Drop Style Soft Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
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These buttery sugar cookies boast a slightly tangy flavor thanks to the addition of cream cheese. These cookies start with a melt-in-your-mouth sugar coating that leads to a firm bite with a chewy interior.
SUGAR COOKIES WITH A TWIST
The sugar cookie world can be confusing. Some people think of cut-out cookies when they hear “sugar cookie,” and some, like I do, think of a drop-style cookie, like my beloved basic vanilla sugar cookie recipe.
This particular cookie is the latter, and it’s modeled after both my goat cheese sugar cookies and my vanilla sugar cookies. I took things I love about both recipes and turned it into this cream cheese cookie that you are going to loooove.
Here’s what I loved and took from each cookie:
• a little bit of tanginess
• a slightly less sweet taste overall
• a sparkly sugar coating
• a quick no-chill recipe
• the option for flavorings
WHAT DOES CREAM CHEESE DO IN COOKIES?
There are a seemingly infinite ways to make sugar cookies, and adding cream cheese is definitely up there on my favorites list. Cream cheese creates a softer, richer, and creamier sugar cookie when compared to a lighter one like my vanilla sugar cookies.
These easy cream cheese sugar cookies also have a bit firmer of a bite, making them a totally different texture than even the goat cheese and vanilla sugar cookies they were modeled after. Don’t you just love cookie science?
KEY INGREDIENTS IN THESE COOKIES
You’ll need 9 total ingredients for these cookies, but these are the important ones!
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: this recipe calls for 1 and ¼ cups or 150g of flour. I highly recommend weighing your flour, but if you don’t have a scale, you’ll have the best results with the spoon-and-level method. Too much or too little flour will cause your cookies to spread too much or not enough.
UNSALTED BUTTER: be sure your butter is completely at room temperature and no warmer. This is a soft and creamy dough, and if your butter is too warm, it will be difficult to work with.
FULL FAT CREAM CHEESE: again, room temperature, but for sure, it has to be full fat for the cookie dough to work as intended.
VANILLA EXTRACT: the vanilla flavor is strong with not a lot else going on in the cookie dough, so make sure this is pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE
STEP #1: start by tossing together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2: next, cream the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the cream cheese and beat again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated.
STEP #3: decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
STEP #4: using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough into the bowl of sugar, then use your hands to gently roll the dough around until it is completely covered in sugar.
STEP #5: place coated cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet, then use a measuring cup (I used a ⅛ cup size) to gently press down on the tops of the balls to flatten slightly, then bake.
Flattening the balls of dough before baking is a must. Without flattening, the cookies will not spread, nor will they bake in the center and will be unsafe to eat.
Want to kick these cookies up a notch? Consider slathering them with some velvety smooth cream cheese frosting!
Consider following the method for my rainbow sugar cookies to make colorful sugar cookies!
These melt in your mouth cream cheese sugar cookies are an unexpected favorite for me considering how simple they are and how “regular” their ingredients seem to be. These cookies are a great standalone cookie, but be sure you’re checking the notes in the recipe about how you can jazz up the flavor, if you want.
Chewy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar plus an additional separate ½ cup (100g) to roll dough into
- 2 ounces (57g) full fat cream cheese1 softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract2
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the cream cheese and beat again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated.¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, 2 ounces (57g) full fat cream cheese1, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract2
- Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms.
- Pour the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar into a medium size bowl. Set aside.¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), drop balls of dough into the bowl of sugar, then use your hands to gently roll the dough around until it is completely covered in sugar.
- Place coated cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet, then use a measuring cup (I used a ⅛ cup size) to gently press down on the tops of the balls to flatten slightly. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes, until cookies are just set and slightly cracked on the top. Cookies will puff up but "deflate" as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Baked cookies may be frozen, up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough can be frozen up to 2 months. Refrigerate rolled dough balls until firm then freeze. Place frozen dough balls on baking sheet and bake an additional 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- Cream cheese: be sure you’re using full fat cream cheese for the best results. Want to use the leftover? Make a batch of my cream cheese frosting and slather it on top! I suggest halving or quartering the recipe for the frosting.
- Extract: for a little extra something, I like to add about ¼ teaspoon of almond extract. Consider adding another complementary flavor you enjoy!
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Very soft even hours later!
Thanks for your review, Anje!
LOVE these cookies! They received a “Hollywood Handshake” from my family. 🙂 Simple and accessible recipe – remember to bring select ingredients to room temp. Making them a second time this season and doubling the batch- can’t wait to share them again! Thank you, Lynn!
LOVE THIS. Thanks so much, Jessica!
These are very simple to make and absolutely delicious!!
Thank you! 🙂