This recipe has quickly become my favorite way to make gluten free chocolate chip cookies for a few reasons. First, no refrigeration required before baking! That’s right – you go from mixing to baking to hot cookie in a matter of minutes. The hardest part is waiting for the oven to preheat. Second, the cookies are soft and remain soft for the next two or three days. Yes – days! Finally, the secret ingredient takes some of the grittiness out of gluten free flours and helps create a texture that is soft and chewy. Which is why I’ll always keep this secret ingredient stocked in my pantry.
The secret ingredient for soft batch cookies
My sister brought a plate of gluten free cookies to a Super Bowl party and I have to admit, I thought she was lying about the cookies being gluten free. She has Celiac so I thought it best to trust her, but the cookies did NOT taste gluten free. They were so soft and chewy and lacked the typical grittiness you often find in gluten free baked goods. When I asked her about the ingredients, I was not expecting to hear the one ingredient that creates this beautiful change…pudding mix.
Maybe you’ve heard of pudding mix cookies. I’ve certainly made cookies from cake mix, but honestly have never thought of using pudding mix in cookies. Maybe its the extra milk powder? Or the cornstarch? Honestly, it doesn’t matter because I love what it does to gluten free cookies.
One word of caution – always double check your ingredients for gluten. I have yet to see a pudding mix that contains gluten (maybe an Oreo box??!!), but you should always double check.
Flavor of pudding mix to use
For this gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe, I used a standard 3.5 oz. box of vanilla instant pudding mix. Do not use the ‘Cook & Serve’ mix. I have no clue how this will turn out, so stick with the instant mix.
The fun thing about pudding mix cookies is the variety of flavors you can use with a standard recipe. Here is another recipe using pudding mix: Triple Chocolate Cookies n’ Cream Gluten Free Cookies.
My sister loves to use banana pudding mix and walnuts to make cookies. There are tons of options! But first we need a good, solid recipe as the base. Feel free to use this recipe with a different pudding mix and other mix-ins besides chocolate chips.
Hey there! Just As Good Gluten Free LLC participates in the Amazon Associates Program, which mean many outgoing links on Just As Good Gluten Free are affiliate links. After clicking on a link, I may receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, which comes at no extra cost to you. This allows me to continue creating gluten free recipes for you! Many thanks – Amy
The best gluten free flour to use in cookies
Most gluten free flour blends you purchase contain xanthan gum, which I found out early on does not settle well with my stomach! As a result, I make my own flour blend using a variety of flours and starches, blended and measured to create a perfect blend I prefer over any other blend to date. Guar gum or Tara gum are great replacements for xanthan gum; however, I prefer to add it to the recipe as needed and you’ll see notes in every recipe on Just As Good Gluten Free with the recommended amounts to use. You can find the recipe to make your own mix here.
I completely understand this takes time, effort and space to make your own mix. Believe me, I’ve tried purchasing blends from stores, but I ALWAYS come back to this one. If you do not have the margin or desire to make your own blend, here are two I would recommend as a suitable substitute: King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1to1 Baking Flour. NOTE*** If you use a different gluten free flour blend than what is stated in the recipe, please check your brand to see how many grams per cup is recommended. It varies significantly in flour blends and can entirely throw the recipe off.
How to store your gluten free chocolate chip cookies
If you find a need to store the cookies, an airtight container or Ziplock baggie will do the trick. While I’m not sure how we had leftovers, I found the cookies were perfectly soft 2-3 days after baking. I almost preferred the cookies on day 2, as they were softer than day 1. This cookie would be perfect to make ahead of time, even the day before you need them. I have never frozen the cookies, but would love to hear if you do!
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Secret Ingredient Soft Batch Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (300 grams) gluten free flour blend
- ½ teaspoon guar, tara or xanthan gum (omit if in flour blend)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3.5 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or silicone mat (optional).
- In a mixing bowl combine butter, sugar and brown sugar until blended. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
- Add gluten free flour blend, gum (if not in blend), salt, baking soda and pudding mix. Stir until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix until dispersed throughout.
- Make golf ball sized balls and place on baking sheet, leaving 1 ½ to 2 inches of space in between each cookie.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from my sister, Kristin.
Check out my Gluten Free Cookie board on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/JustAsGoodGlutenFree/gluten-free-cookies/
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