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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
The cookies are delicious but very moist and soft. I used Splenda Magic Baker and baked for 15 min. Should I bake longer next time?
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.
The taste is excellent. I am dairy free and follow the Keto diet, so I used Kite Hill cream cheese substitute and brown sugar Swerve in replacement of the sugar (measurements stayed at 1 cup for each). I also added a dash of cinnamon– so good! My one disappointment is that the cookies are very fluffy– like cake consistency. I was hoping for a fudgier or crispier consistency (maybe it’s because of the substitutes I have to make?). Next time I will try eliminating the baking soda to see if that give it a more cookie-like consistency.
Best cream cheese cookies I’ve ever made!
Very good. Sift. Baking soda not needed.
Okay, these cream cheese cookies are fabulous!!!
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!!😋