Bake or Break
New to BAKE or BREAK? Start Here!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies offer a twist on the classic with a kick of tangy cream cheese!

stacks of Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t deal well with failure. Quinn likes to say that I would have made a terrible scientist. I like things to work well the first time.

When working on a recipe, sometimes you have to accept failure, learn from it, and try to make changes to make it work. Then there are the other times. The times when everything goes just as it should and the outcome is just as you’d hoped. This is one of those times.

These cookies worked on my first try. And that makes me very happy. Granted, the recipe isn’t overly complicated. But, if you think it’s difficult to mess up a cookie recipe, you might want to reconsider that.

a chocolate chip cookie with a bite missing

Regardless of how I got there, I’m pleased to share this little twist on chocolate chip cookies. The thing that makes these different, as you can tell by the title, is the presence of my good friend cream cheese. The amount of butter for a traditional chocolate chip cookie is reduced and replaced with a good dose of cream cheese. These cookies are a little cake-y and just the right amount of sweet.

Hungry for more chocolate chip cookies? Try Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!

How to Store

After cooling the cookies, place them in an airtight container. They should keep at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw on the countertop before serving.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield about 48 cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

The addition of tangy cream cheese makes these chocolate chip cookies something special!

stacks of Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 & 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 & 1/2 cups (255g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until the dough is thoroughly mixed.
  5. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans. Bake (one pan at a time) 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. (These cookies will not brown like classic chocolate chip cookies.)
  6. Place the pans on wire racks to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pans directly onto the rack to cool completely.

Recommended Products

Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Show off your baking masterpiece!

Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!

Share this:

    50 Comments on “Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies”

  1. on my list of “to create” i’ve had, way , way, in the back cream cheese infused cc cookies.
    looks like i need to make these sooner than later

  2. These look soooooooooo good. I am the same way, I hate to try a recipe and have it turn out like crap. It infuriates me!

  3. I love sour cream chocolate chip cookies so I’ll definitely try these. Love when they can add to the overall texture.

  4. I love the idea of a cream cheese chocolate chip cookie! Mmmm!

  5. What a great twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie! Yum!

  6. Hmmm, cream cheese chocolate chip cookies!!! I might have to make these, they look delicious 🙂

  7. I love the idea of making these with cream cheese – they look like lovely light pillows of deliciousness!

  8. You can never EVER go wrong adding cream cheese to anything! What a fabulous idea. YUUUMMM!

  9. Wow! It looks yummier in this amazing photo of yours. I baked lot of cookies for my son and this one is on my list for weekends. I always served cookies on silver rimmed plates. You are amazing.

  10. I am going to make these before I finish my Biggest Loser contestant application and after my Overeaters Anonymous meeting.

  11. These look fantastic! One question. I have a family member who isn’t a fan of cream cheese recipes. How dominant is the cream cheese flavor in cookie? Thanks! great site!

    • Matt, the cream cheese punch, though not overwhelming, is definitely there. When some people tried them, they couldn’t identify the flavor of it. If you think it’s too much, you could try cutting back to 4 ounces of cream cheese and adding about 4 tablespoons of butter.

  12. Made these yesterday as bar cookies in a 13×9 pan. They are so moist and have just a little tang from the cream cheese, which cuts the sweetness a bit. They are a great variation on a choc chip cookie (or bar)! Thanks for the recipe!

  13. I made these the other day and they went up in smoke! Thanks so much for the recipe! I posted it about it on my site.

  14. I just made these cookies using this recipe. They are amazing! More dense then regular chocolate chip cookies so it gives it kind of a cake feel but still majority cookie feel. The cream cheese adds a set of of flavor when it mixes with all the other ingredients. Definitely something that satisfied my taste pallet. One small detail I do not have a cooling rack so the cookies cooled different due to the cream cheese. When I bake regular chocolate chip cookies they cool alright and the consistency is fine without me using a cooling rack. These cookies however the moisture gets trapped on the bottom when you do not use a cooling rack. Due to the lack of butter the cookie does not firm up together as well. So my recommendation is if you do not have a cooling rack and plan to make some of these delectable cookies go buy a cooling rack. I am almost positive that would have fixed my problem but the cookies were still very enjoyable. I am sure my goddaughter will love them when I bring them to her and her family.

  15. I made these this afternoon and they are delicious! I love the taste and texture that the cream cheese brings. My only complaint is that after five of them, you start to feel a little unwell!

    Thanks for the recipe.

  16. Just finished making a batch…need to hide them away so that there will be some left for when Dad comes home tonight! They were delicious–soft and cake-like as others have said, with just the right amount of sweetness. The cream cheese rounds out the flavors very well. Thanks for the recipe!

  17. Just made these and YUM! Two thumbs up from both hubby and I. Definitely a keeper! Soft and cakey but taste like choc. Chip cheesecake. Thanks for sharing!

  18. Just made these and I have to say they aren’t my favorite… A little too cakey. Not sure if it is supposed to have baking soda instead of baking powder because mine looked nothing like your pictures. They puffed up a lot when I baked them 🙁

  19. I made these yesterday. My only question is how sticky is the dough supposed to be? The first 2 pans I did, I noticed that the dough was really wet and sticky. Now this is the first homemade cave made in years and didn’t know if it is because of the cream cheese or because I had my 5 year old help measure the flour, so I added about 1/4c more flour the second batch and it was still pretty wet . Either way they turned out great!

  20. sorry cookies not cave, lol. Auto fill 🙂

  21. Was wondering if maybe I did something wrong, I followed the recipe, but mine turned out like little cake stacks….any suggestions? I was dying to try these and the picture looks great, however, I couldn’t quite make them look like that.

  22. Cris, maybe you had too much flour or overmixed the dough?

  23. I just made these with a variation on the chips and extract. They’re okay, but a little too cakey and ugly. They aren’t round and flat like your picture…more lumpy. Probably won’t use this recipe again. Sorry.

  24. I don’t like cream cheese … Or any of my baking for that matter but these are amazing! I’m actually surprised there are any baked cookies! One scoop dough for the pan and two for me! Fantastic recipe! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting it (:

  25. I made these last night and they worked out great. I halved the recipe because we just don’t need that many delicious cookies lying around when we’re about to be stranded in our house for a couple days of winter storms!

    I heeded the advice above and moved the cookies to the cooling rack almost immediately. They were dense enough that they didn’t fall apart in the process, which was delightful. 🙂 Mine are definitely ugly, but I didn’t use a cookie scoop, which I’m sure is how yours turned out so gorgeous. A somewhat lumpy appearance doesn’t detract from how wonderfully rich they are!

    This will probably be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on! Thank you!

  26. Yumm! I made these tonight for company we had over, and everyone loved them and raved about them. Mine weren’t very pretty, though. Very lumpy and odd shaped. I ended up kinda pressing them down with a fork when they came out of the oven because mine were so puffed up. BUT, they were delicious and so moist. I love the cream cheese tangy flavor:) Definitely a keeper!

  27. I googled this recipe, and I’m so pleased with the results! I also wrote down the recipe for my recipe card book.

    I wrote about it at my blog. Here’s the entry:

    http://avbofsteel.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/chocolate-chip-cream-cheese-portland-cookies/

  28. Had some cream cheese I had to use so I just finished making these and they are great .Turned out just like the picture. Using an ice cream scoop makes a big difference very pretty cookies.

  29. These cookies look amazingggg!!

  30. I followed the recipe and think they turned out really great! Love the creamier flavor. The batter is a bit sticky but it’s no problem. Thanks for the great recipe!

  31. These look amazing…we recently moved to a higher altitude. ..do you know what I should do to make them as tasty as the ones pictured above?

  32. I made these cookies today and they did not flatten out while baking. The puffed up and came out like little balls rather than cookies. They do taste good, just look a bit funny.

  33. These were really good. I substituted baking soda instead of baking powder. Not a get fan of cake-like cookies. They came out great. Thanks

  34. I made these in bar form today, like Rosanne did above. These are the moistest, most flavorful cookies I’ve ever had! The cream cheese gives them a texture that’s out of this world. I remember my mom making regular chocolate chip cookies in bar form when I was a kid, and that’s how I prefer them. They baked up light golden brown in 35 minutes. Bravo!

  35. I wanted to use up some leftover cream cheese and found your chocolate chip cookie recipe. It came together beautifully, however I was disappointed in the bland taste of the batter. I added more chips, more vanilla, and some additional brown sugar. The baked cookie has a nice texture, and while the taste is still very plain I am hoping that after they rest for a little while the result will improve. Also, I am putting the rest of the dough in the fridge for a few hours, thinking that might help.

  36. I have made these cookies many times already and I absolutely love them. This morning when I wanted to make them I realized that I dont have any eggs. Do you have any suggestion as to what I could substitute for the eggs? Stores are closed here today. :/
    Greetings from Germany!

    • Hi, Luisa. You could try 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana per egg. Another thing to try would be substituting a combination of 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, and two teaspoons of baking powder for each egg. I’ve not tried that, but I’ve read that it works well.

  37. These are wonderful.

    My husband wants me to make the basic dough and add only dried cranberries or raisins or both. I think they will need some chocolate. Everything is better with chocolate!

    Love your recipes. Every one of them I have tried have been great.

  38. Actually, used to make these cookies back in the 60’s! My mother and sister and I spent many a lovely rainy day baking. In our recipe, we added Orange essence, a little grated orange rind which just gives a hint of Orange to cookies. Enjoy!

  39. I’ve made a lot of cookie but I must say this recipe had our family oohing and aaing at their yummy goodness. I hadnt heard of adding cream cheese until now, thank you.

  40. My aunt gave me this exact recipe in 1981.  They are very good cookies.

  41. OMG! This is an awesome recipe!
    For a healthier, keto friendly option, I made the following substitutions:
     – > Almond flour
     – > 2 extra eggs (because of the flour change)
     – > 4 oz Unsweetened Cocoa
     – > 6.2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate (just what I had)
     – > 7 oz Swerve, Granular (just what I had)
     – > 2.8 oz Powdered Erythritol (just what I had)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *