Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick, soft, chewy cream cheese chocolate chip cookies! These cookies are a twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie, they’re so simple to make and are loaded with chocolate.  The cream cheese adds a subtle flavor and makes them extremely soft!

I am a collector.

Zach might prefer the term hoarder but I disagree.  I collect books, usually garnering approximately 3 new purchases before finishing my current read (thank goodness for the Kindle or my house would be a fire hazard).  I have a drawer that’s literally full of pretty, way-too-sparkly nail polish colors even though I only paint my nails two to three times a year, and I have a cabinet cluttered with obscure cookie cutters, because you never know when you’re going to need to cut out a cookie in the shape of a lobster or an octopus, right?

Right.

My favorite collection, though, might just be my collection of chocolate chip cookie recipes, and today I’m adding a brand new one to share with you: these thick, chewy, super soft Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I’d been toying with the idea of adding cream cheese to classic chocolate chip cookies for a while, and actually started working on this recipe around the same time that I developed my  peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, which revolutionized my love for peanut butter cookies.  It sat on the back burner for a while, but a few weeks ago I decided it was time to bring this cookie to light.

I wanted a cookie that was soft and thick, but not cake-y (does anyone like cake-y cookies?), and while cream cheese is great for making baked goods soft (which is why I used it in my favorite coffee cake), it has a tendency to make cookies cakey rather than chewy.

After experimenting with a surplus of brown sugar, an extra egg yolk, a touch of cornstarch, and just the right amount of butter, these cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are finally, perfectly complete, and the latest addition to my chocolate chip cookie collection.

Tips for Making the Best Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese (not the spreadable variety).
• I’ve found that the dough is easy to roll immediately after mixing together.  If yours is too sticky, feel free to chill it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to make it easier to roll.
• You don’t have to roll the dough, just dropping it by the spoonful will work, too, but the cookies will be much less attractive.
• I recommend reserving a half cup of chocolate (whether you use chunks or chips) and then once the cookies come out of the oven, gently nestle the chunks/chips into the tops of each cookie.  You can skip this and stir all the chocolate in to the batter, but doing this really makes them look nice!

I hope you’ll try them out and add them to your collection, too! Enjoy! 🙂

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How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies:

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Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are thick while still being soft and chewy (not at all cakey!) and are packed with semisweet chocolate!

Recipe from SugarSpunRun.com

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 35 cookies

Author Samantha Merritt || Sugar Spun Run

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (226g)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature (115g)
• 1 ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar tightly packed (250g)
• 1/2 cup sugar 100g
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (437g)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips divided (340g)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer (or using an electric hand mixer and a large bowl), beat together butter and cream cheese until creamed.

3. Add sugars and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Pause mid-way through to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Add egg and beat until combined, and stir in vanilla extract.

5. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

6. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to your wet ingredients until completely combined.

7. Using a spatula or with your mixer on low-speed, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chunks/chips, and pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that chocolate is well incorporated.

8. Scoop dough by 1 1/2 Tablespoon-sized balls and gently roll between your palms for a smooth ball.  Place on cookie sheet, spacing at least 2" apart, and bake on 350F (175C) for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies may still seem soft in the centers but will continue to bake on the cookie sheet as they cool.

9. Within one minute of removing from the oven, gently press remaining chocolate chunks/chips into the tops of each cookie.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

10. Enjoy!