Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies are soft, tender cutout cookies with a little extra richness from cream cheese in the dough. The cream cheese adds moisture and a subtle tang, helping the cookies stay soft while still being sturdy enough to roll, cut, and decorate.
We have more than a dozen sugar cookie recipes on the site, and this version is a favorite when we want an extra soft cutout cookie with that classic vanilla and almond flavor. After chilling, the dough is easy to roll and cut into shapes, and the cookies bake up tender in the center with lightly golden edges.
We love decorating them for holidays, birthdays, and parties with our Sugar Cookie Frosting or Royal Icing Recipe. They’re a simple make-ahead cookie that is especially fun to make with the kids.
Why You’ll Love Them + Why They Work:
- Fun to Decorate. The dough can be rolled and cut into shapes for holidays, birthdays, and cookie decorating with the kids.
- Make-Ahead Friendly. The dough can chill ahead of time, making it easy to spread the work out before a party or holiday.
- Simple Ingredients. The dough uses basic baking staples with vanilla and almond extracts for classic sugar cookie flavor.
- Cream Cheese Adds Tenderness. A small amount of cream cheese adds moisture without making the dough too soft to roll.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- Sugar (1 cup): Sweetens the cookies and helps create tender edges.
- Butter (1 cup, softened): Adds rich flavor and gives the cookies a soft, tender texture. Make sure it is softened so it creams smoothly with the sugar and cream cheese.
- Cream cheese (3 ounces, softened): Adds moisture and tenderness while keeping the dough soft enough to roll. Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, not spreadable cream cheese from a tub, for the best texture and shape.
- Almond extract (1 teaspoon): Gives the cookies their signature sweet bakery-style flavor. If you prefer less almond flavor, you can omit it and increase the vanilla.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon): Adds classic vanilla flavor and rounds out the almond extract.
- Egg yolk (1): Adds richness, binds the dough, and helps keep the cookies tender.
- All-purpose flour (2¼ cups): Gives the dough enough structure to roll, cut, and hold its shape during baking.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and brings out the butter, vanilla, and almond flavors.
How to Make Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese until well blended.
- Add almond extract, vanilla extract, and egg yolk, and mix until combined. Add flour and salt. Mix to form a soft dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.
- The dough will be soft and slightly sticky before chilling, but should firm up enough to roll once chilled.
PREP. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
ROLL & CUT. Divide the chilled dough in half and work with one portion at a time, keeping the remaining dough refrigerated. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters (or the top of a cup), placing one inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
Gently gather and reroll the scraps, using only enough flour to prevent sticking.
BAKE. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look soft. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Chill until firm. Give the dough the full 2 hours in the refrigerator so it is easier to roll and cut without sticking.
- Use just enough flour. Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin, but avoid adding too much extra flour or the cookies can turn dry.
- Roll evenly. Keep the dough about ¼-inch thick so cookies of similar size bake at the same rate.
- Watch the edges. Remove the cookies when the edges are just lightly golden so the centers stay soft and tender.
- Make ahead. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days before rolling and baking.
- Store. Keep baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let frosting set before stacking decorated cookies.
- Freeze. Freeze wrapped cookie dough or baked cookies for up to 3 months. Separate baked cookies with wax or parchment paper if stacking.
- Variation. Skip the almond extract and increase the vanilla to 1½ teaspoons for a classic vanilla sugar cookie.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until well blended. Add the almond extract, vanilla extract, and egg yolk, and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and salt, and mix to form a soft dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
- Divide the chilled dough in half and work with one portion at a time, keeping the remaining dough refrigerated. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters (or the top of a cup), placing one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Gently gather and reroll the scraps, using only enough flour to prevent sticking.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look soft. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
The dough is naturally soft because of the butter and cream cheese. Chill until firm, then lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Avoid adding too much extra flour or the cookies can become dry.
Make sure the dough is fully chilled before rolling and baking, use brick-style cream cheese, and avoid placing dough on warm baking sheets.
Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 2-3 days. For longer storage, wrap again with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Let the frosting set before stacking and storing frosted cookies.
Store frosted or unfrosted. Wrap them individually, or separate layers with wax paper and store them in a freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months.
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This recipe was originally published November 2020.
I have tried many sugar cookie recipes in past years but this has become our go to recipe for all occasions. I bake the cookies and then my sister, daughter, granddaughter and anyone else that wants to come do the decorating. I also substitute gluten free flour in this recipe and everyone loves them!
These cookies are fantastic – buttery, rich yet light. They kept their shape really well while baking, and I got lots of compliments. Thanks Kristyn!
You’re welcome! So glad the cookies are a hit.