Name: Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 1 cup salted butter (room temperature, 8 ounces); 8 ounces full fat cream cheese (room temperature); 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (300 grams); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons soft butter; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; Milk to desired consistency

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Soft, chewy cream cheese sugar cookies. This easy cut out sugar cookie recipe stays soft because of cream cheese.

Homemade sugar cookies are a classic. Everyone needs a good recipe and we’ve got several to share with you! These cream cheese sugar cookies are super soft and so easy to make. They’re so delicious topped with a simple powdered sugar frosting.

Although these are flat sugar cookies that don’t rise, we also have a recipe for soft, fluffy buttermilk cut out sugar cookies, and two types of sugar cookies that don’t require cookie cutters….bakery-style and Pillsbury copycat. Sugar cookies for every texture and taste.

What readers are saying:

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ One word: DELICIOUS! Just made the. Great recipe, very forgiving dough! Super easy to work with. 👍👏 – Anna
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ These were super easy to make!! I like ‘cake’ cookies so I didn’t roll mine as thin. The icing was delicious as well!! I added an extra tablespoon of butter…I would definitely make again! Soooo delicious and easy!! – Kara
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Hands down, these are THE BEST sugar cookies in the world!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe…These cookies will forever be my go-to sugar cookies. – Nae

Almond Extract vs Vanilla Extract

Although this sugar cookie recipe calls for both vanilla and almond extract, you can use all vanilla if you’d like.

Many times when I substitute almond extract for vanilla extract (or add a touch of both), people will ask for the cookie recipe. Why? Because often just one simple change to a traditional recipe makes the cookies just a little bit different. It’s a little bit of a secret ingredient that people love trying to figure out.

Tips for Making Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

These cream cheese sugar cookies are so easy to mix up. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are room temperature so they blend easily, but they should not be melted.
It’s important to let the dough chill for at least an hour before you roll the cookies and bake them. Simply flatten the dough into a thick disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. This makes for easy fridge storage.
Roll the cookies on a pastry mat. This makes for easy cleanup.
When you are rolling the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface, be sure not to roll them too thin. You want the dough to have about ¼ inch thickness so that the cookies don’t get golden brown when they bake.
Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
Don’t overbake the cookies.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Frosting

Because the flavor of the cookies is simply delicious, I didn’t want to add too much frosting to cover that sweet taste. I mixed up an easy powdered sugar frosting…more like a glaze really, and dolloped a few teaspoons on top of each cookie. Color the frosting to fit the occasion!

These reminded me of old-fashioned sugar cookies that my grandma used to make. True comfort food!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

4.58 from 361 votes

Soft, chewy cream cheese sugar cookies. This easy cut out sugar cookie recipe stays soft for days.

Servings 24

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Dough

1 cup salted butter room temperature, 8 ounces
8 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 300 grams
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Milk to desired consistency

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend butter and cream cheese with the paddle attachment on low speed. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Add sugar, egg and extracts. Mix again until combined.
Mix in remaining dry ingredients and blend into the creamed mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the dough and flatten the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Roll out dough on floured surface until ¼ inches thick (a must!) . Cut with desired cookie cutter shape, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl and add some food coloring if desired.
Frost cookies when they are fully cooled. Allow the frosting to set before storing in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

The key to making a good sugar cookie is to make sure that you cut the cookies thick enough and then don’t over cook them.

If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the cookie dough along with the flour and other dry ingredients.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 24 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**