Description
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are delightfully chewy cookies with a tender, pillowy texture thanks to the addition of cream cheese and cornstarch. These cookies have soft centers with slightly set edges and are loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks. Chilling the dough before baking ensures they hold their shape perfectly without spreading too thin.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional and to taste)
Add-ins
- 2 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, cream cheese, packed light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well creamed. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer to beat for at least 7 minutes.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and optional salt to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute, taking care not to overmix.
- Incorporate Chocolate Chips: Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks. Beat briefly to incorporate them evenly or fold them in gently by hand to distribute throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds of dough (about 28 cookies). Place the mounds on a large plate and flatten them slightly with your palm. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. Do not bake with warm dough to prevent cookies from spreading too thin.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or lightly spray with cooking spray. Space the dough mounds at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, baking about 8 cookies per sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges have set and the tops are just beginning to set, even if the centers remain pale and glossy and slightly undercooked. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage: Store baked cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Unbaked dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days for future baking.
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese in block or spreadable form; avoid fat-free, light, or whipped varieties for best texture.
- The recipe can use a combination of chocolate chips and chunks, such as 1 cup chips and 1 ¼ cups chunks, for varied chocolate texture.
- Chilling the dough overnight and allowing it to come to room temperature for 15 minutes before baking yields chewy edges and soft, pillowy centers.
- Bake the cookies on a lined or greased baking sheet spaced well apart to prevent spreading.
- If desired, rotate baking trays halfway through baking for even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 189 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
