Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are my go-to cookie recipe! A combination of cream cheese, butter and one more special ingredient makes for a simple dough and perfectly tender cookies. This recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies is my go-to when I'm craving a cookie. #cookie #creamcheese #chocolatechip #chocolate #recipe #cookies

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

A combination of cream cheese, butter and one more special ingredient makes for a simple dough and perfectly tender cookies. This recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies is my go-to when I’m craving a cookie.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are my go-to cookie recipe! A combination of cream cheese, butter and one more special ingredient makes for a simple dough and perfectly tender cookies. This recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies is my go-to when I'm craving a cookie. #cookie #creamcheese #chocolatechip #chocolate #recipe #cookies
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

A combination of cream cheese, butter and one more special ingredient makes for a simple dough and perfectly tender cookies. This recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies is my go-to when I’m craving a cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies on a brown silpat-lined baking sheet.

Note: This post first appeared on May 27, 2015. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.

“I’m tired of wearing jeans,” she confessed this morning. “Me, too,” I agreed, as I handed her a freshly ironed shirt. It was secretly comforting knowing that my daughter and I are on the same page. The colder weather has become tiresome, almost annoying, especially with Memorial Day behind us. I distinctly remember “June Gloom” when we lived in LA, but I’ve now dubbed this month Moody May. I am so very ready to retire the jeans and the sweaters, and socks have definitely lost their glam.

It’s easy to bore of most anything, and I almost hesitated whether or not I should share yet another chocolate chip cookie with you. But who gets tired of a chocolate chip cookie? No one.

I hope.

Chocolate Chip Cookies cooling on on a cookie sheet.
A pile of chocolate chip cookies on a wooden board with a glass of milk.

After I granted my daughter’s wish for ribs last week, I turned to my son for his special request. Chocolate chip cookies were his heart’s desire. Now who am I to deny him a cookie?

Freshly baked cookies with chocolate chips on a cookie sheet on a wooden table.

What is the secret to soft and chewy cookies?

I’ve been making cookies with cream cheese in the cookie dough for a while now, but each time I find myself tweaking it just a bit more to make it simpler and tastier.

These cookies not only have a blend of cream cheese and butter, but a special ingredient to insure a soft and tender crumb. Rather than going out and buying cake flour, I have learned that you can achieve the same results by incorporating some cornstarch with all-purpose flour. Less fuss for me, and more cookies for all!

Moody May just got a little sweeter, don’t you think?

How to Make Tender Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one of the simplest chocolate chip cookie recipes, and my personal favorite. The blend of butter and cream cheese, along with a touch of cornstarch in the flour makes it tender.

Step by step instructions for how to make soft and chewy cookies: creaming butter, cream cheese, and two kind of sugar.

The dough can easily be made in minutes, with the help of a hand mixer (or stand mixer if you have one!).

Step by step instructions for how to make soft and chewy cookies: beating egg and vanilla and adding flour mixture.

The other important element is chilling the dough. Since we’ve got lots of butter and cream cheese, the dough is very tender, so we need to chill the dough for at least an hour (ideally, overnight) so that they don’t melt into puddles in the oven. Or, you could pop the dough after forming into cookie balls into the freezer so you can bake them whenever you’ve got a cookie craving!

Step by step instructions for how to make soft and chewy cookies: stirring in chocolate chips and scooping dough.

Give the cookies some time to rest on the tray after pulling them out of the oven. The residual heat form the baking tray will continue to bake them, plus, if you try to transfer them to a wire rack too soon, they might fall apart! Just give it a few minutes to cool first!

Step by step instructions for how to make soft and chewy cookies: balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet and fully baked cookies.

Once they’re on the wire rack, it’s fair game! Enjoy them warm and gooey, or completely cool. Happy baking!

Gooey chocolate chip cookies on a white plate.

More Cookie Recipes

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

A combination of cream cheese, butter and one more special ingredient makes for a simple dough and perfectly tender cookies.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 192kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick or 110g), softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese (1/3 less fat) (4 oz or 115g), softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1/3 cup all purpose flour (244g)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz)

Instructions

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high speed until thoroughly mixed and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the granulated and brown sugars until fully incorporated. Beat in the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly again.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Slowly add this to the mixer and beat until just incorporated. Do not over stir. Fold or stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. and place the racks in the center of the oven. Prepare your baking pans with parchment paper.
  • Take a medium ice cream scoop (equivalent to about 2 tablespoons) to scoop out the dough and roll into a ball. Place the cookie dough 2-3 inches apart, about 8 per cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through to insure even baking.
  • When the cookies are golden brown on top and a nice amber color on the bottom, remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to settle on their trays for a few minutes; they will be very soft initially. Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Video

Notes

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips

  • Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time? Yes! The cooking dough can be scooped and chilled in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then transferred to an airtight container and chilled up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cookie dough. Bake from frozen, adding a touch more baking time, if necessary.
  • Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet before transferring them to a tray to cool completely. The cookies will come out of the oven very soft. Giving them a little time to rest on the cookie sheet allows the cookies to settle and flatten, cook a little more from the ambient heat of the tray, and firm up so that you can easily transfer them to a cooling tray. Otherwise, they may fall apart if you transfer them when they’re too hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see! Tag @kitchconfidante on Instagram and hashtag it #kitchenconfidante

Comments

Recipe Rating




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  1. Carla

    I can’t wait to try these!! Question; Do you use salted butter or unsalted butter for this recipe?

    Reply
  2. Camille

    Hello! Just wondering how do you measure your flour? Do you spoon and level or scoop and level?

    Reply
  3. GINA

    These looks seriously perfect, Liren! Craving a chocolate chip cookie majorly now.

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Thank you SO much, Gina! I try to keep this cookie dough in the freezer at all times so I can always satisfy the craving!

      Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi Joyce, to be honest, I haven’t tried freezing the cookies after baking, since my preference is to freeze the cookie dough and bake at my convenience. But, I know that you can freeze baked cookies, and it should work with these because of the fat content! If you try it, please let me know how it comes out.

      Reply
  4. Brian+@+A+Thought+For+Food

    Corn starch! How brilliant! I don’t bake all that often, so this is news to me (and a trick I’m definitely going to use in the future). Also, cream cheese in the batter? I definitely have to try that!

    Reply
  5. Madame Thermomix

    Oh Liren, why? Why, why, why did you have to publish the most scrumptious, delicious, amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe just when I’m on a diet??? I love the idea of cream cheese mixed with the butter in these cookies, and your idea of adding corn starch (called corn flour in the UK and fecule de mais in France) is totally intriguing. Wish me luck to lose a few more pounds so I can reward myself with a batch of these beautiful babies!

    Reply
  6. Liz

    My hubby would be happy if our cookie jar was always full of chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for a new, wonderful recipe to try :)

    Reply
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