Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been wanting to bake cream cheese into cookies for ages.
I finally did. And I’m in love with the results.
In my cookbook, I have a recipe for Carrot Cake Cookies with cream cheese baked in, but I’ve never tried it with chocolate chip cookies or as a way to substitute for butter until now.
I adapted my favorite Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookie recipe and replaced some of the butter with cream cheese and am in love with the results.
My favorite recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter and for these cookies, I used a combination of 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup cream cheese.
You wouldn’t think that just a simple quarter-cup swap of butter for cream cheese would effect results that much, but it did.
They’re so soft, moist, and with a richness to the dough like no other cookies I’ve tried.
The dough seems more buttery, which is ironic since there’s actually less butter used, not more.
I can’t taste the cream cheese, but it adds depth, density, and richness that my regular chocolate chip cookies don’t have.
Don’t use light, fat-free, or a whipped cream cheese because your dough will become runny. I tried the recipe with some light cream cheese I had on hand, and the cookies baked thinner and spread.
Use cream cheese in a block or the spreadable kind. Smoosh it into a one-quarter cup measure and cream it with the butter and sugars.
Make sure to chill your dough for at least two hours before you bake to ensure your cookies bake thick and puffy. Warm, limp dough bakes into limpy and wimpy cookies. I want my cookies to be thick, with puffy centers that are overflowing with chocolate.
I used a combination of 2 1/4 cups of chocolate chips and chunks to ensure plenty of chocolate in every bite. And then some.
The cookies are super soft without being cakey, and remind me of Softbatch cookies. The edges are slightly chewy, and the thick interiors are soft, tender, and moist.
Cornstarch is my secret weapon for creating super soft cookies.
The reason pudding cookies turn out so soft is because ‘modified food starch’, or cornstarch, is one of the first ingredients in pudding mix. Same principle here, minus using actual pudding mix.
After trying these cookies and not being able to keep my hands off of them, it’s made me wonder what’ll happen if I replace some of the butter with cream cheese in some of my other favorite cookie recipes.
I’ll can’t wait to start taste-testing and make up for lost time.
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Replacing some of the butter from my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with cream cheese created cookies that are soft, thick, moist, and tender. Although you can’t taste the cream cheese, the cookies have a richness and depth of flavor like no other cookies I’ve tried. Plus there’s an abundance of chocolate in every bite. The dough can be made in advance, refrigerated, and baked as desired, up to 5 days later. A great option to have for fresh, warm cookies without having to mix up dough. I highly recommend these cookies!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use cream cheese in a block or spreadable, don’t use fat-free, light or whipped)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used 1 cup chips and 1 1/4 cups chunks)
Directions:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese (measure it by smooshing it into a 1/4-cup measure), sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add chocolate chips and chunks, and beat momentarily to incorporate, or fold in by hand.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds (I made 28). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or spray with cooking spray and place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark. They have chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Adapted from Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies which also produced Soft and Chewy M&Ms Cookies, Soft and Chewy Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies, Twix Bar Cookies
Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Related Recipes
Edited to Add – New chocolate version of this cookie, Jan 2015
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies – Cream cheese keeps them super soft! Say hello to your new fave chocolate cookie!!
Edited to Add – White Chocolate version of this cookie, June 2014
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies – Move over butter, cream cheese makes these cookies thick and super soft!
Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies – Soft, chewy, tender, moist, stay soft for days, are a snap to make, with two kinds of chocolate. A fuss-free, straightforward recipe for chocolate chip cookies that yields fabulous results every time. and the dough base that Ive adapted over and over
Soft and Chewy Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies – Of all the candy-bar stuffed cookies, these are my favorite
Twix Bar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and Chewy M&Ms Cookies – The exact same cookies as the Snickers and Twix, except they use M&Ms. They’re popular on Pinterest and with readers
Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies – There’s more add-ins than dough in these extremely well-stuffed cookies. If you like eating caramel corn by the handful, baking it into cookies is even better
Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups – No issues with spreading cookies because they’re baked in a muffin pan. They’re dense, with nuttiness and richness from the browned butter and the perfect balance of chewy edges, squishy in the middle, and loaded with chocolate
Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sticks – No butter used in these fast and easy cookie sticks that can’t spread because they’re baked in a pan. It’s faster and easier to make these sticks than individual cookies
Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Soft Batch Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies – One of my favorite cookies, ever. If you’ve never baked with coconut oil, you’re in for such a treat. The cookies don’t taste coconutty, but have a depth and richness that’s unbeatable
Mini Cream Cheese Pound Cakes – Fast, easy, soft, moist and the recipe makes just two little cakes
Thanks for the 20 Favorite Crunchy Snacks and Healthy Chips Maker Giveaway entries and the $500 Apple iPad Giveaway entries
What do you make or bake with cream cheese?
Favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?
These are amazing! I have now made these a second time. Can tell me what I need to do if I freeze the raw cookie dough? Do I bake frozen or does it need to thaw? I have never wanted token a cookie dough on hand but this is the best chocolate chop cookie. I have never had any luck baking them in the past and now I am hooked on this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
If you freeze the raw dough just bake for an extra 1-2 minutes or as needed. No need to thaw and you can go straight from freezer to oven.
Truly the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever !!! I am a believer in the cream cheese and corn starch!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think they’re the best chocolate chip cookies ever!
Awesome cookies. I just used chocolate chips instead of chunks. They stay soft longer. The grandkids (and adults) love them.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these are a hit with everyone!
Hi Averie! How can I bake this recipe into a cookie cake – what adjustments would I have to make in how long to bake? Thank you!
I’ve only made the recipe as written, so I really can’t give advice if you were to make substitutions. If you Google Averie Cooks cookie pie, there are quite a few options that will pop up for recipes that were already designed in that manner.
Hello! Question, is if okay if I make the cream cheese the same measurements as the butter? Because I like to bring the the taste of cream cheese
No because it will through off the consistency of the dough.
Alright thank you ms. Averie! I’m wondering how to bring out the taste of the cream cheese without ruining the recipe.
Absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. I have tried many recipes and these far surpass others! Have been making them for at least 3 years now, probably longer.
Thanks for the five star review and glad these have been a favorite for the past three years!
I love these cookies the only choc-chip cookie I make but I want to make them in ramakins indiviual ramakins do you think that will work. please let me know asap want to make soon Thank you so much
I have only tried the recipe as written so really can’t say how the ramekins will work. The texture I think will change possibly quite a bit. Good luck!
Honestly, the BEST chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever eaten! So creamy and chewy! I used 2 cups of chocolate chips only, and it was still wonderful! This is my new choc chip cookie recipe! I can’t believe the difference the cream cheese makes. I wonder if I can add it to my other cookie recipes?
Thanks for the five star review and glad these are the best choc chip cookies you’ve ever eaten! Adding cream cheese to other cookie recipes could involve some trial and error as it will change the structure/texture/etc. of the dough.
These cookies are amazing! I’ve made them twice now, and I didn’t notice until I mixed up the 2nd batch that I was making them wrong!! I’ve been using the whole 8 oz of cream cheese, instead of the 2 oz it calls for…but they’re unbelievably good!! I do have to bake them for a few minutes longer, but we love them! Especially sprinkled w/ sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven :)
Thanks for the five star review and glad they come out great with 8oz cream cheese rather than 2! I love sea salt on cookies too!
These cookies are incredible!I’ve made them several times and everyone loves them! I make a ton because on my block there are a lot of kids and they love them too! thank you for sharing this great recipe. 5 stars all the way oh and by the may my husband is in love with the chcolate version of these too lol
Thanks for the five star review and glad you make them often because they’re such a hit! And the choc version too for your hubby!
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Amazing!!!
I’m glad you think they are the best choc chip cookies ever!
Made these last Christmas and everyone loved them
Thanks for the five star review and glad they were a hit!
I’m no baker, but these cookies are fool proof. I even used half white whole wheat flour and they still came out soft in the center. I really appreciate that your directions are very specific (i.e., how many minutes to cream the butter and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer), because I really have no idea what I’m doing, and with the specific directions these cookies came out so awesome. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you feel that these cookies are foolproof! I’m also glad to hear that you appreciate my specific directions.
I absolutely love these! They have been a road trip favorite for holiday traveling & in between of course 😊! The only thing I’m wondering about is the color. The bottoms come out brown, but the tops are slightly less than golden brown (almost white). I even leave them in the oven longer. I’m not sure what I might be doing wrong? (I think I tried parchment paper once, and they came out a little better, but I can’t remember. Lol) Thanks again for an amazing recipe!
Dark on the bottom, too light on top, could mean that your oven rack is a bit too low. I would bake on one higher up level of oven rack and that may help quite a bit. Glad you love the cookies!
I’ve been making this recipe since you first posted it and I remember there being a side note in the comments about how to keep the cookies fluffy… I feel like it was something about backing off the flour and maybe adding a little extra of something else. Can you remember?
I haven’t touched this recipe in years, it’s literally one of my top three most popular recipes of all times so I have never wanted to mess with it. In order to keep the cookies fluffy, hmmm I am not sure because I don’t remember anything like that. I’m sorry
Nothing is coming to mind or ringing a bell with this recipe. You could possibly try adding 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, that might help you, not sure.
This has become my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I always get compliments! If I’m in a rush and don’t have two hours for the dough to sit in the fridge, I’ve discovered sticking the dough in the freezer for about 20 min seems to work just as well.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that it’s your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and that if you’re short on time, the freezer works just as well for you!
Love this recipe!!! Wondering if I can put all the dough I the refrigerator at the same time rather than the heaping mounds on plate?
I would do it as I recommend or else it’s a lot of elbow grease to chisel out cold dough.
You did an AMAZING job with these!! I love love love chocolate chip cookies and this is my go-to recipe for them. I always get TONS of compliments. I just read one of those recent comments and your reply about chiseling cookies out of cold dough and you are not lying. But I have always made them that way, because I never have room in my fridge to do otherwise. They aren’t as uniform in size, but they work.Just made these for maybe the 12th time (with many compliments) and just wanted to thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is your go-to recipe and always get tons of compliments!
Help Averie!! I forgot to wrap my dough in plastic wrap! I just took it out of the refrigerator and it’s soooo hard and crumbling. Howwww do I fix this ?
You can’t really. The fridge dries out dough a ton. I would just bake them and hope for the best but be sure not to over bake or it will make them even drier.
I am a big fan of all of your recipes! Can’t wait to make these cookies and am wondering if you can use this recipe and add M&M’s with the chocolate chips.
I’m sure that adding M&Ms would be just fine. Enjoy!
You have never had a cookie this good. This is the best cookie you will EVER have.. amazingly moist and rich and so, so chocolaty. This is replacing my old faithful recipe (which doesn’t even compare). So glad I found this. Happy baking!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad my recipe is replacing your old faithful recipe!
Seriously the best cookie recipe ever! Such a huge hit every time!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad they are a huge hit every time and the best cookies ever for you!
This is a great recipe! Thanks
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you enjoy the recipe!
Ithese look amazing! I can’t wait to try them. After these cookies are baked how long can they sit out at room temperature? I was just wondering if they need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese.
No they do not and are fine at room temp for a few days. As always, cookies taste best the fresher they are.
These sound so awesome, is there any way to change a few things and make them keto?
I don’t know what keto is specifically so really can’t help you with that question.