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These cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and rich with thick centers and lightly crisp edges. By adding cream cheese and egg yolks to a classic chocolate chip cookie dough, you get a bakery-style texture that stays tender for days without becoming cakey or overly sweet. If you’ve never made chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese before, this recipe is the perfect place to start.
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This recipe was tested multiple ways, different oven temps, different chocolate ratios, whole eggs vs. yolks only, parchment vs. silicone, to find the right balance of spread, structure, and flavor. The result is a soft batch cream cheese cookie recipe that bakes up beautifully every single time, whether you’re making them for a weeknight treat or a holiday cookie box.
Since you are here, check out these cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookies, as well as these brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
These were honestly the best cookies I’ve ever had. The idea of putting cream cheese in a cookie is something I never would have thought of, but it made the texture unbelievably good. The cookies were super soft, rich, and perfectly balanced, and the cream cheese gave them a smooth, slightly creamy taste that made them stand out from any cookie I’ve had before. Every bite was amazing, and they were easily some of the most unique and delicious cookies I’ve tried.
Let’s Chit chat!
I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for as long as I can remember, and I’m always testing new ways to make the dough softer, chewier, and more flavorful. The idea for this cream cheese chocolate chip cookie recipe came from wanting that ultra-tender, almost fudgy center without having to chill the dough for hours or use complicated techniques.
I started by swapping out a portion of the butter for cream cheese, then switched from a whole egg to two egg yolks for extra richness. The first batch was good, but the cookies were slightly too cakey. So I reduced the flour, added a touch of cornstarch, and bumped the oven temp down to 360°F. That’s when everything clicked, thick, crinkly tops, golden edges, and a center that stays soft and gooey even the next day.
What really surprised me was how much the cream cheese changed the texture without changing the flavor. You can’t taste it at all, but it keeps these cookies impossibly moist. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count since developing it, and it’s become my go-to whenever someone asks me for a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Table of Contents
- Why Add Cream Cheese to Chocolate Chip Cookies?
- Why This cream cheese chocolate chip cookie Recipe Uses Egg Yolks
- Key Ingredients That Make This Recipe Work
- How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Baking Tips for the Best Results
- Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Crinkly-Top Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Why Add Cream Cheese to Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Cream cheese adds moisture and richness to cookie dough without weighing it down. When combined with butter and sugar, it creates a smooth, cohesive base that helps cookies retain moisture as they bake.
Unlike recipes that rely on extra flour, cream cheese improves texture naturally, resulting in soft batch cream cheese chocolate chip cookies with a tender crumb and balanced flavor.
Why This cream cheese chocolate chip cookie Recipe Uses Egg Yolks
This recipe uses egg yolks instead of a whole egg. Egg yolks add fat and emulsifiers, which improve chewiness and richness while limiting excess moisture. That means the cookies spread evenly instead of puffing up and staying puffed up.
For best results, use egg yolks at room temperature so they blend smoothly into the butter and cream cheese mixture.
Key Ingredients That Make This Recipe Work
- Butter (melted and cooled) – Melting the butter first gives these cookies a chewier, denser texture compared to creaming softened butter. Let it cool until just warm to the touch before mixing, if it’s too hot, it can start to cook the egg yolks. You can use salted or unsalted butter here.
- Full-fat brick cream cheese – This is what makes these cookies special. Cream cheese adds moisture and a subtle richness to the dough without making the cookies taste like cheesecake. Use full-fat block-style cream cheese (like Philadelphia), softened to room temperature. Do not use light, fat-free, whipped, or spreadable cream cheese, they have different water content and will change the texture of the dough significantly.
- All-purpose flour (spooned and leveled or weighed preferably) – Spooning and leveling your flour matters here. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in up to 30% more flour, which leads to dry, thick cookies that don’t spread. For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale: 1¾ cups = approximately 220g.
- Cornstarch – Just one teaspoon softens the texture and helps keep the center of each cookie tender. It’s a small addition but it makes a noticeable difference in how soft the cookies stay, even on day two and three.
- Egg yolks (no whites) – Using two egg yolks instead of one whole egg is one of the key moves in this recipe. Yolks are rich in fat and emulsifiers, which means richer, chewier cookies with less puffiness. Egg whites add structure and can make cookies cakey, which is exactly what we’re avoiding here. Use room temperature yolks for the smoothest dough.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar – The combination of both sugars is important. Brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and a deeper caramel-like flavor. Granulated sugar helps with spread and gives the edges that lightly crisp texture. Make sure your brown sugar is packed when measuring.
- Chocolate chips or chunks – Use at least semi-sweet chocolate, though I personally love using dark chocolate chips or a mix of chips and chunks for variety. Chocolate chunks create those beautiful melty pools and give the cookies a more bakery-style look. Reserve a handful to press on top right after baking.
- Vanilla extract – Two teaspoons is generous, but it makes a real difference. The vanilla rounds out the sweetness and complements the chocolate beautifully. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Flakey sea salt – A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right after baking is optional but highly recommended. It balances the sweetness and makes every bite more complex. Maldon or any flaky finishing salt works great.
All of the dry ingredients are folded into the dough gently to avoid overmixing.
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is an easy, one-bowl recipe, here is how to make it:
- Start by whisking melted unsalted butter, cream cheese, and sugars together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and milk, mixing until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips/chunks (or M&M candies for a fun variation), then scoop the dough into cookie dough balls.
Baking Tips for the Best Results
- Always bake in a preheated oven for even spread
- Cookies spread slightly more on parchment paper than on silicone mats
- Pressing extra chocolate chips on top after you bake helps cookies flatten evenly and makes them look like they come from the fanciest bakery!
- Use the cookie cutter swirl trick on warm cookies for perfectly round edges
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack so they finish setting properly.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cream cheese in the dough helps them stay soft longer than traditional chocolate chip cookies, so they’ll still taste freshly baked on day two and three.
To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with parchment paper between layers. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Allow them to come back to room temperature before enjoying, or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for that just-baked feel.
You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough balls. Scoop the dough, freeze on a lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 360°F, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time. Having frozen dough on hand means fresh cream cheese chocolate chip cookies whenever you want them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours or freeze the cookie dough balls for longer storage. You might need to slightly flatten the cookie dough before baking so that they spread evenly.
Parchment paper allows slightly more spread, while silicone baking mats insulate the dough and create thicker cookies. Both are correct, it just comes down to preference.
No, I don’t recommend it. Low-fat, fat-free, and whipped cream cheese have a higher water content and different consistency than full-fat brick cream cheese. Using them can cause the dough to become too runny and the cookies to spread thin and bake flat. Stick with full-fat block cream cheese for the best results.
Yes. M&M candies work well in this recipe and can be substituted for some or all of the chocolate chips.
No. Once baked, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Not at all. The cream cheese adds richness and moisture to the dough, but the flavor is completely undetectable. These taste like thick, buttery, classic chocolate chip cookies, just with a softer, more tender texture than a traditional recipe.
You can, but the texture will change. A whole egg adds more moisture and structure from the egg white, which can make the cookies puffier and slightly more cakey. Two egg yolks give you a richer, chewier, denser cookie, which is what this recipe is designed for.
No, you don’t need to chill this dough. Because we use melted butter (not softened), the dough is ready to scoop and bake right away. That said, if your kitchen is very warm or the dough feels too soft, a 15–20 minute chill in the fridge will firm it up and make scooping easier.
Absolutely. Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. Frozen dough balls can be baked straight from the freezer, just add 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes! White chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, toffee bits, or M&M candies all work beautifully in this dough. Keep the total mix-ins at about 1½ cups for the best cookie-to-chip ratio.
Crinkly-Top Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted, fully melted and cooled until just warm
- 2 oz full-fat brick cream cheese very soft
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks use at least semi-sweet; darker is even better
Instructions
- Preheat the oven then preheat it to 360°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Read notes)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth, glossy, and fully combined.½ cup butter, 2 oz full-fat brick cream cheese, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and milk until the mixture is cohesive and shiny.2 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milk
- Switch to a spatula. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold gently just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks. (You can reserve some to press on top after baking.)1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks
- Scoop 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place 4 cookies max per sheet, spaced well apart.
- Bake one pan at a time for 10-11 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden, centers still look slightly soft and puffy still.
- Remove from the oven. Press extra chocolate on top if desired. (highly recommended)
- Let cookies cool on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring carefully to a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Parchment vs. silicone mats: These cookies will naturally spread slightly more on parchment paper than on silicone baking mats. Both options work great, parchment gives a wider, flatter cookie, while silicone mats produce a slightly thicker result. Choose based on personal preference.
- Chocolate on top = better shape: Pressing a few extra chocolate chips or chunks onto the cookies right after baking not only improves appearance but also helps the cookies settle and flatten more evenly as they cool.
- For perfectly round cookies: If desired, use the cookie cutter swirl trick while the cookies are still warm. Place a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie around it and gently swirl to shape into a perfect circle.
- Cooling matters: These cookies will continue to spread and set slightly as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These cookies are PERFECTION. Literally no notes, so soft and chewy and delicious
Thank you so much for giving them a try!!!
These were excellent. I overbaked a tray and they still were very good.
I did put half mini chocolate chips and half white chocolate chips in mine. My husband thought I put toffee chips in them. His co-workers asked for more.
I love that these had this much success for ya!! Thanks for trying them and sharing this awesome review 🙂
Best cookie recipe I ever made
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!!!
Best cookies and do easy and quick!!!
Thank you for trying them!
These were honestly the best cookies I’ve ever had. The idea of putting cream cheese in a cookie is something I never would have thought of, but it made the texture unbelievably good. The cookies were super soft, rich, and perfectly balanced, and the cream cheese gave them a smooth, slightly creamy taste that made them stand out from any cookie I’ve had before. Every bite was amazing, and they were easily some of the most unique and delicious cookies I’ve tried.
Hi Zoe!! Thank you so much for such a detailed review!! It means the world that you loved it so much!! I have been hooked on these for weeks!!
I did like them, I’m wondering if refrigerating them for awhile would help with spreading. chocolate chip are always a fan favorite.
Absolutely! I also recommend weighing your ingredients for the most accurate results. And one last tip, as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a larger round cookie cutter around each one and gently swirl it in a circular motion. This helps shape them into perfectly round, slightly thicker cookies and makes a big difference in the final look!
followed the recipe exactly but reduced amt of choc chips as i thought it was too much but turned out AMAZING!!! cant really taste the cream cheese or there is a slight hint but it turned out absolutely perfect!! gooeey on the inside and the chewiness and crispy edges! Thannkyou soo much ! Love from singapore
Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome review Aina!!! Glad you loved it as much as I did!! It’s such a staple for sure 🙂
Soo good! I let the dough chill in the fridge overnight. These have so much flavor, and I love the richness from the cream cheese. Amazing!
So glad you love these Nicki!!!
EGG SUBSTITUTE PLEASE,IM A JAIN
I haven’t tested these with an egg substitute so I can’t guarantee the same result.
These are very good
So glad you liked them!