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My cream cheese cookies are ever so tangy, chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth soft. Made with 5 key ingredients, one bowl, and NO flour!
Craving more creative cookie recipes? Try my Italian almond cookies, almond butter cookies, lemon ricotta cookies, and cookie butter cookies next.
I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, it’s not as weird as it sounds.
Cream cheese adds moisture and a subtle tangy flavor that perfectly complements the cookie’s sweetness. When paired with baking staples, these cookies will have all your friends questioning what bakery you bought them from!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Flourless. And no all purpose flour also makes them gluten-free!
- Made with only 5 key ingredients. And they’re all everyday staples you likely have on hand.
- No chilling required. Most cookie recipes require some chill time, but not these!
- Ready in 15 minutes. From prep to plate, these cookies are freshly baked and on the table in no time.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Delicious!! Absolutely amazing if you are trying to eat healthier.” – Anna
Ingredients needed
- Cream cheese. Softened to room temperature. I prefer the full-fat variety as it makes for the best texture.
- Peanut butter. Smooth and drippy with no added salt or sugar. I also tested this recipe with almond butter, and while I found it a bit overpowering, the results were still tasty.
- Granulated sugar. I like using brown sugar, but white sugar or a brown sugar substitute also works.
- Baking soda. Keeps the cookies from overspreading. Don’t substitute baking powder as it won’t have the same effect.
- Large egg. Room-temperature eggs are best.
- Vanilla extract. Optional but highly recommended!
How to make cream cheese cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
Step 3- Shape and bake. Using a cookie scoop, scoop 2 inch balls of dough. Place the cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the pan briefly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use an electric mixer. While optional, I find using a hand mixer on low speed makes mixing the cream cheese easier. Just remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl so you get a cohesive dough.
- Chill the dough. If you’d like thicker cookies, chill the dough for 45 minutes before baking them.
- Avoid overbaking the cookies. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool down, so remove them from the oven as soon as they begin to golden, and the edges lift from the baking sheet.
- Avoid using low-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese, or your cookie dough will be super soft and lose stability once baked.
Variations
- Make them vegan. Swap the egg for a flax egg (3 tablespoons of water to one tablespoon of flax seeds) and use dairy-free cream cheese.
- Add some mix-ins. While delicious as is, fold in some chocolate chips to make cream cheese chocolate chip cookies.
- Or add fun toppings. Like sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, or make a cream cheese frosting by combining softened cream cheese with vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and milk.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to six months. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Cream cheese from a block is the best option as it does not contain added water or fillers.
More cream cheese desserts to try
5-Ingredient Cream Cheese Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup cream cheese 8 ounces, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar * See notes
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda, and vanilla, and mix well, until combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop out heaping 2 tablespoon portions of the cookie dough and place them on the lined tray. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated September 2022, updated and republished July 2024
I didn’t know cottage cheese could be used in cookies like this, and they turned out great. The kids didn’t let them last long.
This were incredible! My gosh. Need to find more recipes to make 🙂
These are very good. I added pecans and mini chocolate chips. I think I will add tahini next time and sweeten with molasses see what I get. Good flourless cookie.
Whoch cream cheese you suggest here? You know the best?
I have all ingredients except vanilla extract. I could put vanilla flavour drops instead. Is that okay?
This I will make. Lidl has the best cream cheese every. And its also cheap.
Hi,
I made these before while on a keto diet, but I used did 1/2c of granular swerve. They turned out great, and lost 30 pounds. I found out I was allergic to erythritol, and only using organic stevia. Do you know how much stevia I need to put in the cookies to be slightly sweetened? Thanks!
Wow so easy to make. I will try it one day without using sugar.
I had to come back to say how delicious these cookies came out! They were so soft; I used half granular and half brown low carb sugars. I also used almond extract and nutmeg instead of the vanilla, just because I didn’t want to use the little vanilla I had, and that worked out just fine. The two tablespoons of batter made huge cookies, so I will only use one Tablespoon of the batter next time. The next time I make them I’m going to experiment with adding powdered ginger and spreading them a little thinner to see if they will come out like ginger snaps. Thank you so much for this recipe!
very good, soft cookies! thank you for sharing!
These cookies are amazing. I added pecans and keto chocolate chips. These are better than any low carb cookie I’ve ever tried, homemade or store bought.
I made these for my husband and I who are now living a keto lifestyle. These are perfect to curb my husband’s sweet tooth 😁 I even shared a few with my Dad who has type 2 diabetes. He loves them too. Thank you for sharing!
Made these tonight with brown sugar. Made quite a lot. They are very soft, hopefully the fridge will harden them up. I’d make these again.
Thank you so much for such a clear informative recipe. I see many where it’s difficult to find the ingredients and method.
This is a great recipe. I used only 1/2 C of allulose/monk fruit mixture for the sweetner and it came out great. Nice and peanutty. Fits great with my no sugar low to no carb life. Thanks for another great recipe.
Delicious!! Absolutely amazing if you are trying to eat healthier! I substituted coconut sugar for the regular sugar.