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!
Table of Contents
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 this recipe. Both my kids (11 and 8) asked for these instead of birthday cakes last year. I’ve made them in the past mixing butterscotch chips with semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, which were amazing! Thanks again for the great tips!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your kids asked for these instead of bday cakes for their birthdays – that’s awesome!
Oh my! So very good. Can’t tell you how long I’ve looked for the perfect CC recipe. Of course I’ve had fun eating the near misses but these CC cookies are absolutely the best. I only tried them because of the cornstarch in the recipe. Hadn’t seen that elsewhere and I thought, why not try it? Made a second batch today (just as perfect as the first!) and froze the dough (in cookie portions) for use later. Honestly, I thought if I didn’t freeze some, I’d eat them all. Family agrees. This is a 5 star cookie. Thank you!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love these so much and that you have a freezer stash waiting, too!
I’ve been making these cookies for a couple years, and I’m sad to say I’m just now leaving a review and a thank you!
These cookies are insane.
We make them for the neighbors, teachers, bake sales, parties, etc.
They never cease to amaze people.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I wouldn’t change a thing!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that you’ve been making these for years and that they’ve amazed lots of people!!
can i use laughing cow cheese wedges instead of cream cheese??
no
If you had to ask that, then you should not be allowed to operate a stove.
Gooooooooooood!
Awesome!!
Very yummy . Texture is soft and not crumbly at all. Forgot to smush the dough so my cookies were pretty globular. Didn’t chill the dough and turned out good. Baked for probably 10-12 minutes. Definitely WAY too many chocolate chips though. There was practically more chocolate than dough, and wasted many chocolate chips that just couldn’t get incorporated. Will use probably 1 cup next time.
Easy to reduce the amount of chocolate chips if that is your preference next time. Many people love them with all the chocolate chips.
We love these cookies. Always come out so well. I make large ones so don’t get 28 though does make a lot of dough. Have frozen dough too and bake up just as well when thawed. Fantastic recipe.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you love these cookies!
I am making this recipe, just wondering if the flour is sifted or not before measuring. I bake a lot and the directions don’t say sift and the video the flour didn’t looked sifted before measuring. I am sure I will be done baking before anyone sees this since it is so late. Looks great
I never sift, no need to bother here :)
I’ve made these cookies several times and each time they’ve come out amazing! and I receive a lot of compliments from them….so thank you for sharing this recipe!
I do have a question about making ahead. I know you said that the dough can be made in advanced and left in the fridge for up to 5 days but what about freezing the dough? Have you done that before? Making the dough and then rolling the dough into balls and then freezing. I’m asking as I will be making a huge batch and would like to get the dough out of the way.
Thanks in advanced!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you love the cookies.
Regarding freezing the dough, just roll into balls as if you were going to chill/refrig the dough balls but put into the freezer instead. Bake maybe 1-2 extra mins, no need to thaw in advance of baking.
I have made these several times and today, as my husband was watching he snarkily asked “you’re putting cream cheese in those?!” 🤣 silly man (who also knows nothing about baking). Anyways, they are my “go-to” recipe. I want to make them for my mom or grandma and let them “ooh ahh” and ask some questions – they are both excellent bakers and will definitely want to know the secret! Thanks for a fantastic recipe
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad this is your go to recipe now!
I would like to try these but I have no cornstarch. Do I absolutely need it or is there a substitute?
For this exact recipe to get it to be softbatch style soft, you do need it. You can omit it and they will be ok just not as soft with the intended texture.
What if you use arrowroot??
not sure
This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, they turn our perfect every time! I do a mix of Ghirardelli milk and dark chocolate chips, so yummy!
Quick question though, can you replace the chocolate chips with M&M’s?
Glad you love them so much and they are your go-to recipe!
Should be fine on the M&Ms.
Delicious! Put them in for 10-12 minutes instead.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these were delicious!
These sound so awesome, is there any way to change a few things and make them keto?
I don’t know what keto is specifically so really can’t help you with that question.
Ithese look amazing! I can’t wait to try them. After these cookies are baked how long can they sit out at room temperature? I was just wondering if they need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese.
No they do not and are fine at room temp for a few days. As always, cookies taste best the fresher they are.
This is a great recipe! Thanks
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you enjoy the recipe!
Seriously the best cookie recipe ever! Such a huge hit every time!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad they are a huge hit every time and the best cookies ever for you!