Description
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are delightfully chewy with soft, pillowy centers and slightly set edges. Made with a blend of butter and cream cheese, these cookies achieve a rich texture that holds their shape well thanks to chilling the dough before baking. Perfect for cookie lovers craving a soft, tender bite with generous pockets of semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 2 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter, cream cheese, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is well-creamed, light and fluffy, which should take about 5 minutes. If using an electric hand mixer, beat for at least 7 minutes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and optional salt. Mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute, to avoid overmixing.
- Add Chocolate: Incorporate the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks by beating momentarily or folding them in gently by hand for even distribution.
- Chill the Dough: Use a medium 2-inch cookie scoop to form heaping mounds of dough (about 28). Place the mounds on a large plate, flatten each slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. Chilling is essential to prevent spreading and to maintain the cookies’ soft, thick texture.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat non-stick baking mat or lightly spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the chilled cookie dough mounds on the sheet spaced at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8 to 9 minutes until the edges have just set and the tops begin to look set but remain pale and glossy in the center. Avoid baking longer than 10 minutes to keep centers soft. Cookies will appear slightly undercooked but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated airtight for up to 5 days for baking later.
Notes
- Use regular cream cheese in block or spreadable form. Avoid fat-free, light, or whipped versions to maintain the right texture.
- You can mix chocolate chips and chunks for varied texture; this recipe used 1 cup chips and 1¼ cups chunks.
- Chilling the dough overnight and letting it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking yields chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers.
- Rotate baking trays halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
- If you want softer cookies, bake closer to 8 minutes; for slightly firmer cookies, bake up to 9 minutes but no longer than 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
