White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookies

White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookies

Instant vanilla pudding mix gives these white chocolate chip cookies their pudding-cookie character. They bake as thick, round drop cookies with lightly colored edges and soft centers, then get a pink peppermint drizzle and a scattering of crushed candy.

Flatten the dough mounds only slightly so the cookies keep their shape. After baking, let them cool completely before decorating; a thick glaze stays on the cookies, and the peppermint flecks stick best while it is still wet.

Ingredients for White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookies

For the cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (225g)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (105g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix, about 3.4 ounces (96g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (280g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (170g)
• A few extra white chocolate chips per cookie, optional, for the tops

For the pink peppermint glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
• A small amount of pink gel food coloring
• 2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy cane (25g)

Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve. Measure the peppermint extract carefully; its strength varies by brand.

How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookies

1. Prepare the oven and dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt, breaking up any pudding-mix clumps.
2. Mix the dough: Beat the softened butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no flour remains, then fold in the white chocolate chips.
3. Shape the cookies: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the cool baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between portions. Gently flatten each mound, keeping it thick and rounded rather than pressing it into a thin disk. Press a few extra chips on top if desired. If the dough is too soft to hold its shape, chill it briefly until scoopable.
4. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time, uncovered, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes and remove the cookies when the edges are set and lightly colored but the centers still look soft. Rotate the sheet only if your oven browns unevenly. Let the baking sheet cool before using it for the next batch.
5. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a rack. Cool completely before glazing.
6. Decorate: Stir together the powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and a small amount of pink coloring. Add milk a little at a time until the glaze is thick but drizzleable. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies and immediately scatter the crushed peppermint over the wet glaze.

How to Tell When the Cookies Are Done

The 10- to 12-minute window is a starting point; cookie size and oven behavior can change the timing. Look for set, pale-golden edges rather than a fully firm center. The cookies finish setting during their 5-minute rest on the hot baking sheet, and waiting for deep browning can leave them dry.

How to Keep the Peppermint Glaze in Place

The cookies must be completely cool before decorating. The glaze should fall in narrow ribbons but hold on the surface instead of running off. If decorating in groups, add the crushed peppermint to each group right after drizzling so it adheres before the glaze sets.

How to Store the Cookies

Let the glaze set fully, then store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers to limit sticking. No reheating is needed. Freezing results for these decorated cookies are not established.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on a yield of 24 cookies (about 50g each): 230 calories, 2g protein, 10g fat, and 34g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 455 calories, 4g protein, 20g fat, and 66g carbohydrates. Values vary with ingredient brands, cookie size, and the amount of glaze used.