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!!
Thank you so much for this recipe Averie! I try a lot of baking recipes and these are to die for. Hands down our favorite chocolate chip recipe!Have you tried doing a soft batch peanut butter with cream cheese version ever? Thanks again!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Michelle, and I am glad these are your favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe!
I haven’t done PB + CC because PB is already pretty heavy/rich so I never have experimented with combing the two. Although here are a few of my personal fave PB cookies that I think will give you the mouthfeel of what you are looking for (skip or adjust the add-ins to your taste, I picked these for the dough base)
YUM
Hi! How many oz or grams are the cookie balls?
I don’t know because I don’t weigh them. However, in consulting Google, and doing some approximation math, these are about 2 tbsp each of dough, and each tbsp of cookie dough is about 15 grams, so about 30 grams total. Best course of action here is to make about 28 dough balls, or use about 2 tbsp of dough per ball, or slightly over. 2 heaping tbsp. Use this! https://amzn.to/4g3dWog
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, I receive complements each time I make them! Thank you!
Would you recommend doubling this recipe? I know a single recipe makes about 28 cookies, but I have a large crowd to feed… thanks!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Grace, and glad this is your favorite CCC recipe and you receive compliments on them!
Yes you can easily double the recipe.
Can I make the batter chocolate and add pecans
Yes you can. If so, reduce the chocolate chips a bit so it all “fits” in the dough.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE….DOUBLE LOVE these! This is my go to for CC cookies.
I wonder if adding peanut butter would give it a “peanut butter cup” vibe?
Have you made a PB cookie with this recipe?? If so, pleeeeeease share!
Those are the 3 PB cookie recipes that have the soft yet chewy texture, thicker, that I think you would love if you love these cookies! Thanks for the 5 star review!
I am usually not a big chocolate chip cookie person, but I couldn’t leave these alone. Best chocolate cookie I’ve ever had!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Sharon, and I am glad these are the best choc chip cookies you’ve ever had! That’s quite a compliment, thank you!
I think I found this recipe in 2017 and I’ve never looked for or tried another chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’ve made them so many times especially for large groups (100+ for a big office, 50+ for a wedding party, etc.) and every time, without fail, I get overwhelmed with compliments. I love them so much, thank you for this recipe.
Thanks for your overwhelming support for this recipe and that you’ve made these cookies a ton and for large groups! I am so impressed, Tess! I am so glad that these cookies always get lots of compliments!
Best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had and I’ve gotten so many compliments on them at parties! I always bake mine a bit longer 12min or so but I might have a larger size cookie.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad these are the best choc chip cookies you’ve ever had and you get tons of compliments!
Add 2tsp cherry extract, 1/2tsp sweet almond extract, and replace 1 cup of chocolate chips/chunks with 1 cup cranberries for even more deliciousness
Thanks for the 5 star review, Joe, and I love the sounds of what you created! Sounds incredible.
If you like cherries + almond extract, you’ve got to try this cherry bread. It’s my grandma’s recipe, old-fashioned tasting in the best way. If you make it, please come back and comment!
I make these all the time! These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! Ikn it say to chill for 2 hours but I never have room in my fridge and don’t chill them and they are still soft and very delicious! Glad I came across this recipe and have been hooked ever since I came across it 5 yrs ago maybe longer idk lol! It’s my go to !!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Michelle, and glad they are the best chocolate chip cookies for you! And that they still turn out great without chilling, that’s awesome!
Flavor is outstanding, however, my cookies didnt come out thick like your photo. I followed the recipe to the letter. Help! My guys like a chunky cookie
Thanks for the 5 star review, Michele! Three things – make sure the dough is nice and cold (well chilled) before you bake (form the balls, chill them, then bake – don’t freeze the bowl and try to chisel out dough). Next, King Arthur all purpose flour is the best for baking. https://amzn.to/3UK90ea You can get it at your local grocery store, link for reference. And also bake on a Silpat or baking mat so the cookies can “grip” the mat texture and not flatten out.
Definitely my go to for chocolate chip cookies.the best I ever ate or made
Thanks for the 5 star review, Vonna, and I am glad this is your go to for choc chip cookies and the best you’ve ever eaten or made! I love hearing this! 🙌🏻
Just made these and they are excellant!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad they turned out excellent for you, Carol!
These cookies are my go to cookies they are yummy and smell amazing when they come out of the oven 10/10 recommend ❤️
Thanks for the 5 star review, Shelby, and I am glad these cookies are you go-to and 10/10 recommend them! 🙏🏻
Holy moly!! Where has this recipe been my entire life?! This will 100% be the only chocolate chip recipe I’ll be making from now on. I followed your directions (refrigerated the dough overnight) and they seriously look exactly like the cookies in your picture! 🤯
You have not tasted the way chocolate chip cookies should taste until you’ve made this recipe. Fair warning: Do not make these if you’re on a diet. No amount of self-control will keep you from eating more than just one. #obsessed
Thanks for the 5 star review Julianne and I love hearing that this is your go-to recipe from now on! I truly am so happy that you love love these cookies and your enthusiasm for the recipe is awesome! I love this: You have not tasted the way chocolate chip cookies should taste until you’ve made this recipe. !!