This soft and buttery Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe creates the perfect sweet treat for Christmas or anytime you’re in the mood to decorate cookies.
Are you searching for the perfect cut out sugar cookies? Well guess what… you just found them! This perfectly soft Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe makes the ultimate cutout cookie! Trust me… they’ll disappear as fast as you can make them!
Beth writes: "These are the BEST!!! They're the only kind of cookies I make - they melt in your mouth!!"
Soft sugar cookies from scratch are a must-have at the holidays! Whether you’re looking to bake up some fun Christmas cut out cookies with your kids, or just want an easy cookie cutter recipe for other times of the year, these will become your go-to treat!
Thanks to the secret ingredient of cream cheese, you’ll end up with chewy, tender, melt in your mouth sugar cookie perfection! Yes… they’re that good!
The dough is easy to work with and the flavor is off the charts!
Then… after you bake up these soft sugar cookies, it’s time to frost them up with this heavenly Cream Cheese Frosting! You can even tint the frosting with food coloring or gels to make all sorts of gorgeous colors for your cookie decorating!
Or if you’re craving something with chocolate, this Easy Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder is the way to go! It’s out of this world!
So are you ready to get baking? Here’s what you’ll need…
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Related: More Christmas Cookies You’ll LOVE!
Should Sugar Cookie Dough Be Refrigerated?
Yes… after making the dough, you’ll want to transfer it to the refrigerator and let it chill overnight, or at least a minimum of 8 hours. And if you want to make your cookie dough in advance, you can make it up ahead of time and store it up to 3 days in the refrigerator prior to baking.
How Do You Refrigerate Cookie Dough?
It’s simple! After making the dough, just divide it into 3 portions, flatten into discs, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator.
Should I Refrigerate Cookies After Baking?
Yes… store leftover unfrosted and frosted cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Ingredients:
It takes just a few simple ingredients to make the BEST Cream Cheese Cookies…
- Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar {for rolling}
How to Make Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies:
It’s actually so easy to make the most amazing sugar cookies! Here’s what you’ll do…
- Mix up the dough
- Chill dough in refrigerator
- Roll out the dough
- Cut out your shapes using your favorite cookie cutters
- Bake for 9 – 12 minutes
- Cool on racks
- Frost cookies
- Decorate with Colored Sprinkles
- Serve, Enjoy & DEVOUR!
Now when it comes time to decorate, gather up the gang. You won’t just be making cookies… you’ll be making sweet memories to cherish for years to come!
Decorating sugar cookies is one holiday tradition that just can’t be skipped at my house. From baking to decorating, my entire family gets involved and has so much fun year after year!
We always make sure to create some extra silly ones to give to each other, too! With teen guys and a funny hubby, the designs have been hilarious and bizarre over the years!
When bigfoot, leg lamps, and feet are your templates, things are bound to get crazy. What can I say… I’m the only girl in the house, and I am definitely outnumbered!
If you love decorating cookies, too… you’ll really love these classic cut out sugar cookies! Just trust me… they’re the one cookie recipe you NEED to try this year! Wayne {pictured below} agrees!
What Your Frugal Friends Are Saying About This Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe…
Beth writes: “These are the BEST!!! They’re the only kind of cookies I make – they melt in your mouth!!”
Darcy writes: “Best recipe for sugar cookies!”
Jean writes: “Made these this weekend and loved them! Thank you!”
Kim writes: “I love these!!”
Annie writes: “We have used this recipe, it so much better than regular sugar cookies.”
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups Granulated {White} Sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened {use high quality butter}
- 8 oz Cream Cheese brick softened
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar for rolling and cutting out cookies
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine Sugar, softened Butter, softened Cream Cheese, Egg, Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract, and beat with mixer until well combined.
- In separate bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt, and whisk ingredients together.
- Gradually pour flour mixture into Butter/Cream Cheese mixture, and continue mixing until all has been well combined.
- Divide dough into 3 portions, flatten into discs, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator. Allow dough to chill overnight, or at least a minimum of 8 hours.
- When you're ready to bake your cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Generously coat a large cutting board with powdered sugar, and remove 1 portion of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Sprinkle the top and bottom of the dough with additional powdered sugar, and generously cover your rolling pin with powdered sugar.
- Roll dough out to 1/8" thickness, then cut out shapes using cookie cutters, and carefully transfer to parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- As the dough warms up, it will become more sticky, so work quickly and wrap up any leftover scraps in plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator.
- Bake 9 – 12 minutes, or until cookies are done and edges begin turning golden brown. {bake times will vary based upon thickness, types of cookie sheets being used, ovens, and elevation} Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Continue rolling and baking cookies, 1 small portion of dough at a time, generously coating your cutting board and rolling pin with powdered sugar as you go, until all of the dough has been used up.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, have fun frosting, decorating, and eating. YUM!
- Store leftover unfrosted and frosted cookies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Ahead Tip: Dough can be made ahead of time and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator prior to baking.
- Freezer Tip: Baked sugar cookies that have not yet been frosted can be frozen in a freezer safe container up to 1 month. If stacking cookies in the container, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer.
Notes
What You’ll Need to Frost These Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies:
Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe
DIY Colored Sugar Sprinkles Recipe
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So have you tried this Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe yet?
Leave a comment & share!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs says
I think you know that sugar cookies are my favorite and this recipe looks fantastic! I bet the cream cheese adds so much softness to the finished cookie.
Heidi says
Oh it really does, Tasia! You can never have too many sugar cookies in your life! 🙂
Amparo says
How far in advance can I bake the cookies? Want to bake some for a wedding. Just wondering how long they would last and how to store them. Freezer, fridge or room temperature?
Heidi says
You will want to store the cookies in the refrigerator, and eat within 5 days. Or, you can also make up some dough ahead of time and store up to 3 days in the refrigerator prior to baking. Hope that helps! 🙂
2pots2cook says
Never made cookies with cream cheese in the batter ! Must do ! Several batches ! 🙂
Heidi says
Ooh definitely… the more batches the better!! ENJOY!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
I’m getting so excited for sugar cookies and all the holiday cookie baking this season! Your look absolutely perfect and I bet the flavor from the cream cheese would make them irresistible! A fun project with the kids!
Heidi says
Thanks so much, Katherine! And you’re right… the cream cheese really does elevate the flavor.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Cut out cookies has always been one of our family traditions. However, we have to try your recipe with the addition of cream cheese. Love a soft and chewy cookie.
Heidi says
Oh yes… I hope you love them! The cream cheese really does upgrade the softness of these cookies!
Irma says
These cookies look really delicious.
To be honest I never bake, but this invites you to give it a try.
Greetings Irma
Heidi says
Thank you, Irma… they really are so tasty. 🙂
Michelle says
These cookies look so festive! Getting into that holiday spirit!
Heidi says
Thanks, Michelle! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by… the holidays will be here before we know it!
Val says
Yummy! I have never worked cream cheese into a cookie dough before. These are definitely peaking my interest! Cookies are so fun to cut out.
Heidi says
Thanks, Val, and I agree… making cut out cookies is always fun! The cream cheese does make the dough a bit stickier than traditional sugar cookie dough, but with refrigeration it works out just fine, and the flavor upgrade is definitely worth it. 🙂
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys says
Such a fun way to make Christmas cookies – I never thought to try this.
Heidi says
Thank you… the cream cheese really will take your cut out cookies to the next level!
Christie says
These are so festive and are such a great idea! I love sugar cookies and I need to try them with cream cheese.
Heidi says
Ooh yes… definitely! The cream cheese really does add such a softness and delicious flavor to the cookies!
Her Digital Coffee says
I’ll definitely have to make these this year! I love sugar cookies. I like the snowman cookies too! Thanks for sharing!
Heidi says
You’re very welcome! Have fun with your holiday baking this year!
Christine says
Thanks so much!
Heidi says
You’re very welcome, Christine!
Black Knight says
Those cookies look delicious.
I will forward the recipe to my wife.
Thanks for sharing.
Heidi says
Thank you so much… I hope you both love them! 🙂
jacre says
une belle panoplie de biscuits, ils doivent ĂŞtre bien bon…bises et bonne soirĂ©e
Heidi says
Merci beacoup, Jacre. 🙂 Bonne journée
CoCo says
I’ve never heard of these before, Heidi, but they look amazing! We love Christmas cookies so I can’t wait to try this recipe. They sound perfect for our family and easy to make too! Hugs, CoCo
Heidi says
Thanks, CoCo! They really are so simple to make, and I think you will really love the flavor. Hope you have a lovely day!
Lisa says
I’ve never tried making cookies with cream cheese but I can see how soft this would make them. Love the look of the Ginger Snaps too, I adore ginger!
Heidi says
Thanks, Lisa! You’re right… the cream cheese really does keep the cookies nice and soft. And I agree, Ginger Snaps are one of my favorites, too! 🙂
Veronica Lee says
These are super adorable!
I love sugar cookies.
Heidi says
Thanks so much, Veronica!! It’s always fun to decorate them and see what crazy creation you end up with.
Carol says
This sounds so tasty and they are so cute. Pinned
Heidi says
Aww… thank you so much, Carol! 🙂
Judee says
I need a recipe that is dependable for making cut out cookies. This looks really delicious. I’ll keep it for the holidays. Thanks
Heidi says
That’s wonderful, Judee… I hope you love them!
Kathrine Eldridge says
These cookies are making me hungry! Love making cookies like these for holidays. Thanks for sharing!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Heidi says
You’re very welcome, Kathrine! And you’re right… it really is such a fun holiday tradition. 🙂
mia says
oh my goodness, these look delish! x
mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/
Heidi says
Thanks so much, Mia! They really are ridiculously delicious! 🙂
Lisa from Adapt Your Dollars says
I have been looking for a good cutout cookie recipe and these look awesome! I’m going to add them to my yearly Christmas cookie baking. Thanks Heidi!
Heidi says
That’s wonderful to hear, Lisa… have fun baking and decorating them this year!
Michelle Ayers says
So cute!
Heidi says
Aww… thanks, Michelle!!
Margot says
That looks delicious.
And making shapes for the holidays is the cutest !
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
Heidi says
Thank you, Margot! And you’re right… making holiday shaped cookies is always SO fun! 🙂