Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft batch cookies are made with a combination of butter and cream cheese, which makes them extra rich and delicious! I like to make mine using a combination of chocolate chips and chunks, and you can even use M&M’s in these!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe … with Cream Cheese!
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 Cookies 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 soft batch chocolate chip 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.
These chocolate chip cream cheese cookies are so soft, moist, and with a richness to the dough like no other cookies I’ve tried.
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 soft batch chocolate chip cream cheese 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 can’t wait to start taste-testing and make up for lost time!
What Does Cream Cheese Do for Cookies?
It makes them super soft and moist! In this particular recipe, 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.
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. 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 cream cheese cookies are super soft without being cakey, and remind me of soft batch cookies. The edges are slightly chewy, and the thick interiors are soft, tender, and moist.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
If you’ve never made chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese before, you’re in for a treat! You’ll need just a handful of pantry staples:
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
The steps for this chocolate chip cookie recipe with cream cheese couldn’t be simpler!
- Cream together the cream cheese, butter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it’s light and fluffy. Don’t just mix it all together, it must be light and fluffy before moving onto the next step!
- Add in the dry ingredients and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated.
- Scoop the cookie dough into large balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before baking.
- Bake the cookies for no more than 10 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Tip: DO NOT overbake the cookies. They’ll continue cooking on the inside as they come to room temperature, and you definitely don’t want them to become too firm. Remember: you’re making soft batch cookies here!
Can I Use a Cornstarch Substitute?
Honestly, I’m not sure if a cornstarch substitute would work in this recipe. To make these cream cheese chocolate chip cookies soft batch-style, the cornstarch is needed.
Technically, you can omit the cornstarch, but your cookies won’t turn out as soft.
Can the Cookies Be Made with Low-Fat Cream Cheese?
No, 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.
Can I Add Mix-Ins to the Cookie Dough?
I made these as classic chocolate chip cream cheese cookies, but I bet you could add extra mix-ins if desired. Chopped nuts, M&M’s, or your favorite chopped up candy bar would all be good additions.
Just be sure to add no more than 2 1/4 cups mix-ins total.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes, if you want to make soft batch chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese you MUST chill the dough first.
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.
Can I Chill the Dough and Then Roll it Into Balls?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The dough firms up a lot in the fridge and becomes crumbly, which makes it tough to roll after being chilled. You really need to form the cookie dough balls and then chill them for best results.
Can I Freeze Cookie Dough?
Yes, this chocolate chip cream cheese cookie dough freezes incredibly well. Just roll the dough into balls as if you were going to bake them, but store them in the freezer instead.
You don’t have to thaw the dough before baking it, just bake it straight from frozen (note that you may need to bake these cream cheese cookies 1 to 2 minutes longer if baking from frozen).
Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese
Cookie scoop: I used a 2-inch cookie scoop to make my cookies because I like them really big. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use a large spoon and your hands. Just try to make your cookies all the same size so they bake evenly!
Cookie cake: I’ve never tried this myself, but a few readers have asked if they could transform the cookie dough into a cookie cake. My gut says most likely! Use this chocolate chip cookie pie recipe as a reference for bake times.
Make ahead: As I mentioned already, the cookie dough freezes incredibly well. If you plan on making the cookies ahead of time to freeze for later, I recommend freezing the dough rather than the baked cookies.
But that’s just my personal preference as I prefer enjoying freshly baked cookies rather than thawed and reheated ones!
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Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened*
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 2 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks**
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookies Made with Cream Cheese:
ALL OF MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPES!
Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies — Cream cheese keeps them super soft! Say hello to your new fave chocolate cookie!!
Black and White Cream Cheese Cookies — These cookies combine two favorites in one! Soft, moist, buttery, creamy Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are paired with fudgy, intensely chocolaty, and not overly sweet Dark Chocolate Dark Brown Sugar Cookies.
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!
Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, soft, buttery cookies with sweet and tangy cream cheese in the middle!! Oh my….Best thumbprints ever!!!
Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, bold lemon flavor packed into super soft cookies thanks to the cream cheese!! Tangy-sweet perfection! Lemon lovers are going to adore these easy cookies!!
these are quite literally one of the best cookies i’ve ever eaten!!!!!!
Awww, that’s awesome! Thanks for saying that! Glad they came out great!
Holy cookie. I’ll try these just based on those amazing food porn pictures alone. I mean, REALLY! Wasn’t planning on going to the store but I guess I’LL JUST HAVE TO! :-)
Yes, do it :)
I too found these flat-tasting and not sweet enough. The texture is good but the flavor is, lacking.
Normally ‘not sweet enough’ aren’t words I hear with regard to my desserts but we all have different tastes. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I found this recipe and just had to make it. I doubled the amounts to make a double-batch, and I may have used more cream cheese than I should have . . . that said, I definitely had a different result than yours. I may have a larger cookie scoop – mine measures 2″ across, so I thought it was the right size, but it made fewer cookies (as I see others mentioned as well), and they flattened more than yours did, even though I followed your instructions. I wonder if I should only bake one sheet at a time? Any other thoughts about what I may have done wrong? Thanks for your awesome site, by the way!
Many things could have been the culprit…
If you feel like you used more cream cheese than you should have, that would contribute to spreading/flattening.
Also sometimes doubling recipes works great, other times, not so much. This may be one of those times, I don’t know because I only ever make a single batch so can’t speak to doubling and the effects and if that’s at play.
Also a 2-inch across scoop, that could be on the larger size of what I normally use. I have a medium (2 tbsp dough) and a large (4 tbsp/ or 1/4 cup) dough. I am not exactly sure how much 2 inches across holds, I am guessing nearly 1/4 cup dough and that could be why you yielded less; my cookies in this recipe weren’t that big.
I think making a single batch, chilling the dough, not over-measuring your cream cheese, and making slightly smaller cookies will be your best bets next time.
all that sounds good and is what I was planning . . . I’ll be trying them again soon, they tasted awesome in any case and all of my co-workers loved them! thanks
Amazing cookies! Thank you for the recipe!!
Glad you enjoyed them!
These were awesome! I had to adapt for gluten free but really appreciated your directions about how to bake them and store them. Thanks!
Glad they came out great and that you were able to pull off a GF version!
I am going to also adapt them for gluten free and I will use my cup 4 cup flour. Hoping it’s the same amount of flour needed. With GF recipes, it usually calls for cream cheese to add the moisture to the dough. I’ve gotten pretty used to including it by this point and I love what it adds to dough mixtures!
I know others have made these GF and if you read through the semi-recent comments, I think there are a few people who mention success. And yes, cream cheese is a miracle worker for adding moisture, isn’t it!
BEST COOKIES EVER!!!! My mom baked them over Thanksgiving and I was very skeptical…….who puts cream cheese in Chocolate Chip cookies…..just sick…..boy was I surprised……these are the best tasting cookies ever…..they stay oven soft…..even the next day…..needless to say the batch was gone the next day. My daughter and son are having a sleep over tonight and guess what we’re doing for entertainment? Hopefully this batch will last longer than two days…….I honestly cannot see going back to a regular chocolate chip cookie EVER AGAIN!!!
Glad they’re the best cookies ever for you and you can’t see going back to other cookies ever again! And great that you have 3 generations on board – your mom, you, and your kids! A family affair :)
These look so good! I need to make cookies tonight for an event and might try these. Do you have to portion out the dough before refrigerating it or can you just put the whole batch of dough in the refrigerator?
Make the dough, scoop into balls, THEN chill the balls on a plate in fridge. If you chill the mass of dough in a mixing bowl it’s like chiseling out rocks. Way too challenging!
I chilled the entire batch I had no problems making balls; they are cooling as we speak, let you know how they taste in a few minutes. :D
I, unfortunately, found these rather flavorless. Flat. Very disappointed.
You’re the first person who has said that about these but everyone has different tastes. I don’t know how all that chocolate could be flavorless but thanks for trying the recipe.
I loved these right out of the oven. Unfortunately, after a day, I must agree. They’ve definitely lost a lot of the initial flavor and are somewhat bland. Thanks for sharing though! They were worth a shot.
I don’t think there’s anything!! that compares to a freshly baked cookie (or bread) on the day you make it vs. any other time in the future. That’s why places like Mrs. Fields and Panera only sell things they made that day :) Nothing else compares! Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you loved them fresh from the oven!
Can’t wait to make these! How can I print this recipe?
Can’t wait to try these. However I have found (the hard way) beating sugars and butter too long beats too much air into chocolate chip cokes causing them to be flat. I beat sugar/butter about 15 seconds. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips and mix just long enough to blend. I use a number 30 scoop/disher to form into balls. Freeze the dough. When ready to bake put frozen dough on prepared baking sheet and put into COLD oven. Set to 300 degrees and bake about 13-15 minutes or till “set”. The dough is a little soft. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes. Move to cooling rack to finish cooling.
How I wrote the recipe is exactly how I made them and that’s what the cookies look like for me, doing what I said I did in the recipe, with the photos shown. If you feel you have a way that works better for you, awesome – go for it! Your method isn’t my method and that’s okay. Do what works for you and how you think you’ll yield the best result!
Made these last night as we decorated the christmas tree! Finishing them off as I write this ;) I am surprised that I like them better today! Very soft.
From briefly reading over other comments, I tweaked the recipe just a tad by using salted butter and adding quite a few grinds of sea salt. My fiancee loved being able to slightly taste the sea salt! I also cooked these on foil right on the oven rack. I did let the dough refrigerate for over 2 hours.. which by the way, I ate a lot of before it even made it to the oven! Thanks for sharing :) This will definitely be my go to recipe for year round cookies!
Glad they came out great for you on foil directly on the oven rack – wow, that’s almost like campfire cooking :) Glad they’ll be your recipe for year round cookies!
I forgot to ask, I froze the remaining dough for later.. already in the balls slightly flattened. Should I set out before cooking or cook frozen? Thanks!
You can just set them out while the oven preheats. You may need to bake 1-2 mins longer, maybe, maybe not. Just use your judgment but no, you don’t need them fully thawed.
I cannot wait to try and make these!! However, I would be making them gluten free. Any suggestions? Also, thought about maybe adding some marshmallow fluff, would you suggest how much? Can’t wait to try!!
I haven’t tried making them GF so can’t really speak to how they will turn out. I would not add marshmallow fluff to these cookies. There’s already enough going on.
I made the cream cheese chocolate chip cookies. Omg! They were amazing. My store was out of chocolate chunks so I used semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. They were so soft and yummy. Thank you for this recipe. It’s a new family favorite.
So glad you loved them! And with the chunks, in the future, you can just dice up whatever favorite chocolate bar you can find and use that but sounds like they turned out just perfect which is wonderful!
Any idea how to do these without eggs? I’m allergic and am constantly trying to find ways to modify recipes without them. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
You could try skipping the egg and adding 2 or 3 extra tablespoons of cream cheese. In this recipe, I think that will work. Now, I wouldn’t try this across the board, but for these, I have a feeling they’ll turn out pretty darn good. But of course, just guessing. LMK how it goes!
Hi Averie,
If I make these smaller, like rounded tablespoons, should I bake them at the same tempature and the same baking time?
Same temp, shorter baking time. If they are truly only rounded tbsp I would guess 7 mins, 8 max, in my oven.