Cream cheese cookies have a subtle tang from cream cheese, a warm vanilla flavor and powdered sugar adds a sweet finish. Soft, fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
This cookie recipe is as a cross between snickerdoodles without the cinnamon, a Lofthouse cookie and gooey butter cookies with extra puff.
Table of Contents
Recipe for Cream Cheese Cookies
These fuss-free cream cheese cookies are made with just 10 minutes of prep time using one bowl for easy cleanup. You’re going to love these soft and fluffy sugar cookies with cream cheese!
I love to use cream cheese in the frosting for carrot cake cookies, cinnamon roll cookies and these red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting but using cream cheese IN the cookies is next level.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Pantry ingredients. Most (if not all) of them are simple ingredients that you already have. So this is the perfect cookie recipe to whip up on a whim.
- Versatile. Enjoy these as cream cheese Christmas cookies during the holidays, or a snack on any given day during the week.
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and vanilla extract.
- Unsalted butter: Bring it out to room temperature at least 30 minutes ahead.
- Cream cheese: Learn how to soften cream cheese quickly if you’ve forgotten to take it out with the butter.
- Egg: A large room temperature egg will incorporate more fully with the cookie batter.
- Powdered sugar, for dusting: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. In bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add sugar and mix until pale and airy then add eggs, vanilla and dry ingredients on low. Chill dough.
Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out the dough. Use damp hands to rough the dough into balls. Arrange them on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375° F for about 10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar then enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Don’t skip scraping the bowl! Scrape not only the sides but the bottom too just to make sure everything is well combined. Just be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Add cream cheese frosting or a glaze for extra pizzazz. This almond glaze from my Italian Christmas cookies recipe would also be delicious!
- Roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking for a warm flavor.
- Switch up the flavor in this cream cheese cookies recipe by adding some lemon zest to the cookie dough; we add freeze dried strawberries in these strawberry cream cheese cookies!
- Swap the vanilla extract with almond extract like I do in my almond cookie recipe and this cherry almond cookie.
More treats with cream cheese include cream cheese mints, easy Valentine’s Day cookies, and sugar cookie truffles.
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Cream Cheese Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (255 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar , for dusting
Instructions
- Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup butter and 4 ounces cream cheese together on medium speed until fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until pale and airy. Mix in 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon vanilla until combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom of the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Combine and chill dough. Mix in the dry ingredients on low until just combined. Chill at least 1 hour.
- Line pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Scoop dough and bake. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons), place the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until the edges just starting to turn golden.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
FAQs
Always use a full-fat cream cheese block. Any low-fat or spreadable cream cheese will create runny dough and will spread resulting in thinner cream cheese cookies.
Yes, make these cookies ahead of time by freezing cookie dough balls. Flash freeze them on a cookie sheet until solid then store them in a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen for a little while longer.
Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. They don’t need to be refrigerated right away, but because of the cream cheese will need to be moved to the fridge after that.
Yes, you can also freeze them for up to 3 months! Transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Layer them with wax paper to prevent them from sticking together.
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
LOVE these cookies!!! I make a double batch and freeze half for emergency cookie hunger. Found the recipe when searching for Christmas cookies and have made them several times since. Definitely a keeper!
Love that you keep these cream cheese cookies on hand for emergency cookie hunger Linda! :)
Thank you for sharing this easy recipe
Can’t wait to get more recipe and to make them … HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU 😘🥰😇
Thank you, glad you are enjoying the recipes and Merry Christmas to you too!
What can I use to mix this with since I do not have a kitchen aide mixer with paddle attachment?
A hand mixer should work.
These were so easy to make! They came out perfect and had a little cream cheese tanginess. These will be perfect for my cookie exchange party this Christmas. Thank You!
Perfect cookie for an exchange :)
Wow! These cookies are so soft and delicious! My family really enjoyed them and I really loved how easy they were to make!
I’m so glad you loved them!
These cookies are amazing! The texture is perfect. The best part is that my son despises cream cheese and loved these cookies!
these are simple to make and very good. I made a jar for snacking during my long work hours. adding this to my favorites.