I am not a “morning person”. {This is probably a gross understatement.} My brain doesn’t deal well with noise and it certainly doesn’t “get” jokes pre-coffee. It just doesn’t. My husband is the only person who can make me laugh before my morning cup of Joe – other people just get an evil glare.
Truthfully, he can make me laugh almost anytime. Even when I’m mad, or sad or just in a pissy mood (hey, it happens!). This is one of the many reasons that I married him: his magical ability to lift me out of a funk and brighten my day. This is his superpower.
But shhh don’t tell him, or he’ll abuse it.
Why all the random fun facts about Hubs? Today is his birthday! He’s my favorite person in the whole World {also an understatement} and in honor of that fact, I wanted to make him his favorite, albeit ordinary, yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting. But since he is working in Chicago, and not here to enjoy it, that seemed cruel.
So I settled for the easily shippable Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies! These cookies are some of my favorite chocolate chip cookies that I have ever had! They are chewy and dense with a flavor that will blow you away! With each heavenly bite there is the perfect balance of rich chocolate and chewy cookie and there is an amazing flavor that you just can’t quite put your finger on…
That flavor is cream cheese! I was skeptical that ¼ cup of cream cheese would really make a difference. Count me out of the skeptic’s circle because it made these cookies extraordinary! Quite fitting for celebrating my extraordinary husband’s birthday! Don’t you think?
These cookies have an outstanding texture that hits that sweet spot of chewiness.
Now I don’t say this often but I would be weary of underbaking these cookies. While they were delicious when baked to my usual underbaked perfection, they were outstanding when baked just several minutes longer. They puffed up a bit more and the texture was truly amazing.
The only thing that I modified from the original recipe was the type and amount of chocolate chips. I used fewer chips because I like to have some bites with just one or two chips as opposed to using the dough as a vehicle to carry as much chocolate as possible. I also used my new favorite combination of Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet and Ghirardelli’s bittersweet (60%). The smattering of bittersweet just takes the cookie to that next level! As if it weren’t already high enough.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought these cookies were made in Heaven.
But they weren’t, which means you should hustle to the kitchen and whip up a batch of these delightful cookies so that you can have a little piece of Heaven too!
These soft batch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are sent straight from Heaven! These cookies have an outstanding texture that hits that sweet spot of chewiness! They are soft, chewy, dense and fabulously chocolatey! The mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate takes them to the next level!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened (don’t use fat free, light or whipped cream cheese!)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (kosher or sea salt)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
Instructions
- Whisk together in a medium bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. After each addition mix until just incorporated. I do 5-7 small additions.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix briefly to distribute.
- Averie pre-scoops her cookies and then refrigerates. I didn’t find this necessary. I actually baked one right after mixing (#impatience) and it was just as thick as the ones I baked the next day. I do, however, think the flavors are enhanced after a little refrigeration, so I would suggest refrigerating the dough 2 hours or up to 3 days before baking. When you are ready to bake, proceed to the next step.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough using a 2” cookie scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup and place 2” apart on the cookie sheet. These cookies really don’t spread that much.
- Bake 11-12 minutes. The sides should just be starting to brown. You don’t want them to be brown. Just have a nice kiss of color. Let them cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
Recipe very slightly adapted from Averie Cooks
You Might Also Like:
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Loaded Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies
Quadruple Chocolate Pudding Cookies
My Great-Grandmother’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Silver Dollar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Happy b-day to your husband. These look great and I love soft cookies. You sound like me – I too do not like early-morning activity and I hate noises of all kinds. I think I am the only person who doesn’t like fireworks.
Phillip recently posted…Chocolate On Oatmeal Bars
Lol! Nope, you are not the only one! You will love these cookies!
Happy Birthday to your hubby! 🙂 Linds, the more I learn about you, the more I think we are like sisters or something! I feel the very same about my husband. Best friend. For life. Lucky girls, are we! Also, one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies in the universe has cream cheese in it. I found the recipe in a chocolate chip cookie cookbook (there was one for sour cream as well). We also bake with the same chips, Ghirardelli (I use Guittard, too). I love the different sized chips and like to mix them up and even throw in some milk chocolate and/or white chocolate for good measure. (I know…blasphemy to lovers of dark chocolate. Ha!) Thanks for sharing, girl!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen recently posted…Key Lime Brownie Bars {gluten free option}
I knew that as soon as you called me “Linds” we were BFF’s in another life! No one calls me that anymore and I totally miss it 🙂 And we are definitely the lucky ones! Best friend for life is spot on!
I’m going to have to troll your site for your cream cheese chocolate chip recipe because I absolutely must try it! Ghirardelli makes me happy! {And Guittard ain’t too shabby either 😉 } I can eat Guirardelli milk chocolate chips by the handful! So no judgement here.
Hi Lindsey, I’m in the process of making these and I just noticed that you don’t mention in the recipe instructions what to do with the cream cheese. I’m assuming it is creamed along with the butter? Thanks!
Phillip recently posted…Chocolate On Oatmeal Bars
You are absolutely right! Crew it with the butter and sugars, etc. Thanks for letting me know; I’ll update the recipe now! I hope you enjoy them!
They are wonderful! I didn’t have bittersweet chocolate but I had some leftover peanut-butter chips and used some of those. I’m sure it gave it a different taste but still delicious. Mine came out larger than yours I think and took at least 15 min. to bake. Great recipe. I ate 3 and forced myself to stop. 🙂
Phillip recently posted…Chocolate On Oatmeal Bars
Only 3! You did better than I did! I almost didn’t want to share! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I don’t have an actual cookie scoop so I try to estimate. They were about a flat 1/4 cup of dough each.
I’ve never thought to put cream cheese in chocolate chip cookies! What a delightful birthday gift, your husband is a lucky man!
Tracy | Pale Yellow recently posted…Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars
You MUST try it!!!!
Happy Birthday to your hubs! I have a similar chocolate cookie recipe minus the cream cheese, but I think the addition of cream cheese is brilliant. Ironically enough they are my hubs favourite cookies! Can we come over? LOL
[email protected] recently posted…Crescent Bacon Breakfast Ring
Absolutely!!! I mentioned my Hubs is out of town so the more the merrier! #lonely
Try it with the cream cheese! You’ll fall head over heals. Promise
I love these cookies!! And happy birthday to him. 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted…Margarita Sangria
Thanks, Dorothy! They are divine!
I love cream cheese chocolate chip cookies! It is really amazing what a difference the cream cheese makes. I’ve even made cream cheese chocolate chip cookies with browned butter… that takes them to a whole new level! Your cookies look just perfect, and I’m loving how you used a combo of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips.
Kristine @ Kristine’s Kitchen recently posted…38 Recipes for Cinco de Mayo!
Oh dear! Cream cheese AND brown butter!!! Just stop it! Must try!
So glad you like my recipe and happy bday to your hubs! Seeing these cookies makes me want to make another batch!
Liked it, I loved it! Thanks for stopping by Averie!
Hey cookie girl! Happy bday to your hubs. His magical superpower seems awesome. The cooks look so good. I wonder how many chocolate chip cookie recipes you have tried lol…and I wonder which are some of your favs.
Miss Kim @ behgopa recently posted…Went on a hiking adventure to burn off some calories…..because Miss Kim is getting too fat!!
Thanks, Miss Kim! Before starting a blog I’d only tried one because it was the one I had been making since high school – I’ll be posting it soon. Since I’ve started the blog, I’ve tried dozens! This one and the one I’ll be posting soon are my favorites. Though I love each and every one that I’ve posted.
Happy birthday to your husband and how sweet of you to make cookies to send! I am absolutely drooling over them. The texture looks amazing. Don’t thin I’ve ever put cream cheese in chocolate chip cookies before.
[email protected] recently posted…Strawberry, Brie, and Turkey Panini
Thanks, Christin! You should try the cream cheese! I about fell off my chair. The concierge and the postman shook me down for some more!
These look amazing Lindsey! I love how puffy and chewy they look, and with the cream cheese – I know how much better that makes them taste! But sistah, my heart aches. I thought we were nearly one and the same person, but a tiny bit of my heart breaks that we are not. I AM a morning person and have never been able to sleep past 6 a.m., often getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning. It makes me sad we can’t have coffee together (p.s. I’m really scared of the threat of that evil glare) !!! ACOL I’ll email you the acronym!!! {Hugs!}
Oh, by the way, PINNED!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen recently posted…Beef Meximelt – Taco Bell Clone
Thanks for the pin! In other news- sadness. I think we could still manage – we’ll just meet on my SECOND cup of coffee! 😉 I just think about how much more productive I would be if I couldn’t sleep past 6! This is definitely not the first time that I wished to be a morning person – I’ve tried to force it but I just get cranky and sleepy and the aforementioned pissy! I’m on pins and needles waiting for the acronym!!!
Happy birthday to your husband! These look delicious! Love the addition of cream cheese!
Thanks, Monet! Cream cheese is phenomenal in these cookies!
they look like amazing chocolate chip cookies!
dina recently posted…Weekend Whets 5/2
Thanks, Dina
Chocolate chip cookies are my son’s favorite care package treat! Cookies this thick and chewy would stay delicious longer than most. I bet your husband was thrilled when he got them! I have my favorite choc chip recipe but am always trying new ones just for fun and variety. I even have a pinterest board just for choc chip recipes. Pinned. 🙂
Wendy recently posted…Chocolate Strawberry Blondie Bites
Thanks for the pin, Wendy! There is just something about chocolate chip cookies that never gets old!
awwwwwww yay for Randy’s birthday!!! and these cookies-they look so flavorful and the texture is amazing!!!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) recently posted…Tart Lemon Bars-Guest Post with Confessions of a Baking Queen
haha! You would love these cookies, Kayle, absolutely LOVE!
Made these. They are perfect! Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever tried!
Check it in my web:
https://bakingsecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/cream-cheese-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
I’m so glad!!!
Searching—recipe—-found—baked—(not a fan of chocolate chip cookies but my husband and kids are)—I will be making again, they were so soft and of course as you I use girahdelli but I only used milk chocolate morsels, they are absolutely delish thank you for sharing this recipe, I am picky on my foods I try, I am a harsh critic lol but I do recommend this recipe for baking, it is a great recipe and I could not put a cookie down lol
Hi April! Yay another Ghiradelli lover! Milk chocolate would be delish! I am so glad you and your family liked these cookies! I can’t believe you aren’t a fan of chocolate chip cookies! I LOVE them! Quite high praise from someone who don’t really like ccc’s! Happy baking!
Just made these. The cookies turned out nice and soft and the flavor is really good. They have almost a cake texture and rose a bit when cooked. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you liked them Kathryn!!!! You are most welcome!
I so excited to make these! I have a question though, can I make them without using corn starch?
Hi Heidi! You most certainly can! Cornstarch helps them be extra chewy and soft. Happy baking!
Just made these and super excited to share them! Made a double batch & ended up with seven dozen ‘minis’
Yay!!!! Mini’s are super dangerous because then I feel like I can have 12! lol! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Jillian!
Hi,
Can these be frozen if naked ahead of time?
Thanks!!
Hi! Yes these can be frozen either baked or unbaked, but they will taste fresher and be chewier if you freeze the dough and then bake them when you are ready. I roll the dough into balls and then freeze them in a plastic baggie and bake as many as I want. The bake time will just be a little longer. Happy baking!
These were a huge hit at my families get together! Will definitely be keeping the recipe, thank you for sharing it!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them Vivianna! Happy baking!
hi,
these cream cheese cookies look amazing. how long do they stay fresh???
thanks and greeting from germany
tanja
Hello Tanja in Germany! They will stay soft around 3 days in a ziptop baggie. If you want to keep them longer, you can either freeze the dough and bake at a later date or you can freeze the baked cookies (just let them thaw and warm in the oven) Happy baking!
thank you!
My cookies ended up being scones.
I’m terribly sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, with out further details I can’t really provide much insight.
The details to wet ingredients didn’t add up and my dough turned into scones basically. Would’ve helped if you actually added photos of the entire baking process throughout and not just end product.
Hi Claire, I’m not sure what you mean by “details to wet ingredients” but I am sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. I would love to be able to have step by step photos in all my recipes, but, unfortunately, I don’t have the time to do that. Happy baking
Just made these yesterday, they were DELICIOUS!!! The hubby was very pleased:-)). Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
I am so glad you loved them Tricia! !