The ultimate Soft-batch cream cheese chocolate chip cookies made bakery style with extra thick and chewy cookie dough.

Chocolate chips cookies are a classic dessert no matter what age or occasion. I think we can all agree that chocolate chip cookies are the most beloved cookie of all time and for a good reason. Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes start with the same basic ingredients and technique such as sugar and butter.
Believe it or not, there is a science to making chocolate chip cookies. The difference between soft, chewy, crunchy or flat cookies comes down to often changing one or two ingredients to get the desired cookie. For example, replacing all-purpose flour with bread flour will result in a chewy cookie while using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour will result in a browner cookie that is just very soft.
The ultimate secret ingredient in here calls for cream cheese. Cookie fact #1: The more butter used, the wider spread while baking and more tenderness. Butter adds the most flavor, but you can find a way to replace some butter to get the “thicker” cookies, behold cream cheese. Using shortening in cookie does add wonderful texture that is just as soft, but it lacks a little bit of flavor.
Using melted butter also results in wider, denser cookies. I always use cold to slightly above room temperature butter when making cookies. Creaming cold to room temperature butter until it’s fluffy incorporates air into the batter. The sugar dissolves in the butter’s water phase. The extra air will result a cookie that has a little puff to it.
Here’s a tip I use. We have all been there though. We find a recipe we like and want to make it but never have enough butter sitting out on the counter. If you’re anything like me, you want to bake at that moment so waiting for butter to come to room temperature is just too much hassle. To soften butter to room temperature, Place the stick on a plate and cut in a few even places. Place butter in the microwave and heat for 12 seconds at a time. I scoop the softened butter out of the bowl/plate and only reheat the non softened butter. Now, that butter is ready to use.
To make these decadent cookies, you will need a few simple ingredients.
Start by creaming together softened butter and cream cream cheese in a bowl fit with a paddle mixer for about one to two minutes. Next, add both sugars and continue to beat on medium speed. Add vanilla extract and one egg to mixture while continuing to beat.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cornstarch. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients then beat on medium-high speed for about 5-7 minutes, until light and fluffy. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl to evenly mix batter. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in 2 cups semi-sweet/milk chocolate chips/chunks.
Refrigerate dough for about 3 hours or overnight. Cream cheese and butter will need to harden before baking.
Once dough has cooled down in the refrigerator, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop/melon baller, scoop 2 inch balls. Roll the dough between the hands and place on cookie sheet.
Place in oven and baking for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before transferring.
Cookies will harden within a few hours to overnight. The center should be pillow-soft.
Once dough has cooled down in the refrigerator, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop/melon baller, scoop 2 inch balls. Roll the dough between the hands and place on cookie sheet.
Place in oven and baking for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before transferring.
Cookies will harden within a few hours to overnight. The center should be pillow-soft.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup cream cheese (softened – see notes below)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine butter and cream cheese in a bowl fit with with paddle attachment of mixer. Cream together for about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue to mix. Add egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add half the flour, baking soda, salt, cornstarch and the rest of the flour. Mix to combine, 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips until well combined. Cover and refrigerate dough at least 2-3 hours or up to a few days.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop about 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch cookie dough. Roll dough into ball, place on sheet and lightly press (if desired). Bake for 8-9 minutes, removed from oven and while still hot, slightly press down. Add chocolate chips to the top by lightly pressing chip in, if desired. Allow cookies to cool down before transferring. Cookies will slightly harden within a few hours or overnight.
Notes
*recipe from [Averie Cooks
26 Comments
Joyce @ it's Your Life
05/12/2015 at 2:33 pmI love the idea of using cream cheese in a cookie. Followed you here from the Tell ’em Tuesdays party.
Megan @ A Dash of Megnut
05/12/2015 at 9:09 pmThese look so delicious! And I love your photos!
Brenda
05/13/2015 at 4:40 pmThese look really yummy! I have never tried a chocolate chip recipe with cream cheese. Pinning it to try 🙂
Kimberly
05/13/2015 at 6:48 pmYum!!! The moment I can start having dairy again – I am making these! 🙂
Lauren C.
05/15/2015 at 2:28 pmThese look so good! I bet the cream cheese does make them so moist! So glad to have seen your recipe at the Pin Me link party 🙂
Lauren Copeland
Life Well Sweetened
http://www.lifewellsweetened.com
ashley
05/15/2015 at 2:42 pmLove the idea of using cream cheese in them as moist chocolate chip cookies are my favorites and these look absolutely delicious!
Zan
05/15/2015 at 5:52 pmOh men! Do these look good, especially since I have been craving chocolate chip cookies!!
Holly
05/15/2015 at 8:09 pmThese sound (and look) amazing! I’m always on the look out for the perfect cookie recipes – thanks for sharing yours!
Found you on Tatertots and Jello link party =)
Whitney
05/16/2015 at 9:52 amThese look so delicious! Visiting from #SITSsharefest!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
05/17/2015 at 10:04 pmThese cookies look great! I have never used cream cheese in my chocolate chip cookies. I’ve got to give this a try!
Miz Helen
05/18/2015 at 12:11 pmWe love Chocolate Chip Cookies and your recipe looks awesome! Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday this week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
theartinpartyplanning
05/18/2015 at 1:12 pmYum – I have never conquered the chocolate chip cookie. I’m beginning to think cream cheese is the secret. I must try!
Kristen from The Road to Domestication
05/18/2015 at 1:31 pmThese look so light and fluffy! Thanks so much for taking the time to link up with us over at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again on Friday 🙂 Feel free to bring a friend or two!
Ruthie
05/19/2015 at 9:29 pmMy mouth is literally watering reading this! I need to try these cookies as soon as possible! I had no idea cream cheese could be an ingredient in cookies! I’m sure it tastes amazing!
Rachel
05/20/2015 at 12:08 pmThese look so soft and yummy! I love the addition of cream cheese because we always have it on hand. Found your recipe on Merry Mondays. Pinning for later.
Jessica Knott
05/20/2015 at 7:38 pmThanks, Rachel
Christine | Where The Smiles Have Been
05/23/2015 at 10:38 pmI’ve never made cookies with cream cheese, but these sure make me want to forgo the butter! And my husband loves soft batch cookies, so these would be a huge hit in our house. Thanks so much for sharing this with us over at Merry Monday! I hope you’ll join us again this week! 🙂
Lou Lou Girls
05/24/2015 at 10:52 amHello beautiful! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you on Monday at 7pm because we love to party with you! Happy Memorial Day! Lou Lou Girls
Kim Gaynor
06/01/2015 at 5:32 pmThere is only one word appropriate for this recipe: YUM! (I hopped over from Pieced Pastimes’ link party.)
Alicia
12/09/2015 at 8:19 pmDo you have any special advice for high altitude baking for this recipe? I am at 7,000-8,000 feet.
Thanks!
Jessica Knott
02/27/2016 at 6:59 pmHi Alicia, sorry for not getting back sooner. This comment was buried. If you are still interested here are a few pointers
If cookies spread too much in the oven, use less sugar. Also, increase the oven temperature and decrease the baking time.
If cookies are too dry, add an extra egg or yolk.
Stephanie
11/03/2016 at 8:59 amSo, I just made the dough last night…and thought I had cornstarch…but turns out I did not. So, panicking, I used a tsp. Each of baking powder and soda. Left the dough in fridge over night. Hoping it still comes out great, will be baking them in about an hour.
Can’t wait to try them…cream cheese in a cookie?!? Yum!
Thanks for the recipe, and will come back to let you know how it came out.