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Cream Cheese Cookies are the soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies my family begs for, with a tangy richness from cream cheese and a pretty crackly powdered sugar coating. If you love a tender, pillowy cookie like our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies, this classic powdered sugar version belongs in your cookie jar.
They are wonderfully soft, lightly tangy, and coated in a snowy layer of powdered sugar that cracks just like a crinkle cookie.
Cream Cheese Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 8 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 18 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 40 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 66kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, tangy, sweet
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, like our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies
Quick Answer
Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar. Add the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, followed by the flour. Scoop the soft dough into dollops, chill for at least 2 hours, then roll each into a ball, coat in powdered sugar, and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes until puffed.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cream cheese makes them tender. The cream cheese adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps these cookies soft and rich.
- Powdered sugar instead of granulated. Using powdered sugar in the dough gives the cookies a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Chilling is essential. The dough is very soft, so chilling firms it up enough to roll and helps the cookies hold their shape.
- A powdered sugar coating. Rolling the chilled dough in powdered sugar gives that pretty crackly top as the cookies puff and bake.
- No spreading, all softness. Baking just until the tops look dry keeps the centers soft and pillowy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are incredibly soft and tender with a gentle tang from the cream cheese.
- The powdered sugar coating gives them a beautiful crackly, snowy look perfect for the holidays.
- They come together with simple ingredients, just like our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of simple ingredients make these soft, tangy cream cheese cookies. Here is what each one does.
- Cream cheese: The star of the show. It adds moisture, richness, and that signature gentle tang. Use full-fat, softened.
- Butter: Softened and creamed with the cream cheese for a rich, tender base.
- Powdered sugar: Used in the dough for a delicate texture and as the snowy coating.
- Egg: Binds the soft dough together and helps the cookies puff.
- Flour, baking powder, and vanilla: Give just enough structure, lift, and warm flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These cream cheese cookies are a blank canvas. Here are a few fun ways to switch them up.
- Add citrus: Mix in lemon or orange zest for a bright, fresh flavor.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar instead of plain powdered sugar for a snickerdoodle vibe.
- Add almond extract in place of some of the vanilla for a bakery flavor.
- Fold in mini chips or sprinkles for a festive touch.
- Try the cinnamon version: Our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies are a cozy spin on this recipe.
How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium-low until smooth and combined.
- Mix in 1 and a half cups of the powdered sugar on low until combined, scraping down the bowl.
- Add the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, then mix in the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized dollops onto a parchment lined tray, cover, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll each chilled dollop into a ball and coat it well in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes until puffed and the tops look mostly dry. Cool on the tray 10 minutes before moving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the chill. The dough is very soft, and chilling is what makes it possible to roll and keeps the cookies from spreading.
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. Reduced-fat can make the dough too soft.
- Coat generously in powdered sugar for that pretty crackly top.
- Do not overbake. Pull them when the tops look dry but the centers are still soft for the best texture.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
- Let them cool on the tray for 10 minutes so they set before transferring to a rack.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These cream cheese cookies are made for a cold glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee. Their soft texture and gentle tang make them dangerously easy to snack on.
They are a beautiful addition to a holiday cookie tray, with their snowy powdered sugar coating fitting right in with Christmas treats.
Serve them alongside our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies for a pretty pair of soft, tangy cookies.
Stack a few in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon for an easy homemade gift any time of year.
Cream Cheese Cookies FAQs
Yes. The dough is very soft because of the cream cheese, so chilling for at least 2 hours is essential to roll the cookies and keep them from spreading too much.
Flat cookies usually mean the dough was not chilled long enough or the cream cheese and butter were too warm. Chill the dough well and bake on a cool tray.
Yes. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or freeze the chilled dough balls and roll them in powdered sugar before baking from frozen.
Because they contain cream cheese, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Absolutely. The dough actually benefits from an overnight chill, so it is a great make-ahead cookie. Roll and bake when you are ready.
Cream cheese adds moisture, richness, and a subtle tang, giving these cookies their signature soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Love cream cheese desserts? Try our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies for a cozy, spiced version.
Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 3/4 all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and the butter and mix on medium-low speed until smooth and combined.8 ounces cream cheese, 4 ounces unsalted butter
- Add 1 and ½ cups of the powdered sugar and mix in on low speed until combined, scrape down the sides as necessary.2 cups powdered sugar
- Add the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, mix in on medium-low until combined.1 large egg, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of kosher salt
- Add in the flour a little at a time until fully incorporated, scrape down the sides, and mix again for a few seconds.1 3/4 all-purpose flour
- Place 1 tablespoon-sized dollops about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, I like to use a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop for this. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or best overnight if you have time.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Take the dough dollops and roll them in your hands to form a ball, roll the ball in the powdered sugar, making sure to coat it well. Place cookies on another parchment-lined baking sheet, repeat with the remaining dough and place them 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are puffed and the tops appear mostly dry.2 cups powdered sugar
- Take out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Soften Properly. Cream cheese and butter should be soft but not melty. Too warm = flat cookies; too cold = lumpy batter.
- Mix Smart. Start on low speed to blend; increase to medium speed (briefly medium-high speed if needed) after adding sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl and bottom of the bowl for even mixing.
- Measure Flour Right. Spoon and level in a measuring cup; too much flour = dry cake‑like pucks. Want extra tender? Try ¼ cup cake flour swap.
- Chill That Dough. Minimum 2 hours; overnight is the best results move. Chilled scoops roll easier and bake into perfect puffs. Watch the first batch to learn your oven.
- Watch the Bake. Pull when tops look set but not deeply golden brown (about 8‑10 minutes; ovens vary 9‑11). Slight underbake = soft interior.
- Cool & Dust. Let cookies sit on the sheet 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack/cooling rack. Re‑roll in powdered sugar if you want an extra snowy look next time.
Nutrition
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These look and taste amazing – Thanks for the recipe!