Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

These irresistible soft batch cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are so chocolatey, moist, and flavorful that it’ll be hard to resist sinking your teeth into a second or third! Made with just some essential pantry ingredients, this easy cookie recipe is the perfect dessert to serve for special occasions and a casual dessert to keep in the kitchen cookie jar. It won’t be long before it becomes the family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, in fact, it is our favorite cookies that do not harden!

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe
• 📝  Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍪 More Cookie Recipes
• Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip cookies

🌟 Why this is the best Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

1. It does not require fancy ingredients or equipment. You can find everything you need to make these simple cream cheese chocolate chip cookies in your neighborhood grocery store. You probably have most of them already in your kitchen pantry!
2. They are the most delicious - I use the highest quality ingredients to make the most flavorful, chewy chocolate chip cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Undoubtedly, it will be one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes you will ever try!
3. It is simple to make - Besides using essential ingredients and kitchen tools, this recipe is easy to follow. By following the detailed steps in this recipe, even beginners can create delicious bakery-style cookies.
4. It is versatile - There are countless ways to customize these sweet chocolate chip cream cheese cookies, from different add-ins and flavors to ingredient substitutes and alternatives. See the Variations and Substitution section for ideas.
5. It does not harden - Adding cream cheese to your cookies will ensure that the cookies won´t harden for days, not that they last that long!

📝  Ingredient notes

1. Butter - I like to use butter with 82% fat to give my cookies the best texture and flavor. To properly blend into the batter, the butter must be at room temperature (but not melted). Use unsalted butter so that you know exactly how much salt goes into the recipe.
2. Brown sugar - Brown sugar will give the cookies a sweet, molasses flavor. You can use dark brown sugar for a deep, rich flavor or light brown sugar for a milder flavor.
3. Granulated sugar - The white sugar, combined with the brown sugar, helps balance the molasses flavor.
4. Egg - This recipe requires one whole egg. Like the butter, the egg must be at room temperature to emulsify correctly.
5. Vanilla Extract - For the best flavor and aroma, always use pure vanilla extract. Avoid imitation vanilla extract.
6. Cream Cheese - Always use a high-quality, full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. In this recipe, I make Philadelphia cream cheese chocolate chip cookies. The cream cheese, like the butter and egg, must be at room temperature.
7. Flour - I use all-purpose flour in this recipe, which is excellent for baking cookies and brownies. See my flour guide to learn about the different types of flour and how to use them in baking.
8. Salt - Salt is a critical ingredient that helps balance the flavors in the recipe. Do not skip it!
9. Baking soda - Baking soda helps the cookies rise and gives them a chewy texture.
10. Chocolate chips - It is best to use high-quality, semi sweet chocolate chips with at least 70% cocoa. I recommend using Callebaut dark chocolate chips as they give the cookies a deep, rich cocoa flavor. You can use milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips if you prefer a sweeter chocolate flavor. You can also use butterscotch chips!

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Step-by-step process of making Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the room-temperature butter with the brown and white sugar until well blended.
2. Whip in the room-temperature egg, then add the vanilla extract and room-temperature cream cheese. Mix until just combined (do not overmix).
3. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients and fold them together carefully using a rubber spatula. Avoid overmixing the batter. 
4. Use the rubber spatula to gently fold chocolate chips in, leaving some to top the half-baked cookies.
5. Next, prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Divide the cookie dough batter into ten equally-sized dough balls. Place them on the parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of space between each to give them room to spread. I recommend placing five cookies on each sheet.
7. For cookies with a nice, crackly surface, do not attempt to soften the surface of the balls. Instead, leave them as rough as possible. Use the remaining chocolate chips to press onto the surface of the cookies.
8. Place the baking sheet(s) in the refrigerator to rest for approximately an hour.

💡 Top Tip: When combining the ingredients, it is important only to mix them until they are just combined. Overmixing can result in too much gluten development in the batter, causing a crumbly, cake-like texture.

2. How to bake

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C / 347°F. Do not use a fan.
2. Once the cookies have chilled for at least an hour, move the tray to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the tray and press more chocolate chips on top of the cookies, then bake for an additional five minutes.
3. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to rest for a few minutes. Next, carefully move the cookies from the parchment paper onto a cooling rack. The cookies will set further as they cool.
4. Serve the cookies while slightly warm, and enjoy!

💡 Top Tip: For gooey, fudgy cookies, make sure not to overbake. The longer the cookies bake, the crispier they will become. They should be gooey when they come out of the oven and will continue to set as they cool.

🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions

With crushed nuts: Add some crunch and nutty flavor to your cookies by adding crushed pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. See my chocolate chip walnut cookie recipe and pecan chocolate chip cookie recipe for ideas.

Different flavor profile: Give the cookies a different flavor profile by swapping out the vanilla extract for another flavor, such as almond extract, coconut extract, or even orange extract. Add espresso powder to the batter to create mouthwatering, aromatic coffee cookies.

Other add-ins: Add oatmeal and craisins to the batter to create flavorful cream cheese oatmeal craisin chocolate chip cookies. Or, add ⅓ cup of peanut butter to the wet ingredients (instead of the cream cheese) for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. You can also add candies such as M&Ms or sprinkles.

Without egg or dairy: There are several egg substitutes that you can use instead. You can also make chocolate chip cookies without butter. If making vegan cookies, make sure to use vegan-friendly chocolate chip cookies.

Different flour: You can also use gluten-free flour or a blend of low-protein and high-protein flour instead of all-purpose flour. Refer to my flour guide to learn more about the different options and how to use them in baking.

🎓 Expert tips

1. For super gooey, fudgy cookies, using the proper ratio of high-fat-content butter to flour is important. Do not attempt to adjust the ingredients used in the recipe, or it can significantly change the texture.
2. The butter, egg, and cream cheese need to be at room temperature to emulsify properly. I recommend removing them from the refrigerator an hour before using them in the recipe.
3. To avoid lumps in the batter, use a sifter for the flour and baking soda.
4. For evenly-sized cookies, use a digital scale or a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet.
5. Do not skip the chilling time in the fridge unless you want cookies that are flat like pancakes!

🥣 Equipment notes

Having the right equipment is key for easy cream cheese chocolate chip cookies that deliver optimal results. Use a digital scale when measuring ingredients, as accurate measurements can make or break the recipe. Likewise, a digital oven thermometer is handy, as oven temperatures can vary by a degree or two based on the model.

An electric hand mixer will make life much easier when combining the ingredients (unless you don’t mind the work required to mix by hand)! A rubber spatula is also best for folding in the ingredients as it helps prevent overmixing the dough. Last but not least, use a cooling rack to ensure the cookies cool quickly and evenly.

❓Recipe FAQs

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