Julie Clark
Updated:
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
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Soft, chewy cream cheese sugar cookies. This easy cut out sugar cookie recipe stays soft because of cream cheese.
Homemade sugar cookies are a classic. Everyone needs a good recipe and we’ve got several to share with you! These melt in your mouth cream cheese sugar cookies are super soft and so easy to make. They’re so delicious topped with a simple powdered sugar frosting and sprinkles.
Although these are flat sugar cookies that don’t rise, we also have a recipe for soft, fluffy buttermilk cut out sugar cookies, and two types of sugar cookies that don’t require cookie cutters….bakery-style and Pillsbury copycat.
This cream cheese sugar cookie recipe is perfect for every holiday and season. And it’s the secret to soft sugar cookies! They bake up soft and stay soft.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ “One word: DELICIOUS! Just made them. Great recipe, very forgiving dough! Super easy to work with. 👍👏” – Anna
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ “These were super easy to make!! I like ‘cake’ cookies so I didn’t roll mine as thin. The icing was delicious as well!! I added an extra tablespoon of butter…I would definitely make again! Soooo delicious and easy!!” – Kara
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ “Hands down, these are THE BEST sugar cookies in the world!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe…These cookies will forever be my go-to sugar cookies.” – Nae
Ingredients in Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- For best results use room temperature butter and cream cheese. Set it on the counter an hour or two before mixing. If it is too cold it will not mix in well, and if it is too hot and melted, it will affect the texture of the cookies.
- Although this sugar cookie recipe calls for both vanilla and almond extract, you can use all vanilla if you’d like.
- Many times when I substitute almond extract for vanilla extract (or add a touch of both), people will ask for the cookie recipe. Why? Because one simple change to a traditional recipe makes the cookies stand out. It’s like a secret ingredient that people love trying to figure out.
✨ For full ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below. ✨
How to Make Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Start with making the dough. There are 4 simple steps to mixing up cream cheese sugar cookie dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend butter and cream cheese with the paddle attachment on low speed. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add sugar, egg and extracts. Mix again until combined.
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients and blend into the creamed mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Remove the soft dough and flatten the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least an hour before you roll the cookies and bake them. Simply flatten the dough into a thick disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. This makes for easy fridge storage. Chilling the dough is what makes these the perfect sugar cookie.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the cookie dough on a pastry mat for easy cleanup. You’ll need a lightly floured surface. When rolling the cookie dough, don’t roll them too thin. You want the dough to have about ¼ inch thickness so that the cookies don’t get golden brown when they bake.
- Cut out your desired shape, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. For soft cookies, do not over bake.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Frosting
Because of the delicious flavor of this classic sugar cookie recipe, I didn’t want to add too much frosting to cover that sweet taste. An easy powdered sugar icing with just a few teaspoons on top of each cookie is perfect.
The cookies are also sturdy enough to hold up to royal icing, buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
I love these just as much as my grandma’s Christmas cookies. If you like cut out sugar cookies, you’ll love those, too!
Make Ahead Sugar Cookies
This is a great make ahead cookie recipe. Here’s your options:
- Make the sugar cookie dough up to 3 days in advance. Then roll out the day you want to bake ahead.
- Make the sugar cookie dough and freeze in discs for up to 8 weeks. Thaw the discs in the fridge.
- Bake the cookies and freeze them un-iced for up to 3 months. This cookie recipe is great for this!
- If you’re frosting the cookies with a royal icing that sets firmly, you can decorate in advance and freeze. Freeze the cookies stacked, but place wax paper between the layers. Thaw in the fridge.
Storage Instructions
The cream cheese cut out cookies are safe to store at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container to keep them soft.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Soft, chewy cream cheese sugar cookies. This easy cut out sugar cookie recipe stays soft for days and is perfect for every occasion.
Servings 24
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 33 minutes
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature, 8 ounces
- 8 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 300 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 grams
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 455 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar 260 grams
- 2 tablespoons soft butter 28 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Milk to desired consistency
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend butter and cream cheese with the paddle attachment on low speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. 1 cup salted butter, 8 ounces full fat cream cheese
- Add sugar, egg and extracts. Mix again for 1-2 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl as needed. 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients and blend into the creamed mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Remove the soft dough and flatten the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Roll out sugar cookie dough on floured surface until ¼ inches thick (a must!) . Cut with desired cookie cutter shape, place on a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Mix all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl and add some food coloring if desired. 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons soft butter, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Frost sugar cookies when they are fully cooled. Allow the frosting to set before storing in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- The key to making a good sugar cookie is to make sure that you cut the cookies thick enough and then don’t over cook them.
- If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the cookie dough along with the flour and other dry ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 404IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
One word: DELICIOUS! Just made the. Great recipe, very forgiving dough! Super easy to work with. 👍👏
Thank you for the recipe; I followed it exactly and did not have any issues with it. Cookies turned out thick and soft (which is how I like them). However, I’m just not a fan of the flavor, so this isn’t my favorite sugar cookie recipe. But I’ve always wanted to try one with cream cheese.
Restating the question – Does this icing dry enough to stack the cookies in a container?
Do these cookies spread at all? Thinking of using an imprinted rolling pin on top instead of icing them and if the cookie spreads or rises/too fluffy the imprint gets lost.
What is oven temp?
Does this icing dry enough to stack the cookies in a container?
Approximately how many cookies will you get from this recipe?
is this self rising flour or plain flour ?
These cookies were amazing! My 5 year old loved making them with his super hero cut outs. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Can these support Royal I icing
I am going to use this recipe from now on. These made the most perfect sugar cookies ever! Cream cheese must be the key. These will make beatiful snowflakes for Christmas time. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Would it work to use almond flour instead to make it gluten free
I would like to be able to email your recipe to myself and I would appreciate it if you would add this feature. Thanks for your consideration.
Very delish, soft and chewy. This ya going to be out cut out recipe for now on, Christma, Cakentines & Easter.
Hi, cant wait to try! Doing this upon clarification, The Ingredients: list 1t van 1/2t almond however in the instructions: it does not include them at all. Im thinking to add with egg but i know certain recipies calls for certain order . PLEASE HELP