Forget everything you think you know about sugar cookies being the last ones picked at cookie exchanges. These cream cheese sugar cookies will change your mind completely with their incredibly soft texture and subtle tangy sweetness that makes them absolutely irresistible. The cream cheese creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that pairs beautifully with afternoon tea or coffee, proving that sometimes the simplest ingredients create the most memorable treats.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The magic happens when cream cheese meets sugar and shortening, creating cookies with incredible tenderness that butter alone cannot achieve. The tangy cream cheese balances the sweetness perfectly while adding richness and moisture. Shortening instead of butter provides a better structure and prevents spreading, ensuring your cookies remain shaped whether dropped, pressed, or cut.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour – Provides structure and body to hold the tender cookie together
- Cream cheese – Provides rich flavor, tangy notes, and incredibly tender texture (use block form, not tub)
- Shortening – Creates better cookie structure and prevents excessive spreading compared to butter
- White Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cookies and helps achieve proper texture through a creaming process
- Egg yolk – Adds richness and helps bind ingredients while contributing to the tender crumb
- Vanilla extract – Enhances overall flavor and complements the cream cheese beautifully
How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies
- Cream shortening in a large bowl.
- Add cream cheese and sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add egg yolk, vanilla, and flour. Beat until combined.
- The dough can be dropped, cookie pressed, or chilled firm, then rolled and cut.
- Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes on a baking sheet.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet immediately and cool on a cooling rack.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Dough Storage: Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days. Cookies maintain softness well due to cream cheese content
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Be sure to check out more of my easy cookie recipes and the best Christmas recipes to make for your family and friends.
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies – Soft and Tangy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 cup flour
Instructions
- Prepare for baking by preheating oven to 375°F and lining baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Prepare flour mixture by measuring flour into a medium bowl and setting aside for easy incorporation later.
- Cream shortening in a large bowl using electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Work in cream cheese gradually to the creamed shortening, beating on medium speed until completely smooth and well combined.
- Add sugar gradually while continuing to beat on medium speed, scraping down bowl sides frequently to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate wet ingredients by adding egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Add flour mixture gradually while mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape bowl sides as needed to ensure all flour is incorporated without overmixing.
- Chill cookie dough for at least 10 minutes to firm up for easier handling, especially important for rolling or pressing.
- Shape cookies using your preferred method: drop with cookie scoop for uniform sizing, roll and cut, or use cookie press for decorative shapes.
- Bake carefully for 15 minutes, watching closely after 10 minutes. Remove when tops just begin to turn golden.
- Cool properly by transferring cookies to wire rack immediately after baking to prevent overcooking from residual pan heat.
These are very good!