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! 🙂
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
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)
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
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.
Jenny
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.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jenny! 🙂
Florence Wall
Would you please tell me which is your very favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?
Sam
It has to be the worst chocolate chip cookies. 😉
Jenny Clapp
One of the best tasting, most flavorful chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. This is probably the perfect chocolate chip cookie
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, Jenny ❤️ We’re so happy you love them!
Gina
What are the chocolate chips you used? Where can I purchase them?
Sam
Hi Gina! They are actually called chocolate chunks and I typically find them right next to the regular chocolate chips. 🙂
Anna Baraniewski
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
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they were a hit for you, Anna! That should work just fine. Enjoy! 😊
Ash
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.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Ash! 🙂
Angela
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!
Sugar Spun Run
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. 🙂
Cynthia
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
O no! If you accidentally use double the cream cheese you could just double the rest of the ingredients and make lots of cookies. 🙂
emily 🙂
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 🙂
Sam
Hi Emily! You wouldn’t need to adjust any of the other ingredients if you reduce the sugar. I hope that helps!
Abby
Is the cream of tartar nessesary?
Sugar Spun Run
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! 🙂
Abby
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
Awesome, Abby! I hope that you enjoy the cookies! 🙂
Dalia
My cookies are spreading properly. They look chunky. Please help.
Sam
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!
Cynthia
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.
Corey
Just made these, sounded great to make, nasty to eat
Sam
Hi Corey, what didn’t you like about them? Was it just that the flavor wasn’t to your preference?
Kathy Bedard
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!!
Joanne
I love all of your cookie recipes, and plan to bake these soon.
Joanna
Your chocolate chip cookies are legendary in my house and I can’t wait to try this one!
Juju
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! 🙂
Sam
They are made by Nestle. 🙂
Candace
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.