Cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy, tender and impossibly soft cookies made with cream cheese. These chocolate chip cream cheese cookies are easy to make and have a short chill time. Make these soft batch cream cheese cookies whenever you want a chocolate chip cookie that may be better than the classic.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft, chewy and cozy chocolate chip cookie made with fun and creative ingredients. My Condensed Milk Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies and Biscoff Butter Cookies are just a few chocolate chip cookie recipes I love from the blog. I am so excited to add these impossibly soft cram cheese chocolate chip cookies. They may just be my new favorite cookie!
- You love soft cookies. The richness and extra fat from the cream cheese, in addition to the cornstarch makes these chocolate chip cream cheese cookies the softest cookies you’ve ever had. Plus, these soft batch cookies stay soft for days after baking.
- Quick and easy to make. These cream cheese cookies with chocolate chips are just as easy to make as classic chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
This recipe for chocolate chip cream cheese cookies requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, cream cheese, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract and semi sweet chocolate chips.
Substitutions
These soft batch chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy cookies with chocolate and cream cheese if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these cookies, gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the flour based off weight (270 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Baking Soda: This recipe has not been tested using only baking soda as an alternative.
- Cornstarch: Using cornstarch helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much, as well as giving them an extra chewiness.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies with soft cream cheese and chocolate chip cookies refined sugar free.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter can be used, just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Cream Cheese: Use a full fat block cream cheese such as Philadelphia cream cheese. Mascarpone cheese is a good substitute for the cream cheese.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: This recipe has not been tested without eggs yolks. The extra yolk gives these cookies extra richness and chewiness.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use any combination (or just one) kind of chocolate chips or bars.
How To Make
Learn how to make cream cheese chocolate chip cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth well combined. Once combined, add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until well combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes - 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the chocolate chip and cream cheese cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 9 - 10 minutes until the edges and tops of the cookies are set. The cookies will still look pale, but set on the top. Reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. Cool the soft batch chocolate chip cream cheese cookies on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Prepare the cream cheese cookies with chocolate chip dough to the chilling step. Store the cookie dough covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer cookie dough storage, transfer to the freezer.
- Store: Place the baked chocolate chip cream cheese cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Make sure the soft batch chocolate chip cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet or large plate. Flash freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove the cookie dough balls and transfer to an air tight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen. The cookies will take a few minutes longer if baking from frozen.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the baked chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese is to let them sit out at room temperature until thawed. Warm the thawed cookies in the microwave for 15 - 20 seconds for a “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese. I like to pull the butter and cream cheese out about 1 - 1 ½ hours prior to making the recipe. Make sure both are around the same temperature and that they spread easily prior to mixing the two together.
- Use full fat ingredients. For the best cream cheese chocolate chip cookies, make sure to use full fat cream cheese and butter.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies. For chocolate chip cream cheese cookies that are soft for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and top are set.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe for chocolate chip cream cheese cookies needs to be chilled. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for about 7 - 8 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 11- 12 minutes.
They taste just like a classic chocolate cookie. The cream cheese doesn’t leave a tangy taste, but it does create incredibly soft and chewy cookies.
Feel free to add chopped nuts or other candies such as M&M’s. Try not to add more than 2 cups of mix-ins total, including the chocolate chips.
Full fat block cream cheese is the best cream cheese to use for these cookies.
Other Cream Cheese Recipes to Try
If you try this Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 2 baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cool but soft
- ¼ cup (113 g) cream cheese, cool but soft
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth well combined. Once combined, add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cool but soft, ¼ cup (113 g) cream cheese, cool but soft, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature , 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until well combined. Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes - 2 hours.1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the chocolate chip and cream cheese cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Top with more chocolate chips if you like.
- Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 9 - 10 minutes until the edges and tops of the cookies are set. The cookies will still look pale, but set on the top. Reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
- Cool the soft batch chocolate chip cream cheese cookies on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy.
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