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Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are unbelievably soft, melt in your mouth cookies with a tender, almost cake like crumb and little pockets of mini chocolate chips. I baked a batch on a rainy afternoon and Maddie said they tasted like a chocolate chip cookie and a snowball cookie had a baby, while Lizzie chased the powdered sugar dusting. If you love a pillowy cookie, these are right up there with our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies.
Cream cheese makes these cookies extra soft and rich, while mini chocolate chips and a snowy powdered sugar coating make them downright irresistible.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Quick Look
- đź•’ Prep Time: 8 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 18 minutes (includes chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 35 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 127kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, buttery, and sweet with melty chocolate chips
- âś‹ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our soft almond cookies
Quick Answer
To make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, beat cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour, then fold in mini chocolate chips. Scoop the dough into balls, chill, then roll in powdered sugar and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes until set. Cool, dust with more powdered sugar, and enjoy.
Jump to:
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Cookie Recipes
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cream cheese keeps them ultra soft. The cream cheese in these Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies makes the crumb tender, rich, and melt in your mouth soft.
- Powdered sugar gives a delicate texture. Using powdered sugar instead of granulated dissolves smoothly into the dough for a fine, soft cookie that almost melts.
- Chilling prevents spreading. A short chill firms up the soft dough so the cookies hold their pretty domed shape in the oven.
- Mini chocolate chips spread the chocolate around. Using mini chips means a little chocolate in every single bite, instead of big gaps between chunks.
- A powdered sugar roll adds a snowy finish. Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar gives a sweet, crackly coating, like a chocolate chip snowball cookie.
- They bake quickly. Just about 10 minutes in the oven, so a big batch of soft cookies comes together fast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are some of the softest, most tender chocolate chip cookies you will ever make, thanks to the cream cheese.
- A snowy powdered sugar coating makes them feel a little fancy and holiday ready.
- They make a big batch of 35 cookies, perfect for sharing right alongside our almond cookies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what comes together to make these soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies. It is a short, simple list.
- Cream cheese: The secret to the soft, tender, melt in your mouth texture. Use full fat and let it soften first.
- Butter: Beaten with the cream cheese for richness and that classic buttery cookie flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the dough and dissolves smoothly for a fine, delicate crumb, plus it coats the outside.
- Mini chocolate chips: Smaller chips mean melty chocolate in every bite without weighing down the soft dough.
- Flour, egg, and vanilla: The everyday baking staples that bring it all together into a tender cookie dough.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to switch up for any craving or occasion.
- Change the chips: Use white chocolate, butterscotch, or chopped chocolate instead of semisweet mini chips.
- Add citrus: A little lemon or orange zest in the dough brightens the rich cream cheese flavor.
- Skip the sugar roll: Leave off the powdered sugar coating for a simpler, less sweet cookie.
- Add nuts: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for a little crunch.
- Make them festive: Mix in holiday sprinkles or sandwich them with frosting like our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies.
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and 1 and a half cups of the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, then add the flour a little at a time and finally fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon sized dollops about an inch apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet, then chill the dough until firm.
- Once chilled, roll each dough ball in the remaining powdered sugar to coat.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are set but still soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes, dust with a little more powdered sugar if you like, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese and butter. Room temperature dairy beats up smooth and lump free for the softest dough.
- Do not skip the chill. The soft dough needs a chill so the cookies keep their domed shape instead of spreading thin.
- Use a cookie scoop. A 1.5 tablespoon scoop keeps the cookies uniform so they bake evenly.
- Roll generously in powdered sugar. A thick coat gives that pretty crackled, snowy finish as they bake.
- Do not overbake. Pull them when they look just set, they firm up as they cool and stay soft inside.
- Dust again after cooling. A final dusting of powdered sugar makes them extra pretty for serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are lovely just as they are, piled on a plate with a cold glass of milk. Their soft texture and snowy powdered sugar coating make them feel a little special, perfect for an afternoon treat or a sweet after dinner bite.
They shine on a holiday cookie tray. Arrange them next to our oatmeal raisin cookies and a batch of peanut butter cookies for a spread with something for everyone. The powdered sugar finish makes them look right at home among winter and holiday desserts.
They also make a thoughtful homemade gift. Pack them into a tin or treat box for neighbors, teachers, or friends. Because they stay soft for days, they travel and store well, so you can bake them ahead and still have plenty to share.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
Cream cheese makes these Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies incredibly soft, tender, and rich. It adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps the cookies from being dry or crumbly, giving them an almost cake like, melt in your mouth texture that sets them apart from a standard chocolate chip cookie.
Yes, chilling is important. The dough for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies is soft because of the cream cheese, so chilling firms it up and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. A good chill helps them hold their pretty domed shape and bake up thick and soft.
Because they contain cream cheese, store Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the softest texture. You can also keep them at cool room temperature for a day or two if you plan to eat them quickly.
Yes. You can freeze the baked Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature. You can also freeze the scooped dough balls, then chill, roll in powdered sugar, and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
You can, but mini chocolate chips work best in Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies because they distribute evenly through the soft dough and give you chocolate in every bite. If you only have regular chips, roughly chop them so they fold into the delicate dough without weighing it down or causing spreading.
If your Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies spread too much, the dough was likely too warm. Make sure to chill the scooped dough well before baking, and avoid placing dough on a hot baking sheet. Properly chilled dough holds its shape and bakes into thick, soft, domed cookies.
Love soft, easy cookies? Try our cinnamon sugar cream cheese cookies next, another tender, melt in your mouth favorite.
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip 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 salt
- 1 & Âľ cups all-purpose flour
- Âľ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl 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 to the cream cheese mixture 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 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 & Âľ cups all-purpose flour
- Add the chocolate chips and mix them in well.Âľ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
- Place 1.5 tablespoon-sized dollops about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop for this. Cover with plastic wrap and place cookie dough balls 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 10-12 minutes until the cookies are puffed and the tops appear mostly dry.
- 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.
- Dust with more powdered sugar if desired and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results.
- Don’t over-mix the dough; mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Chilling the dough is essential; it helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking. I highly suggest chilling overnight if possible.
- Don’t over-bake! These cookies are meant to be soft cookies, not crispy cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly-sized cookies.
- I recommend full-fat cream cheese. Don’t skimp on the flavor!
Nutrition
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