Strawberry Pudding Cookies Recipe

If you’re looking for a dessert that practically shouts “happy,” Strawberry Pudding Cookies will absolutely steal your heart. These cookies are fluffy, wonderfully soft, and bursting with strawberry flavor you can actually see and taste in every bite. The magic comes from a combination of strawberry gelatin and cheesecake pudding mix, making each cookie taste like a dream-come-true hybrid between a classic cookie and your favorite strawberry shortcake. Rich white chocolate chips round out the whole experience, making these a treat you’ll want to share—but probably won’t want to!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients You’ll Need

These Strawberry Pudding Cookies come together with an approachable list of baking basics and a few fun twists. Every ingredient plays a role in achieving that signature soft texture, bold color, and irresistible strawberry flavor.

• Unsalted Butter: Use room temperature butter for maximum fluffiness and that classic cookie chew.
• Granulated Sugar: Essential for sweetness and helps create those beautiful soft edges.
• Strawberry-Flavored Instant Jello Gelatin Powder: The ultimate secret to vibrant strawberry flavor and pretty pink hues.
• Large Eggs: Make sure they’re at room temperature for the smoothest, creamiest dough.
• Strawberry Extract: Enhances the real strawberry flavor—pick a colored extract for extra color or add food gel if your extract is clear.
• Red Gel Food Coloring (optional): Gives your cookies the perfect blushing hue if you need a little color boost.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds cozy warmth and balances the bold strawberry punch.
• All-Purpose Flour: The backbone—measured carefully, it keeps your cookies perfectly soft and never dry.
• Cheesecake-Flavored Instant Pudding Mix: Only the instant kind! It makes the cookies extra tender and adds a subtle tang that complements the berries.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: A dynamic duo for a perfect lift and fluffy middle.
• Salt: Brings all the flavors together and balances out the sweetness.
• White Chocolate Chips: They melt into creamy pockets of sweetness, pairing beautifully with the tart strawberry notes.

How to Make Strawberry Pudding Cookies

Step 1: Cream the Butter, Sugar, and Strawberry Gelatin

Start by beating together your unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and strawberry gelatin powder in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium-low; you want the mixture to look fluffy and light pink—this is where all those strawberry vibes begin. This step ensures your cookies have that tender structure and rich flavor from the get-go.

Step 2: Mix in Wet Ingredients

Crack in your eggs and pour in the strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and a few drops of food coloring if you want an extra pop of color. Beat everything together for another minute or two, just until it looks lush and fully combined. This is when you’ll want to sneak a sniff—trust me, it smells like summer!

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cheesecake pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The instant pudding is key: it transforms the cookie texture into a melt-in-your-mouth experience while adding just a hint of creamy tang.

Step 4: Bring It All Together

Gradually mix your dry ingredients into the wet mixture on low speed. Don’t overmix; just blend until you no longer see streaks of flour. Your dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and vibrantly pink.

Step 5: Fold in White Chocolate Chips

Gently stir in 1½ cups of white chocolate chips. Save the remaining chips for topping each cookie dough ball before baking, if you’d like those pretty chocolate peaks peeking through after baking.

Step 6: Chill the Dough

Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This quick chill makes the dough easier to scoop and helps the cookies keep their pillowy shape rather than spreading out flat.

Step 7: Scoop and Prepare to Bake

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a 1½-inch cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons of dough) to create adorable mounds. Top each with a few reserved white chocolate chips for bakery-worthy looks.

Step 8: Bake to Perfection

Bake for about 10 minutes, watching closely—they’ll look just set and very slightly golden around the bottom edges. Avoid overbaking! Let cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely for the best texture.

How to Serve Strawberry Pudding Cookies

Garnishes

Decorating these Strawberry Pudding Cookies couldn’t be more fun. A sprinkle of sparkling sugar or a drizzle of melted white chocolate takes them from homemade to spectacular. If you want to dial up the strawberry even more, press a small piece of freeze-dried strawberry into the top before baking for a pop of flavor and color.

Side Dishes

Serve your cookies alongside a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic duo, or try pairing with a chilled strawberry milkshake for an over-the-top treat. For a fun twist at brunch, these cookies make a fabulous sweet accent next to fresh berries and whipped cream.

Creative Ways to Present

Arrange Strawberry Pudding Cookies on a tiered dessert tray with other pink or white treats for a party centerpiece. Stack them in a clear jar with a ribbon for a heartfelt homemade gift, or set up a DIY cookie sandwich bar with assorted ice cream flavors and toppings for a make-your-own-cookie celebration.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store Strawberry Pudding Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They’ll stay extra-soft thanks to the pudding mix and will taste just as dreamy on day four as they did fresh from the oven.

Freezing

You can freeze both the unbaked dough or the baked cookies. For the dough, scoop balls onto a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to three months. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely, stack between wax paper in a container, and freeze for up to three months—just thaw at room temp when ready to eat.

Reheating

To revive that “just-baked” magic, pop the cookies in a 300°F oven for 2-3 minutes, or microwave each single cookie for about 10 seconds. This brings back their irresistible softness and helps the white chocolate chips get a little gooey.

FAQs

Can I use other flavors of pudding mix?

Absolutely! While cheesecake pudding is amazing in these Strawberry Pudding Cookies, white chocolate or vanilla instant pudding also work beautifully. Just be sure to use the instant kind, never cook & serve.

Can I make these without food coloring?

Yes, you can skip the gel coloring—your cookies may be slightly less vibrant, but the gelatin and extract will still give them a lovely pink hue. The flavor stays just as delicious.

Why do I need to chill the dough?

Chilling is key for those pillowy, thick cookies! Without chilling, the dough spreads too much in the oven and you’ll miss that signature soft center.

Can I substitute fresh strawberries?

The recipe relies on gelatin and extract for flavor and texture. Fresh strawberries add too much moisture, which can make cookies mushy rather than fluffy. Stick with the concentrate for that bakery-style result.

How do I keep the cookies extra soft?

The pudding mix is already a secret weapon, but be sure not to overbake. Pull the cookies out when just set in the middle and let them rest on the tray for a few minutes to finish baking through.

Final Thoughts

Trust me—once you bake a batch of Strawberry Pudding Cookies, you’ll want them in your regular dessert rotation. They bring the perfect combo of nostalgia, color, and flavor to any table. Gather your ingredients and let the strawberry magic begin!

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