Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies are not just any ordinary treat; they boast a wonderfully soft and chewy texture and a deliciously mild tang thanks to the cream cheese.

Perfect for those who love their cookies irresistibly soft with a touch of decadence. Cream cheese is the secret ingredient that enriches the flavor without making it too sweet and plays a key role in achieving that dreamy, melt-in-your-mouth feel.

Whether you are a seasoned baker or new to the kitchen, whipping up a batch of cream cheese sugar cookies will be gratifying and straightforward, perfect for the Christmas season.

These cream cheese sugar cookies are a delicious and festive addition to holiday cookie platters.  You may also enjoy these homemade sugar cookies made without cream cheese and these Christmas Cookie Butter Cookies, some of my family's favorite cookies!

Another old fashioned Christmas cookie are these sand tart cookies, they're a Christmas cookie classic!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Rich Flavor: The addition of cream cheese to the traditional sugar cookie recipe provides a depth of flavor that is both rich and tangy.
• Perfect Texture: Your cookies will come out remarkably soft with a delightfully chewy bite every time.
• Simple Ingredients: Nothing fancy in this recipe! 
• Versatility: Perfect for any occasion, these cream cheese sugar cookies are perfect for decorating. 

Ingredients in Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

In this cream cheese sugar cookie recipe, the ingredients are straightforward. You will need:

• unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• cream cheese, room temperature
• 1vanilla extract
• large egg
• all purpose flour, spooned & leveled
• salt

Ingredients in Royal Icing

This royal icing recipe comes together easily and quickly.

• powdered sugar
• milk 
• light corn syrup  
• vanilla extract

How to Make Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the granulated sugar together until well combined.

Beat in the cream cheese until fluffy.

Mix in the vanilla extract and beat in the egg.

Combine the all purpose flour and salt in a medium bowl, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined on low speed until a soft dough forms and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

Divide the sugar cookie dough, and shape, and flatten the dough into two discs.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness and cut with desired cookie cutters.

Place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, baking one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to change to golden brown.

Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Decorate each cooled cookie as desired. 

How to Make Easy Royal Icing

To make this sugar cookie icing, combine the milk and corn syrup in a small bowl.  

Slowly mix the powdered sugar into the mixture to prevent clumps from building up. 

Mix in the vanilla extract and the milk until smooth. 

Divide and add food coloring as desired. 

​Add festive sprinkles while the icing is still wet. 

HINT: An icing bag and cookie decorating tools are very helpful when decorating cookies.

Substitutions In Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Egg: If you're out of eggs or have an allergy, consider a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce or a flax egg as a binding substitute. It is essential to have a binder for these cookies.

Vanilla: Should you run out of vanilla extract, try using an equal amount of almond extract for a different but equally delightful flavor profile. Or add just a bit of almond extract to alter the vanilla flavor in these cookies subtly. 

Flour: These sugar cream cheese cookies use regular flour but you can use gluten-free measure for measure flour blend to make these cookies.

Butter: In place of unsalted butter, you can use an equal amount of salted butter, just leave out the additional salt in the recipe. 

Storing Sugar Cookies

Before storing your baked cookies, it's important for them to completely cool to prevent condensation. If the cookies are frosted, ensure that the cookie icing has hardened completely before storing - this may take 2 to 3 hours depending on the icing thickness. 

For short term storage:

• Place the cookies in an airtight container; this will help keep them chewy.
• If you’ve used cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting, it’s best to refrigerate the cookies to maintain freshness.
• If stacking your cookies, make sure the cookies are cool and the icing has hardened before doing so, also use parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.

For long term storage:

Begin with completely cool cookies and if the cookies have frosting, make sure they have hardened completely before stacking and placing them in the freezer. 

• Wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap, then transfer them to a freezer bag or am airtight freezer container.
• If your cookies have frosting, flash-freeze them first on a baking sheet before wrapping the icing from smudging. 

When you're ready to serve or enjoy a sugar cookie that has been frozen, set the cookies out at room temperature before enjoying. 

Freezing cream cheese sugar cookies is an excellent option if you're looking to get ahead of your Christmas and holiday baking. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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