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Cream Cheese Cookies are the best soft bite size cookies! They’re sweet with the tang from cream cheese and they melt in your mouth. This is the perfect cookie if you’re looking for a new way to make Russian Tea Cakes that are softer and tangier!
I love cream cheese and it goes so well in so many recipes like this cream cheese cookie recipe. These cookies have the best taste from the cream cheese and they’re mini cookies that are bite size with a soft texture. They’re great all year but make the perfect Christmas cookies! They’re a cross between whipped shortbread, Snowball cookies, and Jam Thumpbrints in texture and taste.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour and make sure to measure it correctly, by spooning and leveling.
- Cream Cheese: It needs to be a block of regular cream cheese (not low fat, tub, or whipped). Make sure it’s room temperature.
- Cornstarch: Adds softness!
- Powdered Sugar: The best topping to dust the cookies.
How to make Cream Cheese Cookies
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or using a stand electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) on medium speed. Add sugar and cream until fluffy then add both extracts and egg and mix until smooth, then mix in the dry ingredients.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough balls onto cookie sheets, 2-inches apart. Bake on baking sheet until bottoms are light golden brown and tops are no longer glossy. They don’t flatten; they’ll stay somewhat puffy.
- Cool then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Variations
- Turn these into Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies by adding 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter after the flour mixture.
- If you want to make these cookies have an extra layer, add a cream cheese frosting on top!
- You can also swap brown sugar for the granulated – you can use a combination or all brown if you prefer.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl (and bottom) when mixing.
- Traditionally, only vanilla is used but I thought they were pretty one-note until I added the almond extract. You can substitute lemon or coconut extract as well.
- Watch the cookies in the oven – check after about 8 minutes to see if the pans need rotating. These brown quickly on the bottom and if your oven is hotter on the bottom you may need to rotate the pans.
- Cool on cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe
Cream Cheese Cookies are bite size soft cookies that melt in your mouth! These are easy to make and so good – almost like snowball cookies but with the tang of cream cheese.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups (206g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Add sugar then cream the mixture until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add both extracts and egg and mix until smooth, then mix in the dry ingredients.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop balls of cookie dough onto cookie sheets, 2-inches apart. Bake 8-13 minutes, or until bottoms are light golden and tops are no longer glossy. They don’t flatten; they’ll stay somewhat puffy.
- Cool then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Almond extract is optional, but I found it gave the cookies much better flavor.
- Traditionally, only vanilla is used but I thought they were pretty one-note until I added the almond extract. You can substitute lemon or coconut extract as well.
- Watch the cookies in the oven – check after about 8 minutes to see if the pans need rotating. These brown quickly on the bottom and if your oven is hotter on the bottom you may need to rotate the pans.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or or in the freezer.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
The flavor is delicious on these! However, a little confused over the fat:flour. I had very sticky dough and added an extra heaping tablespoon. It helped a bit. I started making them dropped by tablespoonful but had I continued I would’ve ended up with half as many cookies. I also had to bake them for 15+ minutes. After making 6 that size I switched to a teaspoon and baked for 15 even. I checked my oven temp with a heat sensor and it was spot on.
Those Dulce De Leche cookies look so yummy!!! Can’t wait to try baking some for my grandchildren. Thinking about filling some with Nutella. Thanks for your kindness in sharing such an awesome recipe.
Really want to try these, but can they be gluten free?
Made these with gluten free flour. They turn out great!! Husband said it was like biting into a cloud. Will definitely make these again!
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