Description
These Lemon Pudding Cookies are soft, tangy, and packed with vibrant lemon flavor enhanced by a luscious lemon instant pudding mix. With a tender cream cheese and butter base and bursts of sweetness from white chocolate chips, these cookies offer a delightful melt-in-your-mouth texture perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package lemon instant pudding mix
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Extras
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, divided (¾ cup for folding in, ¼ cup for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and lemon instant pudding mix until well blended. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream butter mixture: Using a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and lemon zest for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Add egg and vanilla: Mix in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, again scraping the bowl to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: On low speed, gradually add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just mostly combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined—the dough should be tough to stir at this point.
- Fold in white chocolate chips: Gently fold ¾ cup of white chocolate chips into the cookie dough, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Shape and top cookies: Use a medium cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 1 inch apart. Press a few of the remaining white chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball and gently press down to slightly flatten the cookies.
- Bake and cool: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are fully softened to achieve a smooth, well-mixed dough.
- Don’t overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to avoid tough cookies.
- Lemon zest can be adjusted to taste for more intense lemon flavor.
- White chocolate chips can be substituted with regular or dark chocolate chips if preferred.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
