Cream Cheese Cookies

Soft, buttery Cream Cheese Cookies with a sweet cinnamon-sugar coating and meltaway texture—your new favorite cozy cookie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cream cheese cookies recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings -18 cookies

Calories 268kcal

Author Kathleen

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter (1/2 cup) and cream cheese (4 ounces) together in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until smooth, fluffy, and lightened in color.
Add the powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) gradually and beat until creamy and well combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
Mix in the egg (1) and vanilla (2 teaspoons) until fully incorporated and smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour (1 3/4 cups), baking powder (1 teaspoon), cream of tartar (1/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon) until evenly combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar (1/2 cup) and cinnamon (1 tablespoon) for rolling.
Scoop the chilled dough into 1 ½-tablespoons balls using a cookie scoop. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart and gently press each cookie slightly to flatten the top.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden and the centers look soft but set.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brown Butter Boost: Replace half the butter (¼ cup) with browned butter that’s been cooled to room temperature. It adds deep, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the cream cheese.
Flavor Enhancers: Add ½ teaspoon almond extract or a bit of lemon zest to complement the tang of the cream cheese.
Slight Chew Upgrade: Swap ¼ cup of the powdered sugar for superfine sugar for a delicate chew without losing softness.
Perfectly Soft Every Time: Pull the cookies from the oven just as the edges turn golden — they’ll finish setting as they cool.