Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

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Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies โ€” These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!

stack of three Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

When the weather gets warmer, I seem to crave white chocolate. I’ll never say no to regular chocolate chip cookies but white chocolate has been calling my name lately.

The cookies are extremely soft, moist, and creamy. To create them I combined two favorite recipes, Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies and The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Both are reader and personal favorites.

Some of the butter is replaced with cream cheese and the white chocolate chip cookies have unparalleled richness. Interestingly, the cream cheese intensifies the buttery flavor so the cookies taste extra buttery, with a mild cheesecake flavor, and zero cakiness.

One of the secrets to these white chocolate cookies is pudding mix, and my favorite cookies all contain pudding mix because of the wonderful Softbatch-style results achieved. I found myself going back for nibble after nibble. Good thing the recipe only makes 11 cookies.

I had no willpower against the creamy, melty, sweet white chocolate and soft, buttery, rich dough.

Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies on white surface

What’s in White Chocolate Chip Cookies? 

To make these white chocolate chip cookies, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Cream cheese
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Instant vanilla pudding mix
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • White chocolate chips

stack of Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make White Chocolate Chip Cookies

To make these white chocolate chip cream cheese cookies, cream together the butter, sugars, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then fold in the white chocolate chips. 

Scoop the dough into balls. I like to move a few of the white chocolate chips to the top of each cookie to make them a little prettier. 

Chill the rolled cookie dough for at least 3 hours, then bake until the edges have set and the tops have just set (the tops should still be a little glossy in the center). Let the white chocolate chip cookies cool for 10 minutes before eating them. 

three Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies stacked atop each other

What Can I Substitute for the Pudding Mix? 

There’s no true substitute for it. 2 teaspoons of cornstarch will likely work, but I haven’t tested it.

Do I Need to Make the Pudding Before Adding it to the Dough? 

No, you add the pudding mix as a dry ingredient. You should NOT add any liquid to the pudding mix before mixing it into the cookie dough. 

Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies - Move over butter, cream cheese makes these cookies thick and super soft!

Can I Add Other Mix-Ins to These Cookies? 

Yes, as long as you stick to dry mix-ins, like chopped nuts or dried fruit. 

Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies โ€” These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!

Tips for Making White Chocolate Chip Cookies

You must use old-fashioned brick-style cream cheese. Cream cheese in a tub or that’s ‘spreadable’ isn’t thick enough, has too much water content, and the cookies will spread. You can use lite, but not fat-free because some fat is necessary to properly bind the ingredients.

The cookies are sweet, rich, decadent, dense, and wonderfully thick. For cookies this thick, you must plan ahead and chill the dough. Soft, warm dough straight from the mixing bowl that contains softened butter and softened cream cheese will never bake up into thick, puffy cookies.

If you use a cookie scoop and bake on a Silpat, even better. All these little cookie baking tricks do add up to help you achieve bakery-style cookies at home.

Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies โ€” These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!

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4.50 from 30 votes

Soft and Chewy Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Averie Sunshine
These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 21 minutes
Servings: 13 cookies
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Ingredients  

  • ยฝ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 ounces about 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened*
  • ยพ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ยผ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla or cheesecake-flavored pudding mix
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • 10 ounces white chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
  • Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the white chocolate, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 13 to 14 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip โ€“ Strategically place a few white chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
  • Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
  • Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; donโ€™t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
  • Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and donโ€™t use a rack.

Notes

  • *Use cream cheese in a block, lite is okay; donโ€™t use fat-free, โ€˜spreadableโ€™, or cream cheese in a tub.
  • Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  • Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 359kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 345mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 36g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes: 

Soft and Chewy Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cookies โ€” These cookies made with Nutella and stuffed with both white and semi-sweet chocolate chips are melt-in-your mouth soft and tender.

Soft & Chewy Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cookies - Thick, rich, chocolaty cookies that are so soft you won't be able to resist them!

Black and White Cookies โ€” 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.

Black & White Cookies: Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip & Dark Chocolate Dark Brown Sugar - Easy Combination Cookie Recipe at averiecooks.com

Coconut Oil White Chocolate Cookies โ€” Coconut oil keeps these cookies soft, moist, and tender. It imparts richness, fattiness, and a melt-in-your mouth quality without being greasy in the least.

Coconut Oil White Chocolate Cookies 

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies  โ€” Tastes like a Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar in cookie form! 

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat) โ€” These are soft in the middle with chewy edges and strike a perfect balance of not being too thick and not being too thin.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat)

Browned Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies โ€” SALTY-AND-SWEET, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookies that are PERFECT!! An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe thatโ€™s just the BEST!!

Browned Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies โ€” I use two types of chocolate in these cookies; chocolate chips and chocolate chunks, for extra depth and flavor.

Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies 

4.50 from 30 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Averie, you’re the best cookie photographer I’ve ever seen. You always manage to capture any kind of chocolate chips’ dreamy melty gooeyness absolutely perfectly. It’s so impressive and inspiring! And with how soft and thick these cookies are… I totally don’t blame you for going back for extra nibbles. Between the two of us (and probably your daughter too), I’m sure the entire batch wouldn’t last more than an hour — even if it meant an extra long run the next day!

    1. The best cookie photographer? Well thank you and that is HIGH praise! :) And the entire batch did not last longer than about 12 hours. So so good :)

      1. You’re welcome Averie! Your photography has always been an inspiration to me. With your lovely lighting and amazing composition, it’s practically the gold standard for food bloggers! :)

    2. I completely agree! I’ve never seen anyone photograph cookies better than Averie! They always seem perfect.

      1. You’re so sweet! And I didn’t even like these cookie photos. White chocolate is always tricky to photograph so thanks for saying you do like them!

  2. These are so thick and I can only imagine the taste and textureโ€ฆ I love the cream cheese addition! Yum :)

  3. Great minds think alike! Iโ€™m posting cream cheese cookies tonight :) *swoon* I think I could just browse through your cookies all day long, they all look spectactular! And I love the melty chips in these cookiesโ€ฆ seriously, I could just dive into these photos. Pinned!

  4. Your cookies always look so mouthwateringly delicious! I love how you capture the oozing melted chocolate so well :) I can almost smell them from my computer screen!

  5. Oh gosh, these look SO delicious!! I’ve never tried putting cream cheese in cookies, but I’m definitely going to try it now – these look like they have the most amazing, delightful texture!!

  6. I crave white chocolate in the summer too! That picture of stack with a couple bites out… I’m in love.

  7. These look absolutely divine! I love the addition of cream cheese in there – delicious!

    1. And I just saw your IG feed about your lunch, I think they’d be the perfect dessert followup :)

  8. I want these right now! They look so perfect and delicious. I love cream cheese and white chocolate so I know I would devour them with absolutely no willpower whatsoever.

  9. It’s so much fun when you bake a treat you can’t stop going back to eat! I know you run it off, Averie!
    These look perfect. Pillowy and thick. Love the cream cheese and pudding together!

  10. White chocolate is always calling my name! These cookies look fabulous, Averie! Pinned!