These Easy Cream Cheese Cookies are tender and chewy. Made with butter and cream cheese, and dusted with powdered sugar, they are deliciously sweet and just a little tangy.
If you want to try other tasty cookie recipes, check out our shortbread cookies and Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
If you’ve never had Cream Cheese Cookies, you’re in for a treat. These scrumptious bites are super simple, with lots of rich butter and cream cheese to give them moisture, flavor, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
- TASTE: These cookies have delicious flavor from the cream cheese and vanilla, with a dusting of powdered sugar to make them perfectly sweet.
- TEXTURE: Soft, chewy, and moist, these cookies are so yummy.
- TIME: They take 20 minutes to make.
- EASE: This recipe is quick and easy. It also uses pantry staples, making it simple to whip up whenever a cookie craving strikes.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter- Leave this out on the counter until it reaches room temperature to make it easier to whip into the dough. This creates fluffier cookies.
- Cream cheese- This also needs to be room temperature so it is easier to thoroughly incorporate into the cookie dough.
- Powdered sugar– This will be used to sweeten the cookies as well as to sprinkle on top.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the extract- Instead of vanilla, you can use almond extract, maple extract, lemon extract, or any other that you like.
- Make them gluten-free- Substitute gluten free flour 1:1 for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Add chocolate chips- Add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to these Cream Cheese Cookies to make them even more irresistible.
- Substitute the butter- You can make this with oil or shortening in place of the butter if you haven’t got any.
How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies
- Mix the butter and cream cheese. First, place the softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and cream them together well using an electric hand mixer.
- Add the sugar. Now mix in the powdered sugar on low speed.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat the egg and vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Sift in the dry ingredients. Using a sifter, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix everything together until well incorporated.
Pro Tip: Spoon and level off the flour in the measuring cup to make sure you get the right amount. Too much flour can result in dry cookies.
- Scoop the cookie dough. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and use your hands to round them into balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cream cheese cookies for 10 minutes on the center rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Once the cookies have cooled, dust them with powdered sugar and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Packing flour can cause too much to be used, drying out your cookies. If you can’t measure your flour with a scale, then sift it or stir it with a spoon, then sprinkle it into the measuring cup and level it for accuracy.
- Dampen your hands before rolling the dough. Cream cheese cookie dough is very sticky, so to keep it from sticking to your hands when rolling it into balls, get your hands slightly wet first. This will make the process easier and neater.
- Bake these cookies on the center rack. Place the cookies on the center rack so that all parts of the cookies are baked evenly.
- Try some variations. Dust the cookies with cinnamon sugar, add some chocolate chips, or drizzle them with melted white chocolate. These delicious cream cheese cookies can be very versatile.
FAQs
Do you have to refrigerate cream cheese cookies?
No, they don’t need to be refrigerated. You can store these Cream Cheese Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
What ingredient makes a cookie moist?
The ingredient that makes a cookie moist is egg yolks. The fat in them keep the cookies soft and chewy. The cream cheese and butter in these Cream Cheese Cookies also help.
Serving Suggestions
These Cream Cheese Cookies have a delicious flavor that works with lots of other desserts. You can also serve them with a gourmet coffee for an afternoon treat.
- Cakes: Pair these cookies with a slice of Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake), Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), or Chocolate Mousse Cake.
- Cookies: Add them to a cookie platter with some Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies And Cream Cookies, Chocolate Macarons, or Gingersnap Cookies.
- Sweet treats: Serve these Cream Cheese Cookies with some Candied Pecans, Chocolate Covered Dates, Peppermint Bark (VIDEO), or Pumpkin Creme Brulee.
- Beverages: Enjoy them with a cup of Hot Chocolate, Iced Caramel Macchiato, Pumpkin Spice Latte, or Brown Sugar Boba.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prep this cookie dough in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Or make the cookies ahead of time and store or freeze.
Storing: Store these Cream Cheese Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Freeze: Just place the cooled cookies in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag before they have been dusted with powdered sugar. They will last in the freezer for up to a month. Just thaw them for a few hours to room temperature before serving.
More Scrumptious Cookies!
Full Recipe Instructions
Easy Cream Cheese Cookies
Moist, chewy, and a little tangy, these sweet and easy Cream Cheese Cookies are the perfect recipe for your cookie craving!
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Servings: 25 cookies
Calories: 116kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start off by adding 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter and 4 ounces softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream them together really well.
- Now mix in 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix it at low speed.
- Then add, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix it in.
- Now sift in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix the dry ingredients well.
- Now scoop out the cookie dough using a medium-sized cookie scoop. Then use your hands to round the dough into balls.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. Make sure to bake on the center rack.
- Once the cookies are cooled, dust them with a little bit of powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Notes
Tips To Make These Cream Cheese Cookies Extra Delicious
- Measure the flour correctly. Packing flour can cause too much to be used, drying out your cookies. If you can’t measure your flour with a scale, then sift it or stir it with a spoon, then sprinkle it into the measuring cup and level it for accuracy.
- Dampen your hands before rolling the dough. Cream cheese cookie dough is very sticky, so to keep it from sticking to your hands when rolling it into balls, get your hands slightly wet first. This will make the process easier and neater.
- Bake these cookies on the center rack. Place the cookies on the center rack so that all parts of the cookies are baked evenly.
- Try some variations. Dust the cookies with cinnamon sugar, add some chocolate chips, or drizzle them with melted white chocolate. These delicious cream cheese cookies can be very versatile.
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 184IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
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Maria Nosyk says
Do these cookies freeze well?
Dina says
Hi Maria, I have not tried freezing these before baking. But they do freeze well after baking. Just dust them in powdered sugar after they have thawed.
Colleen McElhenney says
Hi, I have all the ingredients, but I am unsure of what a 1/2 mixer is? I have a kitchen aid stand mixer. Will my mixer be ok to use?
Thank you
Dina says
Hi Colleen, my apologies for the typo. I am not too sure why or how the word “half” got places there. You can use an electric hand mixer or a Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make these cream cheese cookies. I hope you love the recipe!
Donna says
Can I use salted butter? I’m trying to use up 4 oz. of cream cheese (left over from another recipe) and what I already have for the rest of the ingredients . I don’t want to have to go to the store. 🥴
Dina says
Hi Donna, I always bake with unsalted butter and then add salt so I have full control over how much salt goes into the recipe. You can try to use the salted butter and omit the extra salt but I am not too sure what the ratio would be. Again, this is why I only bake with unsalted butter. I hope that helps.
Kelly says
These look so delicious! I’ve been cooking for almost 50 years and haven’t ran into these treats.
Question tho ??
Half Mixer ????
Dina says
Hi Kelly, can you be a little more specific about your question? I am not quite sure what you are trying to ask.
Bettina says
Really easy to make! I like that the cookie is not overly sweet and light. I left the cookies plain but thinking about a drizzle of lemon/powder sugar and milk
Dina says
Thank you for the feedback Bettina! I love the idea of lemon and powdered sugar!
Abbey says
Made these cookies last night and they were so good! Definitely will be making this recipe again in the future, perhaps altering it by adding lemon flavoring and glaze. Seems like this recipe could prove pretty versatile. 🙂
Dina says
Thank you Abbey! I am happy to hear that you enjoyed these cream cheese cookies so much!
Christiana says
This recipe turned out so good! I used 5 ounces of whipped cream cheese in place of regular and divided the batter in half mixed chocolate chips in one half and a half scoop of Mystic Chai powder in the other! They were chewy and pillowy soft inside. A perfect treat for having people over for tea or just for yourself. Thank you Dina!
Dina says
Thank you, Christiana! I am so glad you enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for your kind recipe feedback 🙂
Jackie says
How many cookies does this recipe make.
Dina says
Hi Jackie 🙂 This recipe makes about 25 cookies. It also depends on the size you make them. I hope you love these cookies! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Makenna says
It turned out really good and really tasty my whole family liked it
😁😁😁
Dina says
Yay! So happy to hear your whole family loved these cream cheese cookies! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback, Makenna! I hope you find more recipes to enjoy from my food blog! 🙂
Sandy says
Can you freeze the dough
Dina says
Hi Sandy, yes you can freeze the cookie dough.
Bernie says
This is a great recipe. I added strawberry preserves and white chocolate chips to them and flattened them a little bit. Everyone at work went crazy over them and begged me to make them again.
Dina says
Hi Bernie 🙂 That is so awesome that everyone loved these cream cheese cookies! I love the additions that you made! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes to enjoy from my food blog! 🙂
Theresa Bostaph says
I like these cookies, but were they supposed to be just a round ball? Mine didn’t flatten out. Is that ok??
Dina says
Hi Theresa, mine didn’t flatten out a ton either. They are supposed to be kind of dome-shaped. If you want them to be flatter, you can lightly press than down before baking.
Julie says
I ran out of powdered sugar and didn’t want to wake up the toddler running the food processor to make my own. So I used 1 cup of regular sugar instead and just made sure I creamed it until the grainy texture was gone. They still turned out amazing. I’m sure they’re be even fluffier with the powdered sugar. They’re rich without being too sweet. Definitely a new favorite.
Dina says
Hi Julie 🙂 That is so awesome to hear you made these cream cheese cookies work like that! Very happy to hear you loved this recipe! 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback and support! I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy on my food blog 🙂
Elizabeth says
Can you provide weights for dry ingredients like flour and sugar? I always weigh ingredients when possible, but you haven’t given quantities. Thanks!
Dina says
Hi Elizabeth, if you scroll down to the printable recipe card, you will see an option to convert the ingredients to metric for the weight of each ingredient. I hope that helps!
Eloina Morales says
My family love these cookies, except I add about 1/2 more flour I then put dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes then I roll them out with a holiday (Christmas, valentines, Easter…) cookie cutter and frost them with buttercream frosting…
Definitely a family favorite ❤
Dina says
I am so glad you loved this recipe Eloina! Yes, if you add more flour, you can definitely make this into a cut out cookies for the holidays 🙂
Maria Emilia says
Great recipe and easy to make. Thanks!!
Dina says
You are very welcome Maria! Glad to hear you loved these cream cheese cookies! 🙂
Erika says
These cookies are so easy to make, the dough is also delicious. Something different.
Dina says
Thank you Erika! Thank you for giving these cream cheese cookies a try and very happy to hear that you loved them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog! 🙂
Christy King says
Hi Dina! I have been looking all over for this recipe! My Mom and I used to make these at Christmas time. We would roll out the dough and cut into squares. We would then put a teaspoon of apricot jam in the center and then fold them into triangles and pinch the seams. So delicious! Thank you for posting!
Dina says
Wow Christy, that sounds so delicious! I have got to try your version now! 🙂
Beth Peeke says
Can I swap out the vanilla extract for orange or raspberry?
Dina says
Hi Beth 🙂 Yes, you can use that substitute for these cream cheese cookies. It will just change up the flavor a little but that is per preference and if you like that then go for it 🙂 I hope you love this recipe!
Paul says
My wife made these last week and I couldn’t stop eating them! I have already asked her to make them again. Thank you for this cream cheese cookies recipe 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome! Happy to hear you loved these cookies 🙂 Thank you for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Samantha says
Can you put almond extract in these and if so how much???
Dina says
Hi Samantha, yes you can. I would add no more than 1/2-1 teaspoon.