Cream Cheese Cookies

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merrill says: My mother's cream cheese cookies couldn't be easier to make, which makes them ideal for last-minute bake sales or houseguests. They're chewy in the center, where the texture is kind of like a coconut macaroon, with buttery, burnished edges that crumble like a sandcastle gently collapsing. The cream cheese gives the cookies a nearly unidentifiable tang that keeps you reaching for just one more.

My favorite part, though? My mother got the recipe at a Tupperware party in the 70s. One of the women brought a batch of the cookies with her, and at the end of the party, she dictated the ingredients and instructions to all of the other guests. Who knows how many subtle variations of this recipe exist today, legendary among countless other families?

Makes about 24 cookies

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a standing mixer or hand beaters, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in the flour and salt, just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and give it a quick stir with a spoon to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
  2. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each cookie (they will spread a little). Bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Do not over-bake, or the cookies won't be chewy! Cool slight on the cookie sheet, and then remove the cookies with a spatula and let them finish cooling on a rack.

Comments (97) Questions (10)

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Stringio

1 day ago Michelle Arnold

I made these and passed them around work today. People kept coming back to my desk asking if there were more. Great and easy recipe!

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4 days ago stingraystirs

These cookies are delicious and fast. I have made them three times now. The last time I doubled the batch and added the juice and zest of a meyer lemon. Even better. Thanks for the recipe.

Cleo-lea_2

18 days ago KellyinToronto

This is one TRULY great recipe! I made one batch for a dinner party of four and one very pregnant friend last night for the Superbowl. As they came out of the oven, my husband bit into a cookie, looked at me and said "You need to make two more batches... seriously..." and made off with about 5.
Three batches and one evening later, there's only six left in my house!

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about 1 month ago pj72990

My mom used to make these and added a little almond e tract. I just made them that way and it took me way back! Thanks so much...I always wanted this recipe but she never wrote it down.

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3 months ago Ms.Martha

I added orange zest and lavender. Yum E.

Baci1

5 months ago HalfPint

Made this for a potluck. Big hit, many requests for recipe. I added a little bit of tangerine essential oil for an intoxicating fragrance. Next time, I'm adding peppermint oil and dipping them in dark chocolate.

Merrill

5 months ago merrill

Merrill is a co-founder of food52.

Brilliant!

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6 months ago pqmommy

Excellent cookies! I did add a bit of vanilla and lemon zest. I measured out .5 oz portions and baked them at 375 for 10 minutes. The recipe made 30 at that size. Thanks for a new addition to my Christmas platter!

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7 months ago mabeskoh

Sorry for the silly question - Is one cup equivalent to 250ml or 300ml?

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7 months ago nutcakes

250 ml, 300 would be 1 and 1/4 cup. Next time, instead of using a comment, click 'have a question about this recipe?' That will put the question on the hotline and you will likely get a faster answer.

Coles_phillips2_life

7 months ago erinrae

These are incredible. I've made them for a few friend get togethers and they are now referred to as "The Cookies" and I'm not encouraged to bring anything but these.

I use 8 ounces of (light) Neufchâtel because that's the size of a brick (and obviously I double the recipe every time). I also use wheat flour, which seems to make them take slightly longer in the oven. And like some other readers, I prefer slightly less sweet desserts, so I use scant cups of sugar (probably a total of 1 2/3 cup for two batches).

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9 months ago natashaepperson

i'm not sure what i am doing wrong. i've made these cookies 3 times. the first time I made them they came out perfect. The 2nd and 3rd time I've made them they were complete failures, they came out doey soft and never hardened, the edges were not set at all. they tasted too buttery yet i'm using the required amt of ingredients. Has anyone else had this problem?

Merrill

9 months ago merrill

Merrill is a co-founder of food52.

Hmm. Are you using the same oven, baking sheets, etc.? I have to say I haven't heard of this happening before -- sounds like your oven heat might be too low?

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10 months ago Zaman

I just made them last night for my boy friend. He absolutely loved them! Only thing I did differently is that I used little bit of vanilla. Thanks a lot!

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10 months ago Zaman

I just made them last night for my boy friend. He absolutely loved them! Only thing I did differently is that I used little bit of vanilla. Thanks a lot!

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10 months ago Zaman

I just made them last night for my boy friend. He absolutely loved them! Only thing I did differently is that I used little bit of vanilla. Thanks a lot!

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10 months ago Zaman

I just made them last night for my boy friend. He absolutely loved them! Only thing I did differently is that I used little bit of vanilla. Thanks a lot!

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10 months ago Zaman

I just made them last night for my boy friend. He absolutely loved them! Only thing I did differently is that I used little bit of vanilla. Thanks a lot!

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12 months ago Gastroguy

I occasionally like to bring in homemade treats for my coworkers once in a while to give them a little unexpected bright spot. These cookies definitely fit the bill. Everyone thought they were wonderful! I almost felt guilty since they were so easy to make and definitely not my own recipe. Considering I still have more than 1/2 a brick of cream cheese in my fridge, I'll definitely be making more of these in the very near future. After all, I can't let my coworkers have ALL of the cookies!

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about 1 year ago Manhattan Tart

I doubled the recipe so I could use up most of a brick of Neufchatel (light) cream cheese. A doubled recipe yielded about 40 cookies, using a slightly rounded 1.5" cookies scoop. They were great and DID have that yummy tang -- which sadly meant my kids were a little disconcerted by them. (The good news is I also got to try the Secret Cookies the day after making these so my kids had dessert for their lunches!) I added a tsp. or so of vanilla and imagine they'd be terrific with some lemon zest. They were soft on the inside, crisp on the outside and they disappeared at my husband's office to rave reviews.

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032

about 1 year ago TheWimpyVegetarian

I did a twist on these for one of the cookie batches I made today by adding chocolate powder, an egg (since I'm baking at drier high altitude) and a little vanilla extract. I love love love these!

20071208_cru_themomma_7027

about 1 year ago DeArmasA

WOW! I've never been a fan of "sugar" cookies - these are fantastic! Now I have to rethink giving them away :-)

Smallsyshi

about 1 year ago mayuchico

I tried with the cookie press. They came out fine! Thanks!

Merrill

about 1 year ago merrill

Merrill is a co-founder of food52.

So glad to hear it -- and now I know what to say when the next person asks!