This past weekend, with both our significant others out of state on business travel, Dad and I planned an extra special father-daughter date. I rose with the sun on Saturday morning to get ready, pull on my favorite green blouse, and pack my purse with all the essentials before heading out to our favorite place…
The ballpark!
At the Oakland A’s Coliseum, we snaked through the security line, snagged two of the exclusive promotional items—yellow “AL West Champs” fleece blankets—and wove through the thick throngs of fans to find our season ticket seats. As we climbed down the steps, we realized that they were less than 10 rows back from the field, right behind the A’s dugout! (Although partway through the game, we joked they were almost too close for comfort… A towering foul ball landed just 2 seats away! Definitely bringing a glove next time.)
We always arrive at the ballpark 2 hours early, just to watch batting practice, so I camped out while Dad found the hot dog stand. (I held out for a gourmet lunch instead!) I scanned the field, tracking the long fly balls and powerful home runs screaming into the outfield stands, and smiled at the young kids crowding around the dugout, hoping and praying for any player’s autograph.
As the grounds crew cleaned up the cages, I slathered on sunscreen, opened my scorecard to a fresh page, and started scrawling players’ names, numbers, and positions in the boxes. After the National Anthem and Ceremonial First Pitch, we cheered, booed, and held our breaths with the rest of the crowd.
A little disappointed when the A’s starter gave up a few homers in the 5th, we continued to root for our boys. They made it interesting in the bottom of the 9th, barely missing tying the game by a long shot a few feet to the left of the foul pole, but we still left after their loss with happy smiles from our warm sunny day at the ballpark.
Just like our date, these Double Lemon Pudding Cookies are bright, sunshiny, and a real sweet treat! Summery citrus flavor infuses every bite of these cute pastel cookies. With their soft chewy texture and rich buttery taste, you’ll have a hard time believing these are actually lightened up and low in both fat and calories!
Up until early last fall, I never knew “pudding cookies” existed. Only after quitting my chemistry job and beginning blogging full-time did I finally discover these little gems! After I lusted after a few decadent recipes from Dorothy and Averie, those two ladies inspired me to try creating my own healthier version.
Adding dry instant pudding mix to the dough works true cookie magic! It (a) contributes another flavor {in this case, lemon!} and (b) creates the softest texture imaginable due to the cornstarch in the mix. Not convinced? It gets better—the cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft for an entire week! (It’s why I add cornstarch to all of these cookies too!)
Note: You’ll just use the dry instant mix; do NOT prepare it according to the package directions!
For this recipe, I tweaked one of my favorite cookie dough bases. I swapped out the brown sugar for the white to preserve the pretty pastel lemon color, and I reduced the amount of flour and sugar to compensate for the sweetness and dry ingredients in the pudding mix. I also added in lots of fresh lemon zest, which really amplifies the citrus flavor. Please oh please, do not skip it!
Treat the pudding mix like sugar, not flour; like sugar, it dissolves in liquid. Skip whisking it in with the dry ingredients and stir it into the melted butter instead. (Yup, melted butter—no mixer needed for today’s recipe!)
Believe it or not, chilling is optional for these cookies! Low fat cookie dough does not spread as much as standard recipes. (My “clean eating” cookie series is an exception due to the extra moisture added from the liquid sweeteners.) Chilling this low fat cookie dough completely prevents any spreading, so you’ll need to flatten it before baking.
For the cookies in these photographs, I did not chill the dough. If you don’t either, simply drop the freshly mixed cookie dough onto the baking sheet in rounded scoops. They’ll flatten to about half their height in the oven—still thick enough to taste their softness and chew, but not as thin as pancakes or crêpes!
If you’ve been around a while, you’ll already know my special secret to soft and chewy cookies: underbake them slightly; then leave them on the warm baking sheet for 10 minutes after pulling them out of the oven. This allows the centers to continue cooking without turning the outsides crisp and crunchy. If stored in an airtight container, they’ll stay soft for an entire week!
I saved that one for you!
Light and summery, these Double Lemon Pudding Cookies will brighten your day with their sweet citrus taste. With their cute pastel hue and incredibly tender chew, you’ll need to pour a glass of milk—or maybe two. It’s practically impossible to stop after just one!
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These cookies are unbelievably soft and chewy! They’re full of sweet lemon flavor from the pudding and zest, but they don’t taste tart or sour at all. Store the leftovers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the sugar, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the pudding mix. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. (Optional: Chill for 30 minutes for thicker cookies that do not spread during baking.)
- Drop the cookie dough into 22 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheets. (If the cookie dough was chilled, flatten slightly.) Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Note: I have not tried this with regular instant lemon pudding mix; I do not know if that will work.
I can’t find fat free, sugar free lemon pudding mix. Any idea on where to locate?
I generally find mine at Walmart, but most grocery stores (including Target) with a large baking aisle should carry it too Sarah!
Followed this recipe to a T, and they are just okay… Weird consistency and not too moist. Not terrible, but I think we were expecting something a little different based on how good they look in the pictures!
I’m sorry the cookies didn’t turn out how you expected Kenna; that must have been disappointing! The strange texture could be due to two reasons: there was too much flour in the cookie dough or the cookies were baked for too long. Use a very light hand when measuring with the spoon-and-level method (I describe more here!), and pull the cookies out a minute or two earlier. Hopefully your next batch turns out perfectly chewy!
What can I sub for fat free and sugar free lemon pudding mix as I am not sure if it is available here? We like crunchy cookies, should I bake them longer? Love this recipe and all your posts are amazing!!
I think that this lemon cookie recipe of mine may be better for you since it doesn’t involve pudding mix. The cookies are still just as lemony, and they’re easier to make crunchy by baking them longer too. I hope you enjoy them Lakshmi!
This recipe looks good and I will be trying it out tomorrow! Have you tried making the cream cheese pudding cookies? They are amazing!
I haven’t tried cream cheese pudding cookies before, but they sound delicious! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these Athena! 🙂
First thanks for the recipe! I replaced the butter with equal parts applesauce & the sugar with equal parts Splenda because I was trying to make them have lower calories. I also used about 4 Tbsp. or 52g of lemon zest because I didn’t want to throw the zest away. They turned out more like a scone/biscuit but they are very good! I would definitely make again! I’ll maybe even try it with an egg substitute to make it vegan! Thanks again!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies Kara! 🙂 Cookies do need some fat in order to taste soft and chewy, rather than bready or like muffins. (I was a chemist before a baking blogger, so I love the science side of things! 😉 ) I’m honored that you’d want to bake them again!
I’m dieing and wanted something other than pudding or frozen fruit bars for a sweet treat. These are delightfully sweet and light. I added almonds slivers on top. Yummy! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Adrienne! That means a lot to me! 🙂
Here’s an idea for you. I don’t know how you feel about alcohol in baked goods, but I’m going to try this this weekend…substitute Amaretto for 3/4 of the vanilla, omit the lemon peel, and substitute sugar free fat free pistachio pudding mix in place of lemon. Brandy extract might also work in place of amaretto. I hope it works. I love pistachio! Might even be good with a chocolate drizzle on top…
That sounds delicious Adrienne! I can’t wait to hear how that turned out for you! 🙂
Commenting for those that want to know. I used regular lemon pudding mix. Eye balled about a third of the package since the ounces are more.
I did not chill my dough and I have beautiful lemon cookies that did not spread!
Happy baking!
Thank you so much for sharing! I always love to hear what recipe tweaks work. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies!
please tell me if i could use sugar free chocolate pudding mix and omit lemon zest and maybe add dark choc chips
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe Gail! If you’re trying to make double chocolate chip cookies, then I’d actually recommend using this recipe of mine instead. If you simply substituted chocolate instant pudding mix for the lemon, that wouldn’t be a very strong chocolate flavor at all! However, if that’s what you’re going for (a very muted chocolate flavor in the cookies), then what you suggested should be fine. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try either cookie recipe!
Is there a way to prepare Double Lemon Pudding Cookies using regular lemon pudding and not that sugar free stuff? My dad has been told by his physician the stuff on the market labeled “sugar free” first of all is not sugar free, they get around the food labeling law by using some sort of “sugar alcohol” or some such thing, I can’t remember the details anymore. We never used this stuff anyway except for these Sugar Free Reese Peanut Butter cups, these small mini ones (which is how the entire conversation began with the doctor in the first place). I would love to make the cookies but I have to find another product for the lemon. Since we’re dealing with sugar levels, I’m not sure I can just substitute one for the other. Has anyone you know tried using the regular pudding mix rather than the sugar free?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Pamela! Your dad is so lucky to have you to bake him sweet treats that are suitable for his diet. 🙂 This is the sugar-free instant pudding mix that I use. It does not appear to contain sugar alcohols. From the ingredients list on the label, it really does look like it’s completely free of any sugars or sugar alcohols. If you give your doctor’s office a phone call, they should probably be able to tell you whether it will work for your father’s diet! (And a quick little tip for you — if you look at the ingredients lists on any products labeled “sugar-free,” the names of the sugar alcohols should end in -ol, like xylitol or maltitol. I was an organic chemist before I became a baking blogger, so it was drilled into me that basically all alcohol names end in -ol! 😉 ) I’d love to hear what you and your dad think if you decide to try making these cookies!