Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pudding Cookies are the perfect way to switch up classic chocolate chip cookies for Valentine’s Day. These bakery‑style cookies bake up with a lightly crisp exterior, a soft and chewy center, and all the goodness of cheesecake pudding mix, cream cheese chips, chocolate chunks, and festive Valentine’s M&M’s. They’re cute, colorful, and such a fun treat to share with the people you love.

These Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pudding Cookies come together in under 30 minutes and always look extra festive with the red, white, and pink M&M’s. Every bite has melty chocolate pools and pops of crunch from the candy coating. If you want to get the kids involved, let them help press a few extra M&M’s on top of each dough ball—those bright colors really shine after baking.

Tips for the Best Cheesecake Pudding Cookies:

• Use white chocolate, cheesecake, or vanilla pudding mix, but avoid sugar‑free and make sure the package is 3.4 oz so the dry ingredient ratio stays correct.
• White chocolate chips or Hershey’s cream cheese chips both work beautifully.
• Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks melt into the best chocolate puddles, but any semi‑sweet chunk or chip works. (Skip milk chocolate—these cookies are already sweet.)
• Swap the M&M colors for any holiday or use classic colors for an everyday cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, cold and cut up into cubes
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3-1/4 cups AP flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 pkg cheesecake pudding mix (3.4oz)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup white cream cheese or white chocolate chips
• 1 cup valentine’s M&M’s (plain), plus extra for decorating

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In your mixer bowl, cream together the cold, cubed butter or margarine and both sugars for approximately 3 minutes. 
3. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla, one at a time, scraping down the sides in between.  
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt.  
5. Add it to the creamed sugar mixture and stir until combined.  
6. Mix in the white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, then stir in the M&M’s.
7. Using a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough on to your prepared trays, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie ball.
8. Press extra M&M’s in to the top of each ball of dough if desired.  I press in 3 different colors, just to help them show better in the cookies.
9. Bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies are light golden brown on the top.  (For best results I cook one tray at a time on the middle shelf.)  
10. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the trays on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the cooling racks. 

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pudding Cookies FAQ’s:

Can I use a different pudding flavor?
Yes. Cheesecake, white chocolate, or vanilla pudding all work well. Avoid sugar‑free pudding and make sure the package is 3.4 oz so the dry ingredient ratio stays correct.

Do I have to use cream cheese chips?
No. White chocolate chips work perfectly if you can’t find cream cheese chips.

Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.

Why are my cookies spreading?
If the butter was too warm or the flour wasn’t fully spooned and leveled, the dough may be softer. Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking to help them hold shape.

Can I use regular M&M’s instead of Valentine’s colors?
Absolutely. Swap in any seasonal colors or classic M&M’s for an everyday cookie.