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Cream cheese sugar cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth cutout cookie. Easy to make and fun to decorate!
EXTRA Soft!
It’s no surprise that we love sugar cookies; they’re basically considered a food group in the Luna family. We have over a dozen sugar cookie recipes on the site and this cream cheese version is one we go to when we want extra soft cookies.
Today’s cream cheese sugar cookies are not only soft and tender, but they’re chewy with incredible flavor. The kids love to cut out shapes and we all love to take part in decorating! You can even make these cookies several days ahead for easy party prep. We love to top them with Sugar Cookie Frosting or Royal Icing Recipe and you’re ready to decorate!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Make ahead. Leave the dough chilled in the fridge, or bake the cookies and store them in an airtight container for easy prep!
- Special occasion. Shape and decorate this easy cookie recipe for any and all special occasions and holidays.
- Delicious. The cream cheese and almond extract give these cookies a great flavor and they really hold their shape!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
CHILL TIME: 2 hours
BAKE TIME: 8 minutes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened – How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon almond extract – or omit the almond and increase the vanilla to 1½ teaspoons
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk – How to Separate Egg Whites
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- frosting ideas – Sugar Cookie Frosting, Royal Icing Recipe, or Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- optional – festive sprinkles
How to Make Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup sugar, 1 cup butter, and 3 ounces cream cheese until well blended.
- Add 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg yolk, and mix until combined. Add 2¼ cups flour and ½ teaspoon 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.
- PREP. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- ROLL & CUT. 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.
- BAKE. Bake 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting.
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Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
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.
- 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 cookie sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
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.
Super yummy and family’s new favorite
We make these every Christmas for are Santa sugar cookies. The kids love them every time!
The cream cheese makes these sugar cookies extra soft and the flavor is AMAZING. The texture is perfect and they really do melt in your mouth!
Making some this weekend! My kids love decorating cookies & your recipe makes the softest cookies!
These are one of our favorite sugar cookie recipes! They are so soft!! Making some this week!
Yippee going to try this one
I hope you like them!! Thank you!
Amazing!!! Best sugar cookies ever.
Awe, that makes me so happy!! Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
Great recipes thanks so much keep posting
Awe, thank you so much for saying that!
I don’t think people realize how time consuming it is to create & maintain a recipe & cooking website/blog. Especially a beautifully detailed & thorough one like yours. You’ve been so helpful & inspiring on numerous occasions & are a gift to many I’m sure. Taking the time to share your talent is very much appreciated! Keep up the hard work Ma’am! Can’t wait to try this recipe with my sweet girl! ❤️🍪❤️
You are so nice!! Thank you so much for saying that!! I can’t wait for you to try the recipe 🙂
These were perfect!!!
I am so glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!
It would be nice if you had put in a list of how much of each ingredient to use.
A poor recipe indeed.
They are all there in the recipe box 🙂
Thanks for the clarification 😉
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter softened
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt….. Everything is there & I just made them!
Thanks for putting in a list of how much of each ingredient to use AGAIN! Amazing how actually reading a recipe before cooking works out everytime! 😉 Happy Holidays & Happy Baking!
So i never had cream cheese
sugar cookies before so are they good
I love them!! I hope you give them a try 🙂
Hello,
Can I use different flour ( whole wheat or almond)?
Thanks
I personally haven’t tried, but I am sure you could 🙂
Hello there! Could I omit the almond extract (due to kids nuts allergies)? And if I can, do I put in 1 and a half tsp of vanilla extract?
Thanks! I’d really like to try this recipe🤗
MB
You definitely could. I would probably just use 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Enjoy!
What kind of flour all purpose or self rushing. Recipe just says flour. Thank you
I use all-purpose 🙂 Enjoy!!
The most perfect sugar cookie recipe around! Soft and easy to work with.