Cream cheese cookies are the most heavenly little bites of sweetness! They're addicting; you've been warned! If you love cream cheese recipes, you will love this cream cheese dessert!

Cream Cheese Cookies

If you're looking for cream cheese recipes and especially desserts with cream cheese, you've come to the right place.

Cream Cheese Cookies

If you have never tried cream cheese cookies, you're in for a TREAT! Something magical happens when you add cream cheese to a cookie!

You get this soft, moist, chewy cookie that feels like you're eating a cloud. They puff right up, and they're addicting!

Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

I "fussed" quite a bit with this recipe to make it absolutely perfect. First, it was too dry and we can't have that. Second, it wasn't fluffy enough.

Finally, I found the perfect combination of all of the ingredients! Let me let you in on a little secret, there are THREE secrets in these cookies. Three. Pay close attention.

Cream Cheese Cookies

The 3 Secrets to Cream Cheese Cookies

  1. The cream cheese. Naturally. It's the "key" ingredient that makes these cookies so good! Don't leave it out! Well, except out on your counter to come to room temperature before baking, of course. ;)
  2. Cake Flour. You can find in the regular flour section. I tend to buy Swans Down brand (red box). This is the key to making a soft cookie that feels like a cloud!
  3. Baking time! This will vary by a lot of factors for your oven from altitude to what type of pan you use but this trick will help you! Watch for the very edges of these cookies to begin turning a golden brown, then pull them!
Cream Cheese Cookies, soft as a cloud!

Now that we have the two secrets out of the way, let's get on with more reasons why I love these cream cheese cookies.

These cream cheese cookies are not an overly sweet cookie so they do lend themselves to being glazed or iced. You can also keep it simple and just dust with powdered sugar. You don't even have to do that, but if you want an extra touch of sweetness, go for it. You only live once.

Easy Cream Cheese Cookies

My daughter helped me with this shoot, my little apprentice is home all summer. Not only did she help me bake these cream cheese cookies, but she stood over my shoulder to watch behind the camera so I could teach her about lighting and photography. She is also 4, so she was really doing all of this so she could get in on the "eating" action.

Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

After we wrapped up the shoot, I let her frost some with buttercream frosting (and of course, her weight in sprinkles). I noticed that the flavor reminded me of the grocery store "Lofthouse Cookies", do you know the ones I'm talking about?

Heavenly. These cream cheese cookies take just fine on their own, but we enjoyed the frosting!

cream cheese cookies

What readers are saying:

Since I first published this recipe (3 years ago!) – Pizzazzerie readers have absolutely loved it!

You'll notice I used vanilla and almond extracts. This combination is my personal preference, but play around with your favorite extracts. Stick to all vanilla, all almond, add in a little lemon or even cinnamon. You can't go wrong.

Keep in mind that the dough DOES need to be refrigerated for at least an hour, so plan ahead! It's worth the wait!

These cream cheese cookies are one of the BEST cream cheese recipes I've made.

How to Store Cream Cheese Cookies:

The dough stores very well in the refrigerator so you can prep it a couple of days in advance if needed. For the baked cookies, I keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days! I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does.

I am already looking forward to the Christmas baking season so we can add these cream cheese cookies to the rotation this year!

Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

Cream Cheese Cookies

Pillowy soft cream cheese cookies that melt in your mouth!

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Chilling Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 22 cookies

Calories 75 kcal

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 3/4 cup cake flour

  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream together butter and cream cheese with electric mixer.

  • Add sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add egg and beat to combine. Add extracts and beat until combined. Add in baking powder and cake flour (in three sections), mixing to combine.

  • Once incorporated, refrigerate dough for at least an hour.

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dough is sticky so use flour on your hands to roll out 1-2 inch balls. You can use the bottom of a cup/glass dipped in flour to gently flatten the balls. Don't flatten too much or the cookies won't puff up.

  • Bake for 9-11 minutes. Important: Pull them out when you see the underside edges turning golden! This might vary for your oven and altitude. Watch these cookies carefully.

If you want, you can cut back on the almond extract, leave it out, or swap it for vanilla or even a lemon extract! These cream cheese cookies are delicious frosted or not!

Calories: 75 kcal Carbohydrates: 16 g Protein: 1 g Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 7 mg Sodium: 3 mg Potassium: 23 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 9 g Vitamin A: 11 IU Calcium: 7 mg Iron: 1 mg

Let us know how it was!

Find this recipe and more in my latest book, The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook !

If you're looking for more dessert ideas, check out these other faves:

  • Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
  • Almond Pastry Cookies
  • Cinnamon Sugar Star Cookies

Post originally published June 5, 2018. Post updated, but same fabulous recipe!