butter, there are conversions on the Crisco packaging)and they came out PERFECT. I then tried to use actual butter, and it wasn't as good. I would recommend using butter-flavored Crisco. It makes these absolutely heavenly. Also, try it w/ white chocolate pudding mix-THE BEST!!

This has to be the best cookie recipe I have ever tried on this site, and most definitely my absolute favorite. It was missing a few things however. Baking powder is a must, a little bit of salt didnt hurt to add either. And vanilla, there wasn't enough. I am assuming the vanilla was cut down because of the pudding mix being added, however there is no taste from the pudding and you really need that extra bit of vanilla. I added 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons vanilla. These are amazingly soft, dont be afraid when pulling them out of the oven if the middle doesnt seem done. Cookies will continue baking even outside of the oven while cooling and overbaking is what makes them hard.

Way too delicious--love the chewy texture! I decided to half the recipe, but accidentally put in the whole amount of baking soda. Then I couldn't add nuts because of allergies in the group I was baking some of these for. Even so, these cookies were so good I actually had eight of them for lunch one day (I'm almost afraid to bake them correctly and with nuts. . .)

Why didn't anybody think of using pudding before! Wow, these are good. I'll be experimenting with different flavors.

All I can say is OH MY GOD!!! These are THE BEST cookies I have EVER tasted. If I could give 20 stars, I would. I made a batch of these and took them as a hostess gift and everyone raved about them. I put them in a cake box, lined with tissue and included the recipe for her. She was thrilled. Awesome recipe! These cookies don't last more than 5 minutes at my house. They freeze well also, which is a bonus since the recipe makes so many. Thank you Debbi!!!

These were good. I am a chewy cookie kind of person. I made them for a party and made them really tiny. Everyone loved them. I used dried cranberries instead of nuts. Also-I made the dough 1 week ahead and rolled into a tube and froze it so I could slice and bake the morning of the party.

Very moist and chewy. The very best chocolate chip cookie I've ever made. I am a terrible cookie baker, but this recipe is foolproof.

I halved the recipe. Like the other users recommended, I added in a teaspoon of salt and an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract. I tasted the batter before adding the salt and after and adding the teaspoon makes a lot of difference. It enhanced the sweetness a notch (that's ok since the batter was a tad bland) and took out the floury aftertaste. The extra vanilla made the whole house smell wonderful. I only added 1 1/2 cup of chips and instead of walnuts, I used pecans. I'm not sure I understand what the others mean when they said that the cookies tasted "artificial." I didn't get that with mine at all. I used Jello instant vanilla pudding, maybe they used a different brand? Anyway, these are wonderful. They're not toothache sweet like Alton Brown's version of "The Chewy," or the Tollhouse recipe. I love the texture and the chewyness. Definitely my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe so far. Cheers to Debbi Borsick.

Tried these cookies today and they were every bit as good as promised. Followed recipe exactly.(To make the whole recipe you do need a large, sturdy mixer.)Chilled dough for 1/2 hour before baking. Weighed dough at 1 1/2 oz. for each cookie and put 9 on each cookie sheet. Took 10 minutes to bake. Do not overbake! I don't even like cookies or cookie dough but this batter is awesome! Made exactly 5 dozen cookies.

This is a really great cookies recipe, regardless of the negative reviews. I think that this cookie recipe depends on the person's fundamental baking skills and knowledge. First of all, the people who claim that the cookie is cake-like are baking these too long. BASIC baking tips: The butter and eggs must be room temperature. Anyone who bakes on the expert level should know this. You must have an oven thermometer. Use parchment paper or silicon baking mats to prevent brown bottomed cookies.

I guess i am not one of the 700 people who thought these were "award winning cookies". My husband who will eat any thing called a cookie didn't like them either. Maybe it's because i don't like such "cakey" cookies...they were a little chewy in the middle, which i like, but they didn't have much taste...something is definately missing! I am still searching for the perfect soft, but not cakey chocolate chip cookie recipe...

Very very very very GOOD!!!! I love this recipe, and so has EVERYONE that I have made these for. BUT...only one change: 1 tsp. salt. Absolutely must add the salt. I made these the way the recipe calls for and they were a little too bland. My hubby and I, and our in-laws all agreed, they needed salt. The softness is incredible, not cakey at all, just soft and gooey-yummy-good. Thanks Debbi!

These are a very commercial/grocery store type cookie. The kind that specifically says "soft" on the package. So if cake-like cookies aren't your thing, or if you don't like a strong vanilla flavor, I would stay away. I like to use this recipe for M&M cookies, rather than chocolate chip (for that I use the recipe published in the NYT in July 08). The tips I've read in other reviews that I've taken on are: 1) addition of 1 1/2 TBLS vanilla 2) addition of 2 tsp baking powder 3) addition of 1/2 tsp salt 4) remove approx. 1/2 cup flour to compensate for vanilla pudding mix On my own I've discovered: 1) removing 1 egg results in a less-cakey texture (that happened by accident!) 2) using both packets of pudding mix gives it too much of a "fake" vanilla taste, so each time I make theses I've been dialing it back and like the results. Still on about 1 1/2 packets. 3) refridgerating the dough overnight is my favorite way to make cookies, they just spread so much better. 4) when making with M&Ms, deffinietly use less than 4 cups, probably more like 3. Good luck!

I made 5 different kinds of cookies to give to friends for Christmas an this one was all there rave would use this recipe with no changes .

i probably did something wrong as the cookies did not come out soft. But...this is the absolutely the best cookie recipe i have! tasty cookie with rich chocolaty taste, I think the results you get is better than many of the cookies they sell in the market!:) P.S. i believe the "pudding" in this recipe refers to instant pudding mix? just want to make sure.

YUMMY! Made these last night and they really are soft yet they hold their fullness and don't go flat or spread out. The vanilla pudding adds a lot to this recipe. Very good flavor. We will keep this recipe in our file and make them often. I cut the recipe in half and they turned out just fine. DELICIOUS!

i agree with the user that said the turned out crumbly. i also just added the pudding mix as a powder. the recipe didnt say if it should remain a powder or if we should add it as a pudding. its not BAD but DEFINATELY not the best. please explain the instructions better