• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cookies / Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

    February 5, 2018 By Sam 33 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    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!

    Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies cooling on a wire rack

    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.

    A thick, soft, chewy chocolate chip cream cheese cookie hot out of the oven with a bite taken out

    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.

    Rolled balls of chocolate chip cream cheese cookie dough

    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!

    A plate full of chocolate chip cream cheese cookies

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

    How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies:

    Chocolate chip cookie with bite missing showing melted gooey chocolate

    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!
    4.60 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 35 cookies
    Calories: 136kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    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)
    • ½ cup sugar (100g)
    • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (437g)
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips divided (340g)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.
    • In a stand mixer (or using an electric hand mixer and a large bowl), beat together butter and cream cheese until creamed.
    • 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.
    • Add egg and beat until combined, and stir in vanilla extract.
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
    • With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to your wet ingredients until completely combined.
    • Using a spatula or with your mixer on low-speed, stir in 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chunks/chips, and pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that chocolate is well incorporated.
    • Scoop dough by 1 ½ 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.
    • 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.
    • Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Chocolate chip cookies surrounded by chocolate chunks

    « The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup
    The Second-Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenny

      January 06, 2023 at 12:56 pm

      5 stars
      Okay you guys who say you’re going to try this recipe, need to do it right away (or when the craving hits). They’re the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made. You don’t notice the cream cheese taste, just a richer flavor than other recipes.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 08, 2023 at 9:38 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jenny! 🙂

        Reply
        • Florence Wall

          January 24, 2023 at 6:04 pm

          Would you please tell me which is your very favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?

        • Sam

          January 24, 2023 at 8:30 pm

          It has to be the worst chocolate chip cookies. 😉

    2. Jenny Clapp

      December 28, 2022 at 12:55 am

      5 stars
      One of the best tasting, most flavorful chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. This is probably the perfect chocolate chip cookie

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 28, 2022 at 8:52 am

        Thanks for the review, Jenny ❤️ We’re so happy you love them!

        Reply
    3. Gina

      July 28, 2022 at 1:31 am

      What are the chocolate chips you used? Where can I purchase them?

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 28, 2022 at 8:45 am

        Hi Gina! They are actually called chocolate chunks and I typically find them right next to the regular chocolate chips. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Anna Baraniewski

      January 09, 2022 at 9:46 am

      Tried your cream cheese chocolate chip cookies and they were a hit!!!…but I was wondering if I could freeze some of the dough to make at a later date?…thx

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2022 at 6:44 pm

        We’re so happy they were a hit for you, Anna! That should work just fine. Enjoy! 😊

        Reply
    5. Ash

      September 03, 2020 at 11:21 pm

      5 stars
      This is easily one of my favorite cookies recipes! I like the subtle tang and how soft the cookies turned out to be. I ran out of chocolate chips and used peanut butter chips and it was excellent.

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 04, 2020 at 4:16 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Ash! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Angela

      April 27, 2020 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      I just made these and they came out great! I love the taste and they came out high and soft. The taste is very different from my “regular” recipe (classic gold medal flour recipe) but I like them as much. I can’t wait to try the worst chocolate chip cookies next!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        April 27, 2020 at 12:31 pm

        I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Angela! Thank you for trying my recipe. I would love to know your thoughts on how they compare to my Worst Chocolate Chip Cookies when you try them next. Happy Baking! Thanks for commenting. 🙂

        Reply
        • Cynthia

          February 13, 2021 at 12:01 pm

          Well I made a big mistake today when I was making the recipe for Cream Cheese filled Chocolate Chip Cookies. I did have to start from scratch but hated to throw away a pkg. of Cream Cheese and a cup of butter. Can you suggest a recipe so that I do now have to throw these items away. Just have the cookies in the over that I had to start over. Big mistake for sure. Anyway help if you can. I loved all your recipes and this is a new one for me. Thanks so very much.
          Cynthia

        • Sam

          February 15, 2021 at 12:35 pm

          O no! If you accidentally use double the cream cheese you could just double the rest of the ingredients and make lots of cookies. 🙂

    7. emily 🙂

      April 10, 2020 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      These look great! would it work if i reduced the sugar to 3/4 c dark brown and 1/4 c white? Would i need to add more or less flour? my family dislikes super sweet cookies so all my recipes use 1 c or less to fit our preferences. thank you so much! these look really good 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 10, 2020 at 5:42 pm

        Hi Emily! You wouldn’t need to adjust any of the other ingredients if you reduce the sugar. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Abby

      September 30, 2019 at 11:47 am

      Is the cream of tartar nessesary?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        September 30, 2019 at 2:28 pm

        Hello, Abby! The cream of tartar prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing, making your cookies chewy. You can leave it out, but the chocolate chip cookies may be crunchy. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂

        Reply
        • Abby

          September 30, 2019 at 5:25 pm

          Hey! I just let them cool and took a bite. Tasted GREAT! And they came out to be crunchy but still very soft after cooling! Thanks!

        • Sugar Spun Run

          September 30, 2019 at 6:38 pm

          Awesome, Abby! I hope that you enjoy the cookies! 🙂

    9. Dalia

      June 14, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      My cookies are spreading properly. They look chunky. Please help.

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 15, 2019 at 9:16 pm

        Sounds like it might be a bit too much flour. I recommend using a scale to measure or stir your flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off (never scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup). I hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Cynthia

          February 15, 2021 at 4:38 pm

          Thank you Sam for your quick reply but my problem was that I had mixed cream cheese and butter which the recipe did not ask for. I did not throw the first mixture away and did in the end make the cookie properly BUT I still have this Cream Cheese and a cup of butter mixture and just hate to double the recipe because it only called for icing sugar and cream cheese. They were the Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip cookies with the ball of cream cheese in the middle. They were absolutely delicious. Thanks again if you can help…if not then I will likely just consider if an unfortunate mistake. Cynthia.

    10. Corey

      December 07, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      1 star
      Just made these, sounded great to make, nasty to eat

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 07, 2018 at 11:56 pm

        Hi Corey, what didn’t you like about them? Was it just that the flavor wasn’t to your preference?

        Reply
    11. Kathy Bedard

      February 06, 2018 at 8:40 am

      I am a collector now also, but it is of your delicious recipes!! I love that you are constantly coming up with great new ideas for baking!! I love chewy chocolate chip cookies, not crunchy so I love your recipes!! Thanks Sam, you are awesome!! Zach is a lucky man!!

      Reply
    12. Joanne

      February 05, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      I love all of your cookie recipes, and plan to bake these soon.

      Reply
    13. Joanna

      February 05, 2018 at 1:11 pm

      Your chocolate chip cookies are legendary in my house and I can’t wait to try this one!

      Reply
      • Juju

        July 26, 2022 at 6:14 pm

        Hey Sam!
        May I ask what brand chocolate chunk you used for this recipe??
        I would have never thought to use cream cheese in a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Hope to try it out soon.
        Thanks! 🙂

        Reply
        • Sam

          July 28, 2022 at 8:49 am

          They are made by Nestle. 🙂

    14. Candace

      February 05, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      I am a book collector too but I don’t have the kindle or any tablet so you can imagine how many bookshelves I have and everyone is stuffed!

      I appreciate you sharing your collections with us, these look delicious and I can’t wait to try them out.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Cozy Soup Recipes

    White Chicken chili in a bowl with toppings

    White Chicken Chili

    bowl of chicken corn chowder topped with bacon and green onions

    Chicken Corn Chowder

    Bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with a spoon scooping out a bite.

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    Overhead of two bowls of corn chowder

    Summer Corn Chowder

    mason jar of chicken broth made from a homemade chicken stock recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Stock Recipe

    Two bowls of turkey chowder

    Turkey Chowder

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy|Accessibility Statement

    Footer

    Subscribe To My Newsletter!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    [widget id="simple-social-icons-3"]

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    • 14