Name: Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 4 ounces cream cheese (softened); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; confectioners sugar (for dusting)

Cream cheese cookies are the soft, melt-in-your-mouth treat your holiday baking list needs. The powdered sugar dusting makes them look like freshly fallen snow— perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges or as a sweet treat anytime.

A table setting featuring cream cheese cookies on a plate, surrounded by a teacup, tea pot, and milk.

I absolutely love cream cheese cookies. They’re sweet without being too sweet and remind me of Italian ricotta cookies with their light, delicate texture and rich flavor.

The dough comes together quickly with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. No chilling or rolling needed, so you can whip these up in no time. Follow the tips below for perfectly soft cookies that are guaranteed to become a new family favorite.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Soft and Fluffy: The tender cookies melt in your mouth with every bite.
Easy to Make: No chilling or rolling required—just scoop and bake!
Makes a Big Batch: The recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies, perfect for sharing.

Cream Cheese Cookie Ingredients

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Ingredients for cream cheese cookies on a marble surface, labeled: confectioners' sugar, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and egg.

Unsalted Butter: Be sure your butter is at room temperature for easy mixing. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.
Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature before beginning.
Granulated Sugar: Regular white sugar works perfectly here for sweetness without overpowering the delicate flavor.
Egg: Use a large egg at room temperature for better incorporation into the dough.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor to the cookies. Pure vanilla extract is best.
All-Purpose Flour: Measure the flour correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it with a knife to avoid overpacking.
Baking Powder: This helps the cookies rise slightly for that light, soft texture.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
Confectioners Sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar gives the cookies a festive, snow-kissed finish.

How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Prep: Preheat oven to 375℉ and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix Dough: Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer, then mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Collage showing the a large bowl with cream cheese cookie dough in different stages: the first shows creamed butter and cream cheese, and the second shows the completed dough with added flour.

Bake: Scoop dough onto baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes or until tops are set.

This is a sticky cookie dough

Don’t try to roll the dough into cookie dough balls with your hands. Simply scoop and drop the dough onto lined baking sheets and bake. If necessary you can pop it in the fridge to chill for an hour or so to firm it up a bit (personally I have never had to).

Two image collage of baking trays lined with parchment paper; one shows evenly spaced dough scoops, the other shows the baked cookies.

Dust: Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

A cooling rack filled with freshly baked cream cheese cookies, lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, on a marble countertop with sifter and teapot.

Storage

Room Temperature: Store glazed cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator: Keep cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days for extended freshness.

Freezer: Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the countertop. Give the cookies a fresh dusting of powdered sugar to freshen them up before serving.

A stack of three cream cheese cookies on a cooling rack, with a bite taken out of the top cookie to reveal the soft interior.

Jaclyn’s Tips for the Best Cream Cheese Cookies

Use room temperature ingredients: This helps the butter and cream cheese blend smoothly.
Don’t overmix: Over-mixing the dough can lead to dense cookies. Stop once ingredients are combined.
Watch for set tops: The cookies won’t brown like typical cookies; bake until the tops are set and no longer wet.

Additions and variations

Lemon zest: Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough for a light citrus flavor.
Sprinkles: Gently press holiday sprinkles into the tops before baking for festive cookies.
Almond extract: Replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with almond extract for a nutty flavor twist.
Mini chocolate chips: Fold 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough for a chocolatey treat.
Cinnamon sugar: Swap confectioners sugar for cinnamon sugar to add a cozy, spiced finish.

A plate of soft cream cheese cookies with powdered sugar, emphasizing their light, delicate crumb and sugar-dusted tops.

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Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

Author: Jaclyn

Prep: 10

Cook: 10

Total: 20

Cream cheese cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats with a delicate texture and rich flavor. These easy cookies are perfect for holiday trays or Christmas cookie exchanges.

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375℉ and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add butter and cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined. Add sugar and beat for 1 minute. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking power, and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.
Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully. Dust the tops of cookies with confectioners sugar once cool.