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!
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Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies (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.
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.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
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
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
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.
Cookie FAQs
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. 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.
I can’t taste the cream cheese, but it adds depth, density, and richness that my regular chocolate chip cookies don’t have.
Use full-fat cream cheese in a block. Do NOT 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.
You can use a hand mixer and a bowl if that’s all you have, but I prefer using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment because you can prepare other parts of the recipe while it’s busy mixing. I use the Kitchenaid 7-quart tilt head mixer, which you can get on Amazon. They’re worth the investment in my opinion!
Technically, you can omit the cornstarch, but your cookies won’t turn out as soft. To make these cream cheese chocolate chip cookies soft batch-style, the cornstarch is needed.
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. 
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 2 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 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!
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
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.
Video
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!!
Love these! I still find it too sweet though, so next time I will use less regular sugar. But, overall, VERY good!!! You will not be disappointed with this recipe!!
You could also switch to a darker chocolate that’s less sweet rather than altering the dough base. I am glad they turned out very well overall for you!
Oooo that’s a great idea! Thank you!! And yes, a huge hit! :)
What’s the total amount of butter for the recipe? It’s not coming through on my screen. Is it 1 1/4 cup of butter?
It’s 1/2 cup total butter. And 1/4 cup cup cream cheese.
OMG!!! The answer to the problem I’ve struggled with FOR YEARS!!! I’ve always thought chocolate chip cookie recipes (and I’ve tried MANY) where just too sweet. So, I’ve tried everything from adjusting the amount each of the sugars, to the amount of flour, to the amount of salt. But it never quite seemed to do the trick. These were perfect in every way – perfectly sweet, soft, chewy, smooth, WHO KNEW?!?!?! Cornstarch and cream cheese!!!! I’ll definitely be trying your other cookie recipes made with the same adjustments!! And thank you!!!
OMG!!! The answer to the problem I’ve struggled with FOR YEARS!!! I’ve always thought chocolate chip cookie recipes (and I’ve tried MANY) where just too sweet. So, I’ve tried everything from adjusting the amount each of the sugars, to the amount of flour, to the amount of salt. But it never quite seemed to do the trick. These were perfect in every way – perfectly sweet, soft, chewy, smooth, WHO KNEW?!?!?! Cornstarch and cream cheese!!!! I’ll definitely be trying your other cookie recipes made with the same adjustments!! And thank you!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that these were perfect in every way after searching (and struggling) for years! I am so happy to hear you have found The One!
These have become my go-to CCC recipe. I’ve made them many times and receive requests for the recipe every time! Thanks for developing/sharing!!!
These have become my go-to CCC recipe. I’ve made them many times and receive requests for the recipe every time! Thanks for developing/sharing!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and that’s wonderful this is your go to CCC recipe now and that you receive recipe requests! Love hearing this, thank you for sharing!!!
Awesome! The first claimed soft chocolate chip cookie I have tried. My husband wiped out a gallon bag of these cookies in a few days.
These are amazing! Just wondering if you need to refrigerate them after they are baked because of the cream cheese?
These are amazing! Just wondering if you need to refrigerate them after they are baked because of the cream cheese?
No I don’t refrigerate them. After it’s been baked, and in the small overall quantity that it is, they are fine at room temp on the counter for me.
How does this recipe work with gluten free flour? This looks like a fantastic recipe!
If you use a gluten free flour intended for baking, you will likely have success however I can’t say for sure as I have never tested it with GF flour. https://amzn.to/49PxDwE
Me too! Taste okay but a bit chalky and not very sweet like a typical chocolate chip Toll House type cookie. I followed the recipe very carefully. What did I do wrong?
These are hands down the best cookies ever. I was wondering if it matters if I measured everything by weight like in grams. Has anyone tried this and how did it turn out?Some chefs recommend baking by weight so I was curious if these amazing cookies could possibly be elevated by this method.
These are hands down the best cookies ever. I was wondering if it matters if I measured everything by weight like in grams. Has anyone tried this and how did it turn out?Some chefs recommend baking by weight so I was curious if these amazing cookies could possibly be elevated by this method.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m so glad these are the best cookies ever for you!
Contrary to some food bloggers, I don’t tend to bake by weight because it’s just not the way I learned to bake and use cups and teaspoons. I am sure you could convert the recipe to grams. But if it’s working great for you now, I would just continue making it like you are!
I made the first batch, and they were gone the first day. I am making a double batch this time, so some of them will stay around longer than 6 hours! The adult males in this house have no self control.
I made the first batch, and they were gone the first day. I am making a double batch this time, so some of them will stay around longer than 6 hours! The adult males in this house have no self control.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad they were gone in a day and you’re making a double batch! LOL re the lack of control among the guys!
Accidentally put an entire block of cream cheese in the mix but it still came out delicious! I also added leftover chopped walnuts & pecans.