While Christmas may be behind us, I’ve still got food–specifically dessert–on the mind. Are you spending New Year’s Eve with friends or family? Were you invited to a potluck but don’t know what to make? Today, I’ve got a recipe for you that is a surefire crowd pleaser. This take on the traditional chocolate chip cookie comes from Averie at Averie Cooks: Recipes for Sweet Teeth. Her blog post was easy to read, had great photos, and provided clear baking instructions–a real keeper in my book!
Without further ado, here is my version of Averie’s cookies:
When I first read that these cookies had cream cheese in them, I thought it was strange. How could cream cheese taste good in a chocolate chip cookie? Averie assures readers that the cream cheese is indistinguishable in the cookies, and that it helps keep them soft and gooey, just how I like it! I’m so glad that I decided to whip these up because I will probably never make chocolate chip cookies again without adding cream cheese into the recipe. They’re that good.
Below is a behind-the-scenes picture of me trying to photograph these cookies in natural light. This is definitely what a homespun photoshoot looks like! (Photo by Anne Kenealy)
Here’s the recipe!
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies (via Averie Cooks)
Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 8 minutes per batch | Yields: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup cream cheese (original, full-fat type)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt, optional
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, combine butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light, and fluffy (5-7 minutes). Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and optional salt. Mix only until combined (1 minute). Add chocolate chips and chunks into the mixture. Fold in using a spatula.
Place 3 large plates on your workspace. Scoop 2-inch cookie dough mounds onto the plates, pressing them slightly into round formations. Cover the plates with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2+ hours. (You can stop here, if you wish, and bake the cookies up to 5 days later.) Letting the dough chill will allow for taller, fluffier cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow chilled cookies to sit out for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough mounds to non-stick baking sheets or buttered regular sheets, placing them 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, switching rack positions halfway through. Do not bake the cookies for more than 10 minutes even if they do not appear to be done. They will continue baking after they come out of the oven. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack.
Enjoy these cookies within the week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
SCISSORS & SAGE 
These look delicious. I love adding cream cheese whereever I can! The behind the scenes photo is pretty adorable too. Great job!
Yes, they were so good!! Thanks, Liza!
Ha- The climbing on chairs looks familiar for photo day in my kitchen! Can’t wait to give these a whirl.
I hope you enjoy these cookies!
I’ve been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for about 20 years. After baking these this afternoon, I believe I have finally found it! These turned out exactly how I wanted them to! Absolutely delicious.
Krista, I can’t believe you found your perfect CCC today — right here on Scissors & Sage! That is the highest compliment. The original recipe from Averie Cooks looked so delicious that I had to try it myself, too! -Victoria
These look so yummy! You can never go wrong with chocolate chip cookies, but I have never met a chocolate cookie with cream cheese in it. I LOVE soft cookies, so I will definitely be trying this soon! Pinned! 🙂
I didn’t taste any cream cheese, but it added such softness to the cookies! Let me know how they turn out if you make them! -Victoria