Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Cream cheese sugar cookies are soft and tender sugar cookies with a slight tang from the addition of cream cheese. They're rolled in sugar before baking to create a crunchy crust.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings cookies

Author Heather

Ingredients

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter room temperature
4 ounces (113 g) block-style cream cheese room temperature
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour *measured properly
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add room temperature butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, about a minute.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture (or use a mixer on low speed) until just combined.
Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 tablespoon balls. Gently roll dough balls in granulated sugar.
Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. As is, dough balls bake into thick, rounded top cookies (as shown in photos). Optionally, flatten balls slightly using your hands or the bottom of a glass dusted with flour. This creates a flatter top and helps cookies spread more.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until tops begin to crack and cookies feel set when gently pressed on top. Allow to cool until for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

* How to measure flour properly: For accurate results every time, use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
Storing dough: Cookie dough will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Storing cookies: Cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the freezer for 3 months. Add a slice of bread to the cookie container to help keep cookies moist. Replace as needed (bread will dry out).
More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!

Nutrition