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These cream cheese cookies are so chewy, gooey, and made with just 5 simple ingredients! Made in just one bowl, they take minutes to make!
Ever tried making cookies with some unique ingredients? We do that often here.
We’ve tried using alternative flours (like almond and coconut) and not using any sugar at all (like in keto chocolate chip cookies). However, to change up your cookie game, add cream cheese to the batter and make cream cheese cookies!
Why this recipe works
- No flour. Just like peanut butter cookies and almond butter cookies, these are flourless, but you’d never tell.
- Just 5 ingredients. Count them yourself; and they are simple ones at that.
- No chilling required. Most cookie recipes require some chill time but not these ones!
What we love about this recipe is just how fast they are to make! From prep to plate, they come together in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients needed
- Cream cheese. Softened to room temperature. Dairy free cream cheese can also be used.
- Peanut butter. Smooth peanut butter, with no added sugar.
- Sugar of choice. I like using brown sugar, but white or raw sugar works.
- Baking soda. Helps the cookies from overspreading.
- Eggs. room temperature eggs are best.
- Vanilla extract. Optional, but highly recommended for any good cookie recipe!
Start by mixing all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl until combined. Next, use a cookie scoop to scoop out heaping two-tablespoon portions of the dough and place on a lined baking sheet.
Now, bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- If you’d like thicker cookies, you can chill the dough for 45 minutes before baking them.
- Do not over-bake the cookies, as they continue to firm up while they are cooling down.
- Avoid using low fat or reduced fat cream cheese, or your cookie dough will be super soft and lose stability once baked.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
The beauty of these cookies is just how easy they are to customize to a plethora of diets out there. Here are some tested options:
- Cut the carbs. For a keto cookie option, replace the sugar with either a brown sugar substitute or allulose.
- Make it eggless. If you follow a vegan or egg free diet, try using an egg substitute.
- Add some mix-ins. While delicious on their own, fold through some chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a drizzle of chocolate.
- Make it dairy free. This works just as well with dairy free cream cheese.
Storage instructions
- To store: Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 5 days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, these cookies don’t need to be refrigerated as the cream cheese acts like a fat element (like butter).
Cream cheese from a block is the best option as it does not contain added water or fillers.
Cream Cheese Cookies (5 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cream cheese 8 oz, 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 all your ingredients 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.
What do you recommend using instead of peanut butter or almond butter?
Any smooth/drippy nut/seed butter works. Tahini or sunflower seed butter are two great options!
Pleasantly surprised! I cut the recipe in half but still used a whole egg and used Brown Sugar Splenda. The cookies turned out more cake like but were really good! Not overly sweet. Next time I will add some pecans and maybe some dark chocolate chips.
Best cream cheese cookies I’ve ever made!
Very good. Sift. Baking soda not needed.
Recipe sounds good. Question, if you omit the sugar are you saying they are sweet enough?
You need to use a sugar substitute
Ok got it; thx
This recipe is so easy to make. I used Splenda brown sugar and added Lily’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fantastic! This is my go-to cookie from now on.
Just made them using monk fruit/erithrytol and will definitely make them again. They’re delicious!
These are excellent – moist and delicious. This recipe is a keeper!
Very good
Anyone tried to replace the sugar with honey or maple syrup? Would love to try these but can’t have sugar in that form!
Omg!!! I was cautiously optimistic and these far exceeded my expectations!! Added some dark chocolate chips & sea salt – thank you for this amazing recipe!
I’ve made these twice now and we love them, I use Philadelphia cream cheese and natural peanut butter with only peanuts in the ingredients.
These cookies are delicious!! They’re perfect!! They taste just like my Grandma’s peanut butter pie without the guilt!! I’ve never been able to duplicate her pie recipe so I’ve definitely missed it until I bit into this cookie today!! Thank you so much for this delightful recipe!! Yum!!😋
Sooo good! I discovered your website searching for gluten-free cookie recipes and have been trying out a few for the past months and every one of them is amazing. Thank you so much.
Wow!! Amazing recipe, thanks sooooo much! I’m new to keto and was looking for a good dessert recipe, this is beyond satisfying!
Loved these soft cookies which I used almond butter instead of peanut and much less sweetener. Will definitely make again
These are super yummy. I did forget the baking soda but will remember it next time. The cookies did not hold up well. The fell spare even after fully cooled.
Absolutely loved these. Been on my Low Carb journey for about two months and have been really craving cookies. I didn’t have any peanut butter on hand so I used a low sugar honey almond butter from my pantry. Turned out so delicious and flavorful! Watch the kind of cream cheese you are using because it can affect the texture of the final cookie. Thanks for a great recipe.
Yummy
I used almond butter and lill’s sugar free milk chocolate mini morsels and these were the best keto cookies by far I’ve ever eaten. Thank you so much!!!!!!
This is my second day making these in less than a week!!! I especially love the simplicity. Keto is high fat so you are feeling full most of the time and these are light enough to kill your cravings but not make you sick. They do need to cool all the way as the recipe says but I followed it exactly and both times are on point!! So happy you shared this!
My new fav cookie, thanks! Great texture and flavor.
Love you recipes!!! They are soo good and easy to make. To make this vegan, can I substitute the eggs for flax eggs?
Not that I’ve tried!
These were good, but i think i was craving something different. I was hoping for chewy, not just soft, as mine came out. I’ve always liked your recipes. Perhaps i just need a different cookie recipe to try 😌
Try baking them a little longer or adding a couple of tablespoons flour 🙂
Hi Arman, I was having a cookie craving last night and came across this recipe. I hit the jackpot. 12 huge, delicious cookies and one is plenty for me with my tea at night. Thank you for sharing this delicious and easy recipe…
Great recipe!! I substituted tahini and a bit of hemp seeds
Thanks for sharing. Holiday baking is tricky on the keto lifestyle lol
Are these supposed to spread way out? I even put the dough in the fridge for 45 min before baking
They do spread quite abit.
Do you use salted or unsalted peanut butter for your pb cookies? Ty!
I like unsalted, because the cream cheese has a slight tang, but you can use salted if you like 🙂
Can you replace the eggs with flax seed? For an eggless cookie?
These cookies are my favorite. So delicious.
I love reading your recipes and hope I can start making more of them. I follow a GF/DF diet and am paleo-ish. I like to bake with honey (or maple syrup), and I’m looking for recipes that don’t have a lot of honey or maple syrup in them. I don’t want to have my baked goods be super sweet. If you have some recipes such as I’ve described, please let me know. Thanks very much! ¡Mil gracias!
Hi there,
I’ve been Keto for 4+ years and make a ton of desserts! I’m excited to add these into the rotation!! (Making them today!) I’m wondering if you’ve ever added anything into the mix (like white chocolate chips, or pecans..etc) and if yes, does it change the baking time? Thanks 🙂
For sure! Cooking time won’t change 🙂
Hi there,
I’ve been Keto for 4+ years and make a ton of desserts! I’m excited to add these into the rotation!! (Making them today!) I’m wondering if you’ve ever added anything into the mix (like white chocolate chips, or pecans..etc) and if yes, does it change the baking time?
Tried these..came out nice and soft. Only thing for me they were too sweet. Will try with less sweetener next time.
Delish!
Hiya!
Just to let everyone know, if you can’t use peanut butter, don’t be afraid to substitute Wowbutter (soy butter). It works!
I just made a second batch, this time substituting tahini for PB. They just came out of the oven and are cooling. Can’t wait to find out how they turned out!
I don’t think there is a recipe that I haven’t enjoyed, and this one is no exception. They are so easy to make and have been a hit in my keto household, as well as non keto friends and family. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I put a pinch of salt flakes on top, amd they were amazing, even the dough!!
I love that!! I thought I was the only one to eat the dough… 😉
I added chocolate chips and they were delicious. Mine came out a little cake-like but that just made them even better. The best part is they were so quick to make.
I made the cookies and got 27 of them using a #30 cookie scoop. Anyway…they didn’t flatten out like yours, but they are super tasty!
Can I use full fat whipped cream cheese? I don’t have any hard cream cheese.
Not that I’ve tried
The cookies were full of flavor and soft because I used a powdered sweetener. These are the best keto cookies I have ever tasted. I added sugar free chocolate chips so these cookies are super yummy.
Omg this is amazing 😋😋😋😋😋
Thank you, Krystal!
These cookies look awesome and I can’t wait to make them for Super Bowl Sunday! Can you tell me what size cookie scoop you used? Thank you!
Hi! I used a 2 inch scoop!
I’ve made these twice this week, they are the best keto cookies ever, and will definitely be repeats often! To me, they taste like the peanut butter cookies I used to get from Subway, so last time I made them I added ½ tsp salt and ⅓ cup chopped roasted peanuts and they were amazing, thank you for this awesome recipe!
It doesn’t say in the notes on what granulated sugar to use.
Can you use regular sugar?
Yes of course 🙂
My cookies did not firm up at all, cooked golden around edges, used Philadelphia cream cheese regular, taste good, but way to soft can’t pick up?
Hi Tara- did you let them cool completely?
I do not like peanut butter, what can I substitute for that ingredient?
Almond butter or cashew butter.
Wait I don’t see your stars! Loved this recipe and I will be trying more of your collection.
Best keto cookie. Perfect texture. Excellent flavor.
Awesomely delicious.
Omg! ThANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE..
This has been the first keto cookie recipe that has turned out tasty to me. I used monk fruit in the raw and used 1/2 of a 1/2 cup.🥰
🙂 you are too sweet, Cheryl!
Love love love these!!! It was so hard not to just eat them raw!!
Hi Arman,
I used Philadelphia full fat cream cheese.
As a side note, my husband really likes them and they don’t taste bad, I just didn’t like the gummy/rubbery texture.
Thank you so much for your help
Can you use Splenda as the sweetener?
If you use the baking stevia I don’t see why not!
Am I missing the note about the sweetener? I do not see it with the other notes?
Hi Diane! Sorry, it is fixed now- It just says I used keto brown sugar, but erythritol and monk fruit sweetener work too!
These are so good! Came together really quick too. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you, Susan!
If these taste Anything like they look!!!!
*trying not to make these, tonight.
Review to follow, asap.
Please co- They are SO easy!
My cookies seem gummy or kind of rubbery in texture. I used room temperature eggs and regular cream cheese at room temperature. The only thing I changed was using monk fruit. Any idea what might have caused this?
Love your recipes by the way, I rarely find one I don’t like on your site.
Thank you
Hi Karen! What brand of cream cheese did you use? Sometimes they have added stabilizers in it that can cause foods to be gummy.
What did you sprinkle on the cookies in the picture…. coarse salt/sugar? They look incredible. 😉
Hi David- just a sprinkle of the sweetener!