One Cookie Dough 4 Ways
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This pudding cookie dough recipe is easy to make and can be used to make 4 delicious Christmas cookies: frosted cookies, sprinkle cookies, thumbprint cookies, and hidden kiss cookies.
That’s right, four cookies from one basic cookie dough!
Make incredible homemade Christmas cookies for your Christmas party, cookie exchange, or to leave out for Santa with this yummy pudding sugar cookie recipe.

The pudding cookie dough makes cookies that are so soft and full of vanilla flavor, they really are the most amazing melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
And while you could just go ahead and enjoy your vanilla pudding cookies as-is, we like to have some fun with these pudding cookie variations. They are perfect for holiday baking!

4 Christmas cookies, 1 dough
This vanilla pudding cookie dough may be used to make the following cookies:
- Christmas sprinkle cookies
- thumbprint jam cookies
- secret kiss cookies
- soft frosted Christmas cookies
Ingredients

For the basic pudding cookie dough you will need:
- Butter & shortening – I like to use a combo of butter and shortening for this recipe. The shortening helps prevent the cookies from over spreading in the oven while the butter gives the cookies that real butter flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract if at all possible (not imitation).
- All-purpose flour
- Instant vanilla pudding mix – The smaller, 3.4 oz size box. Make sure you get instant pudding mix, not cook & serve pudding.
- Baking powder
- Salt
The different cookie variations will each call for one or more extra ingredients as well.
See what extra ingredients you will need here: thumbprint cookies, hidden kiss cookies, sprinkle cookies, soft frosted cookies.
Freezes Well
This Christmas cookie dough recipe makes enough for 5 dozen cookies, so feel free to separate the dough and bake some now and freeze some for later.
To freeze, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer baggie. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Need more Christmas cookie recipes?
For more Christmas baking inspo, check out: The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes!

Basic Pudding Cookie Dough
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, and instant pudding mix.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, a little at a time, mixing between additions.
- Finish preparing and bake according to individual directions for Soft Frosted Christmas Cookies, Hidden Kiss Cookies, Sprinkle Pudding Cookies, or Thumbprint Cookies.
Notes
Nutrition

Did You Make This Recipe?
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Can you roll this dough out for Christmas cut out cookies?
This dough isn’t stiff enough for rolling out and cutting. You can use this sugar cookie recipe or this shortbread cookie recipe for cut-out cookies. I hope this helps!
Hi! Sounds great! Can I use fat free pudding mix?
Hi Cyndi, I haven’t tried using fat-free pudding mix myself so I can’t say for sure how the cookie wound turn out. If you do decide to give the recipe a try with please let me know how they come out!
i am going to try this
Can I use Almond flour?
I haven’t tried using almond flour for this recipe so I can’t say for certain. If you do decide to give it a try please let me know how they come out.
My grandson is allergic to eggs. Do you think this would work if I added cream instead and a little baking powder
I am not sure since I haven’t tested the recipe without the eggs. Maybe give this egg-free pudding cookie recipe a try instead?
What kind of shortening did u use?
Crisco
I would really love to try your recipes. Could you translate your cups to grand please? I have tried numerous converters but they never say the same thing!
Auto correct spell is being a pain lol I meant to say grams
I knew what you meant 🙂
That is the main reason that I have not added a converter on my site– I do not trust them to give the correct measurements. The last thing I want is to ruin people’s baking with incorrect measurements.
How big of a scoop do I make
A Tablespoon or a heaping Tablespoon.
Can I use chocolate pudding??
Yes!
Could I use all butter?
You can use all butter but the cookies may spread more while baking.
Could this work for a snickerdoodle cookie? Or a peanut butter cookie?
Really like how easy it seems to ne!
You could add some cinnamon to the batter and roll in cinnamon for snickerdoodle-like cookies. I am not sure about adding peanut butter to the batter though as that would change the consistency of the dough.