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!!
Hi Averie! my sincere apologies for posting the following comment on “soft and chewy choco chip cookies”. It is actually meant for “Softbatch cream cheese cookies”.
My dough looked kinda runny and soft. is it supposed to be that way? I have yet to scoop it. Instead i placed it in the fridge first. – the end product was too soft and it turned out like a caramel sort of candy. (but it taste so good!) i used 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour. should i use 2 1/2 cups instead?
I answered your question on the post you originally posted it to. Refer there for my answer.
Hi! I just made these and while they look beautiful I found that they weren’t that sweet and a little dry. I followed the recipe to the T, so after the first batch I snuck in a little more sugar and a bit of canola oil (that’s what we had on hand). After that they were perfect! Not sure why, but I was excited to make these!
Brands of cream cheese can vary widely in their moisture content (and also sugar content)…maybe that was it? I use Trader Joe’s cream cheese and never had those issues but glad you were able to adjust things on the next batch!
These are awesome!! The only issue I had was that they never really got brown. At all. Very pale. Didn’t affect the taste though!!
These don’t get very brown and do stay very pale. The ones I recently made like this with white choc are also very pale https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/06/soft-and-chewy-white-chocolate-cream-cheese-cookies.html
Glad you liked them!
Averie, your recipes on your blog (and your cookbook) are always my go-to for delicious treats. In fact, I’ve made these cookies countless times. … and making them again tonight. (The texture is amazingly everything… delicious!) You’re truly an inspiration! Big hugs!
Awww, thanks for the super sweet compliments, Gloria! You’re the best! I am so glad to hear you’ve made these over and over and that they’re a go-to for you! I hope you and your family are having a great summer! xo
I made these last night, they’re amazing! And baked up looking just like your pictures. I’m always looking for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and this one’s a keeper. Next time I’ll reduce the amount of chocolate chips only because i love the taste of the cookie so much! Thanks for the recipe :-) excited to try some of your other recipes!
Thanks for trying them, glad they were a bit hit, and that they turned out just like the pictures for you!
I made these cookies and brought them to a barbecue last weekend and they were a hit! I did not realize how much of a difference cream cheese could make. I might have to make a batch for myself :)
So glad they were a big hit and it’s amazing what a little cream cheese can do, isn’t it!
Hi Averie, thank you for the recipe. I made a few changes to the recipe that turned out amazing. I made Smore cookies by making the following changes… I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar for the entire recipe and added 2 cups of semi sweet dark chocolate chips, 1 cups of miniature marshmallows, 1 teaspoon of Almond extract and 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract then refrigerated and baked according to your directions.
The marshmallows made it a lot sweeter while also giving it a chewy texture and the chocolate chips were all gooey and melty. I’m in love with this recipe, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for trying them and your tweaks sound great! I actually have a smores cookie recipe here too! https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-and-chewy-smores-cookies/
Hi Averie,
I tired making the chocolate chip cream cheese cookies at home yesterday but for some reason they didn’t flatten out and tasted a little bitter. Do you think it’s because I didn’t refigerate it right away? They tasted more like a scone than a cookie. Thanks.
Are you sure you grabbed baking soda, not powder? Everything you described, more like a scone, bitter, and not flattening would indicate you may have used baking powder accidentally. If that’s not the case, then I would replace your baking soda regardless. I have a feeling that’s the culprit, provided your cream cheese and butter were fresh! (that could also give a bitter taste) – something went haywire because these cookies are buttery sweet :) Thanks for trying them!
I tried these, and they were great! I didn’t refrigerate the dough because I decided to make them to take to a friend’s for dinner at the last minute and didn’t have time. (I froze half the dough, so the next batch will have been cooled.) We all loved them anyway. I wrote a short post on it on my blog (wordssearched.com). I’ve bookedmarked yours and look forward to trying some of your other stuff.
Thanks for trying these and so glad you enjoyed them and that they worked great, even w/out chilling the dough!
I tried this recipe and I LOVED them. I’m from Venezuela and with the economic situation it was very hard to find the brown sugar, so I decided to use papelónpanela (I don’t know how is it called in English) and they were totally perfect. My only problem was the chocolate, I used 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 + 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks, in some cookies the chocolate wasn’t as sexy and fabulously melted as they look in your pics hahaha, I was wondering if it was because of the dark chocolate and what percentage of cocoa should the semi-sweet chocolate have? There are so many types of chocolate and I never know which one to use lol.
Thanks for trying the recipe and making due with the ingredients available to you – that’s always the best! So I normally use Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. Most chocolate chips in the US are either milk or dark/semi-sweet and range from about 54 to about 60%. Bars can be higher in the cocoa, like 72% or more, but for chips, not usually. I have tried every brand of chip out there and I like TJs the best, which isn’t going to help you where you are. Also chunks of bars chopped up will melt more and get more of that sexy, oozy melty look :) Chips stay more in tact and hold their shape, chunks chopped off a bar will ooze more.
Is there a substitution for the 2 inch scooper I don’t have the scooper and I don’t know where to find it. Would there be a substitution for it ? I need to bake these by Monday and I can’t wait till then I want to start the dough already they look so appealing:)))
I would just use about 3 tablespoons of dough, shaped by hand into a mound then.
Hi I looked at the cookies pic and they looked fabulous.but there’s one question do these cookies stay chewy and soft even after a few hours inside or outside the refrigerator? I’ve tried lots of recipes that claim to be soft but after a few hours they turn very hard. Just wondering also where could I put them to be soft outside or inside the refrigerator?
You really never want to refrigerate cookies, muffins, quickbreads…it does and will cause them to dry out. So keep the cookies out of the fridge, do NOT OVERBAKE THEM, and they will stay soft for 5-7 days, much longer than they’ll last. They’re so good :)
These cookies were amazing! Hard to top my mom’s recipe I’ve been using my whole life but these will be my go-to choc chip cookie recipe from now on! Thanks so much for such a decadent cookie!
Any recipe that can top or even compare to someone’s mom’s recipe and you’re happy with – that’s music to my ears :) Glad this will be your go-to!
I thought these were absolutely divine just out of the oven. In fact, I called all my baking friends and told then they had to try these ASAP. I was a little disappointed with them the second and third day, however. While they maintained the fabulous texture, I felt they lost some of the flavor overnight. Still great cookies, just not quite as good as they were right after baking. Thanks for the recipe!!
Well I think with ALL cookies (and most food in general with the exception of say chili or a stew), freshly made is always best. By day 3, cookies will never be as good as they were 20 mins after taking them out of the oven :) Glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks for this recipe, this is the first recipe of yours I have tried and I will be trying more. The cookies were so soft and the cream cheese added an undefinable something to the final product. I took a batch into work and they were very popular. I’m going to make another batch to take to a friend’s on Tuesday. I used 1/2 packet of Cadbury Milk Chocolate Baking chips and 2/3 packet of Cadbury white chocolate melts in the dough. The melts stay melty even at room temperature and add another dimension of texture to the cookies.
I want to try your brown sugar coconut oil cookies next.
the cream cheese added an undefinable something to the final product = THAT is exactly what I think, too! The melts sound perfect as does the white chocolate combo. Glad you loved these & will be trying other recipes of mine!
Okay, I could not wait to try these scrumptious cookies! I just finished baking them and, yes; I’ve had one already…still hot! I didn’t have any chunk chocolate so I used up a bag of Dark Chocolate & Mint chips that needed to be used and finished off the 2-1/4 cups with the Semi-Sweet chocolates. I also added 1/2 cup of walnuts…everything’s better with nuts in it! I guess my 2″ scoop is much larger than your 2″ scoop because I only got 18…4″ gooey-chewy, yummy good cookies. They’re nice and soft and chewy on the inside and a slight crunch on the outside. I forgot to flatten mine until they had been in the oven awhile. So, I quickly pulled them out and pressed them down some with a spatula. They turned out fine. That’s what happens when you don’t print the recipe out and you’re running back and forth from the computer to the kitchen…lol Oh, and I did have to bake them a lot longer than 10 min. but I kept an eye on them and took them out when they got golden brown. Worked out perfectly! Oh, yeah, I didn’t refrigerate first either…Didn’t see that tidbit until they were already done..Hey, I’m old and they still turned out fabulous.
Apparently, a 2″ ice cream scoop is a lot different than a 2″ cookie scoop. I’ve been looking at them to buy, but so far, haven’t found any sets with good reviews. And, I do want a set of different sizes for other things too.
Loved these cookies and they will definitely be added to the Christmas Stocking goodies list for the grand-kids.
Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Since the year+ that’s gone by that I wrote this recipe, I’ve gone to using this scoop and love it https://www.amazon.com/MIU-France-Stainless-Portion-2-Ounce/dp/B00CPFY2CA/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=lovvegyogruna-20&linkCode=w01&creativeASIN=B00CPFY2CA
It’s probably on the size range of what you’re using because when I use it, typically batches are in the 15 to 18 count range for me and baking time is just slightly longer, maybe 11-12 mins, but I also like really underbaked cookies so some may need to bake longer based on prefs.
Glad you loved these!