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Cream cheese chocolate chip cookies bake up thick, chewy, and incredibly soft with subtle tang. Each cookie has crisp edges and a rich, tender center that keeps you reaching for another!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Jump to RecipePrep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Total Time
42 minutes
Servings
18 cookies
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
249 kcal per serving
Technique
Cream butter and cream cheese, mix a thick dough, fold in chocolate, and bake until just set.
Flavor Profile
Soft, chewy cookies with rich vanilla and deep chocolate flavor
* Based on nutrition panel
I followed your note about barely creaming the butter and cream cheese and it made such a difference. The cookies stayed thick and chewy even the next day. I also used a mix of chocolates like you suggested and it was perfect! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why This Recipe Works
- Cream cheese keeps them soft. The tangy cream cheese is one of those special ingredients that balances sweetness.
- Minimal creaming controls spread. Less air means thicker cookies with a chewy bite.
- Cornstarch adds tenderness. It creates that soft, bakery-style interior.
- Mixed chocolate improves flavor. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chips give contrast instead of flat sweetness.
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe Works
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookie Video
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Variations on Soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Professional Tips
- How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Recommended Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Before You Go
There are a lot of chocolate chip cookies on the site, from classic thick chocolate chip cookies to New York Times chocolate chip cookies to richer versions like brown butter chocolate chip cookies. But this version hits a very specific sweet spot: soft, dense, and just a little tangy.
If you’re in the mood to switch it up, you might also love peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or nutella cookies. And if you want something a little more festive, these red velvet cookies or Easter m&m cookies are always a good idea.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt level. It should be soft but still cool to the touch.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese is key for both texture and flavor. It creates soft, tender cookies with structure.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that keeps the cookies chewy. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can make these chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar!
- Granulated Sugar: Helps create lightly crisp edges and balances the brown sugar.
- Egg: Adds richness and structure while helping emulsify the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances both the chocolate and sugar flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides just enough structure for a thick cookie without making it tough.
- Cornstarch: This fine powder keeps the cookies soft and tender.
- Chocolate Chips: I like a mix of semi-sweet and bittersweet for balance, but you can customize.
See the recipe card for full ingredient quantities.
Variations on Soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Add mix-ins. Stir in nuts, candy pieces, chopped candy bars, or go all out like these kitchen sink cookies for a loaded version.
- Stuff the cookies. Wrap dough around caramel, peanut butter, or even a little frosting like this cream cheese frosting for cookies.
- Make them festive. Swap in colored candies or chips, or try something bold like old fashioned peanut butter cookies as inspiration for texture and flavor combos.
Professional Tips
- Don’t over-cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix just until smooth. Too much air will make the cookies cakey instead of chewy.
- Add flour in stages. This keeps the dough smooth and prevents overmixing.
- Reserve some chocolate chips. Reserve some chocolate chips and press them onto the tops of the cookies before baking.
- Watch the bake closely. Pull them when the edges are just starting to brown, about 11–12 minutes.
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use these instructions to make the perfect cream cheese chocolate chip cookies every time. Full details are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Step 2: Cream butter mixture. In a stand mixer on medium speed, mix butter and cream cheese until smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Add both sugars, then the egg and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
A hand mixer works well here; mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Combine the dough. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 5–7 additions, mixing just until incorporated after each addition.
Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl in the bowl of a stand mixer so everything mixes evenly.
Step 4: Add chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix briefly so they are evenly distributed.
Step 5: Scoop the dough. Portion using a 2-inch cookie scoop or about ¼ cup per cookie.
Step 6: Optional chill. Chill the dough balls for 2 hours or up to 3 days for deeper flavor and slightly thicker cookies.
Step 7: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 8: Arrange cookies. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Step 9: Bake cookies. Bake for 11–12 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown and the centers look set but soft.
Step 10: Cool and finish. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
Barely cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. You want a smooth paste, not a fluffy mixture. This keeps the cookies dense, chewy, and thick instead of light and cakey.
Recipe FAQs
Cream cheese is one of the best additions to chocolate chip cookies because it changes both structure and flavor. It adds fat and moisture, which keeps cookies soft and tender, while its slight acidity balances sweetness. It also reduces spread during baking, creating thicker, chewier cookies with a more controlled texture.
Store cream cheese chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Do you need to chill cream cheese chocolate chip cookie dough?
Recommended Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie Recipes
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie Recipes
Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie Recipes
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt kosher or sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened (avoid using fat free, light or whipped cream cheese!)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips I use Ghirardelli
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips I use Ghirardelli
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and cream cheese, then add sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients in batches, mixing just until incorporated.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough into large portions.
- Chill if desired for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets.
- Bake for 11–12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Presentation: Press extra chocolate chips on top before baking.
- Flavor Tips: Use a mix of chocolates for better balance.
- Technique: Do not over-cream.
- Storage: Store airtight up to 10 days or freeze.
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this soft and chewy cookie recipe. Be sure to check out more of my favorite cookie recipes for your next bake, like these bakery style chocolate chip cookies!
Was intrigued by the cream cheese addition, so decided to try. Followed the directions and even watched the video. I chilled the dough but only for about an hour to firm it up. The cookies came out looking just like the picture. I baked them for about 12 minutes and cooled for 5 minutes as directed. Rolled them as directed in the video. The disappointment came in that I didnt taste any cream cheese. There was more of a flourery taste. They were tender but the middle was not completely done. It was like having raw cookie dough encased by a cooked cookie shell. I figured that since they didnt spread much, they were too thick. I was a little concerned about eating raw dough. The next batch, I rolled but flatten a bit to see if they would cook more. The middle was better. When I looked at the video again, you said the suggested cook time was 14 minutes which is more than what the recipe called for. Maybe if I had cooked that for that time, maybe the middle would have been less raw. Overall, the taste was okay if you want a cookie that is more cake-like than cookie-like. I will stick to my recipe that is tried and true.
Hi Sheila, I’m sorry to hear that you had a disappointing baking experience with this recipe. It sounds like (based on several of the points in your comment: the floury taste, the not spreading to the point of having to flatten them, and the cake-like texture) there was too much flour in the batch you made. The most common cause is not measuring the flour correctly by volume. It is such a pain but necessary to fluff the flour and then spoon it into the cup measures. I also love trying new recipes and then generally go back to old-faithful. Even without the flour issue, the cream cheese taste is subtle. If you add more to get the flavor, it changes the texture away from a traditional chewy cookie. Happy future baking, Lindsey
My grandpa used to make cream cheese cookies, but they used a cake mix. When I saw these were homemade, I get up and made them right away. They’re SO good! They taste like my childhood. Thanks!
Hi Erin! Homemade vs. cake mix is an eternal debate–but I’m so happy you enjoyed these! Thanks for coming back and commenting. <3
I love trying different chocolate chip cookie recipes. If you like a thicker cookie, it’s nice. The taste is good. My cookie preference leans more to a crunchy cookie with a soft middle, but these will certainly be gobbled up at my house. Give this recipe a try. It may be what you’ve been looking for.
The cream cheese gave these cookies the softest texture! I loved the cheesecake like flavor.
Hi Addison! That’s a great way to describe it, thank you so much for coming back and commenting!
These were SO GOOD! Just the right amount of chocolate chips. They disappeared so fast, so I am making them again today.
Hi Bella! Haha, they do have a tendency to disappear! Glad you’re going to make a second batch. 🙂
I absolutely love cakey, thick cookies and these did not disappoint! I chilled mine overnight prior to baking and they were perfect. I did freeze 6 dough balls to make later in my toasted oven. This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Elizabeth! Me too–cakey cookies like these are absolutely divine!
My daughter and I made a double batch of these this morning.
They were delicious!!!!
Like you suggested we added a like sprinkle of salt flakes on them.
Can’t wait to make them again and try butterscotch chips!
Delish!
Hi Claire! That sounds wonderful, so glad you and your daughter enjoyed!
I would love the recipe for the cookies that are showing on the Pinterest page. Looks like it had mini Reese’s and maybe peanut butter chips
Haha! I feel you Deborah. Was it these cookies? My only other guess was these Reese’s blondies?
Maybe I’m just blind, but where does it say to add the cream cheese???
Hi Elena! Thanks for commenting, I’ve updated the recipe with this information. Happy baking!
I am so sorry to hear that, Diane. I must say I am surprised. I actually made these again recently to re-photograph (seen here) and I had consistent delightful results. The only thing that would make them bitter would be too much leavening. That would also make them more “cake-like” rather than cookie. Thanks for dropping bye.