Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies are soft, chewy, and irresistible! The cream cheese gives them a thick, fluffy texture and a sweet, slightly tangy flavor you have never tasted before. Coated in cinnamon sugar, they smell amazing without being overpowering. Tender and sweet, the texture is to die for! They are slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. As you chew on them, they melt in your mouth with deliciousness!
Many consider these a holiday cookie and like to serve them at Christmas. I love them all year long. They taste great no matter the time of year. What is so great is how easy they are. Mix it, roll the dough balls through the cinnamon sugar, and bake. That’s all you have to do—no extra ingredients or frosting. I like to enjoy them with a warm cup of homemade apple cider or pumpkin spice coffee.
Table of contents
These cookies are so much more than what you expect at first glance. The recipe is so simple, using baking staples like flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, along with some cream cheese. They only take eight to nine minutes to bake. After baking, I can’t wait for them to cool so I can dig in. I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later, or give them as hostess gifts.
Why you will love this recipe
- They are easy to make: This is not a sophisticated recipe; it’s easy to follow and foolproof so that anyone can end up with a delicious batch of homemade cookies.
- Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples, there is no need to hunt for some special ingredients.
- Can be frozen: When I make cookies with the kids, we usually double or triple the batch, and I freeze some for later.
- WonWon’teak the bank: These aren’t expensive to make, so I opt to make extras to give away as hostess gifts during the holiday season.
What you will need
- Dairy and eggs – I recommend unsalted butter and brick-style full-fat cream cheese. Make sure it is softened to room temperature. Also, for this recipe, I use one egg.
- Dry ingredients: sugar – A simple mix of powdered sugar, baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour. Also, ground cinnamon and sugar for the coating.
- Vanilla – Use 100% pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
How to prepare
Make the dough: Using a mixer, I combine the butter and cream cheese for about 30 seconds, until fluffy and smooth. I add some of the sugar, then mix, repeating this a little at a time while scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. After that, I mix in the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.
Allow to rest: I add the flour a little bit at a time, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This can take an hour.
Prepare the sugar mixture: In a shallow bowl, I combine sugar and cinnamon powder. I scoop out a ball of dough with a small scoop, roll it between my palms, then coat it with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Prep: Then, I place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining dough. You may need to bake several batches depending on the size of the dough balls. Remember to keep about 2 inches of space all around each piece.
Bake: I bake the cookies for about 8 minutes, or until set. Once done, I let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Expert tip
Butter or shortening
I prefer to use butter in anything I bake; however, I know that shortening does have its benefits. For example, cookies made with shortening are taller and more tender. They are supposed to be flakier and melt in your mouth. Butter makes them crispier and flatter but richer. The milk solids in the butter turn brown in the oven, giving the cookies a rich, deep flavor.
- If you want taller and softer cookies, use shortening. Butter melts faster than shortening, and in baking, this translates to flatter cookies, as the fat melts first before the cookies can rise. On the other hand, shortening melts more slowly.
- If you want crispy ones, then use butter. It melts quickly, so the water in it turns to steam, which makes the flour’s gluten set faster. As the cookies are flatter, they tend to be crispier.
- If you want a rich flavor, use butter. Shortening does not impart flavor as much as butter does.
More tips to consider
- Put a piece of bread in the container when you store these to keep them from drying out.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Using a mixer is recommended for making extra-fluffy cookies. They need extra air when beating.
- If the cookies are still doughy in the middle, try baking them a little longer. If that doesn’t work, they may need more time.
- For extra-fluffy, airy cookies, whip them longer. The more you whip them, the fluffier they will be.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Snickerdoodles: Turn these into snickerdoodles by adding a half teaspoon of tartar cream to the cookie dough.
- Intense cinnamon: Make the cinnamon flavor really intense. Drop a teaspoon of cinnamon extract into the batter.
- Make them festive: To decorate these fun cookies, use colored sugar in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Crunchy cookies: Top your cookies with chopped nuts for crunchier cookies.
- Chocolate chips: Add a cup of chocolate chips for those chocolate lovers. You could even try white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch.
- Stuff with cream cheese: Make a mixture of 1/4 cup cream cheese and 4 teaspoons of sugar. Divide each cookie dough ball in half, press them into two disks, then scoop a tablespoon of the mixture. Put it in between and seal the sides before baking.
Serving suggestions:
These homemade cream cheese cookies are pure perfection and are absolutely ideal served with a cup of milk or dipped in homemade hot chocolate. Also, I will share with you one of my favorite ways to enjoy these: slightly warmed in the microwave and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
I also use these to make ice cream sandwiches, first, I chill them in the freeze for 30 minutes, after that I choose my ice cream: vanilla, chocolate, Oreo ice cream, or butter pecan, and add a hefty amount between two cookies. For extra flavor, dip them in melted chocolate and roll them in chocolate sprinkles.
How to store:
- Refrigerate: Keep your leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Place a piece of bread inside the container to keep the cookies soft.
- Freezing: Place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in your refrigerator for the best flavor.
Frequently asked questions
Not only does it help soften your cookies by adding more fat, but it also sweetens them. I have tried replacing half of the butter in my other cookie recipes with cream cheese to see if it made a difference, and I loved it. They were so much creamier and moister, with a richness like you would not believe. And that is what it does to these cookies. If you were to use butter without the cream cheese in this recipe, it would be good, but not as creamy or as rich as it is with the cream cheese. And the thickness it adds is another bonus.
The most common reason for this is that they need more time in the oven. Although I baked mine for eight to nine minutes, some ovens do not cook at the same temperatures as others. That is why it is good to have an oven thermometer. Get one to see if yours is cooking at the correct temperature. In the meantime, put those cookies back in for a few more minutes and see if they improve. If not, they may not have had enough flour.
The main difference between these cookies and snickerdoodles is that my cookies have cream cheese. And that is a big difference. It gives these cookies their creamy and rich taste and extra softness. That said, snickerdoodles contain cream of tartar, which gives them their signature tangy flavor. Also, I use baking powder instead of baking soda.
Did you ensure all ingredients were warmed to room temperature before you began? If any of your ingredients were cold, especially the cream cheese or butter, it would be difficult to cream them without getting lumps. Even if you beat them with a stand mixer, you may have lumps if your ingredients are cold. It is best to warm all ingredients to room temperature first to ensure a smooth, creamy batter.
More cookies to try:
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Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Add the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour little by little until fully incorporated. Place the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix one tablespoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Scoop about two tablespoons' worth of dough and roll into balls. Coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes, until just set, making sure not to overbake.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
Butter or shortening
I prefer to use butter in anything I bake; however, I know that shortening does have its benefits. For example, cookies made with shortening are taller and more tender. They are supposed to be flakier and melt in your mouth. Butter makes them crispier and flatter but richer. The milk solids in the butter turn brown in the oven, giving the cookies a rich, deep flavor.- If you want taller and softer cookies, use shortening. Butter melts faster than shortening, and in baking, this translates to flatter cookies, as the fat melts first before the cookies can rise. On the other hand, shortening melts more slowly.
- If you want crispy ones, then use butter. It melts quickly, so the water in it turns to steam, which makes the gluten in the flour set faster. As the cookies are flatter, they tend to be crispier.
- If you want a rich flavor, use butter. Shortening does not impart flavor as much as butter does.
More tips to consider
- Put a piece of bread in the container when you store these to keep them from drying out.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Using a mixer is recommended for making extra-fluffy cookies. They need extra air when beating.
- If the cookies are still doughy in the middle, try baking them a little longer. If that doesn’t work, they may need more time.
- For extra-fluffy, airy cookies, whip them longer. The more you whip them, the fluffier they will be.
These look and sound delicious! I have never heard of adding cream cheese to cookies, I bet they are nice and moist!
These cookies look delicious! I use cream cheese in a ton of recipes too, so I always have a ton of it in my fridge. I’ll have to try making these cinnamon cream cheese cookies!
Catalina,
I am making these for sure! I love cream cheese recipes, and this one sounds so creative!
These look amazing. I definitely want to give them a try. I have never made cream cheese cookies before.
I do like butter in cookies. The cream cheese is an ingredient that I should try in my cookie recipe.
I really need to make these cookies. They look so soft and delicious. I think I’m drooling.
At first, I didn’t even try cinnamon because I don’t like how it smells and I just found out that I like it because of my friend. I think it would level up if you add cream cheese on it.
My kids will surely eat an entire batch of these cookies!! Yum!
These look so good and fluffy. I can’t wait to try out this recipe.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried something like this before but that cinnamon cream cheese cookies look quite delicious! I’d love to try making this one out.
How about strawberry flavor or any other flavors of cream cheese?? Oooooh sounds yum !!!
that sounds great as well!
Can an almond flour and a stevia/monk fruit sweetener be used in exchange for the regular in this recipe?
I am sorry, I have never tried the recipe this way.
The absolute only thing I would do to improve this amazing cookie is…. make a double batch! Ha. So good!
happy that you loved it!
Hi there!
I am really excited to make these cookies tonight. Just one quick question – I only have a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons), and the recipe says to scoop the dough into 2 teaspoon-sized balls. How many minutes do you think I should add onto the baking time to account for the extra dough? Do you think I should flatten them a bit as well? From my experience, cream cheese cookies do not spread much while baking.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Yes, try to flatten them a bit and also just keep an eye on them, you may need jus 1-2 more minutes of baking time.
Mine did not flatten, they stayed more round for some reason. I did use butter not shortening.
Do these need to be refrigerated after baking and cooling or can they be left out (in a sealed container of course) like any other cookie. I’m not sure if the cream cheese makes it so the have to be refrigerated.
They tend to be softer, so I would say that keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge is best. But they will not go bad at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Can the batter be made in advance a day before? and kept in the fridge?
yes
is there too much flour in this recipe? can i use 1 and a fourth of a cup?
I reccomend using the amount of flour listed in the recipe.
My family thinks that these are the best cookies that I’ve ever made!!
Happy that you loved it!
I just made them and my hubby loves them so much! These cookies are so irresistible! Crispy outside & chewy inside. Btw, I would like to ask about the the nutrition information as above. It stated 172 calories, is it per serving or per recipe? Thanks a lot! 🙂
I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe! thanks for the feedback! The calories are per cookie 🙂
I just made these & there wonderful!!
Little time consuming but worth it.
This makes no sense…
“Fill each cookie with a mixture of 1/4 cup cream cheese and 4 teaspoons of sugar. Divide each dough ball into two, press them to make two separate disks, then, put the filling in between and seal the sides before baking.”
Fill EACH COOKIE with A FOURTH CUP CREAM CHEESE AND 4 TSP SUGAR? That can’t be right! Can you please clarify? Thank you!
Hi, sorry, it should say “Make a mixture of 1/4 cup cream cheese and 4 teaspoons of sugar. Divide each cookie dough ball into two, press them to make two separate disks, then, scoop a tablespoon of the mixture. and put it in between and seal the sides before baking.”
Hello , I am Celiac , so I can’t eat gluten . So I used almond flour along with the rest of the ingredients . I sprayed the cookie sheet pan with cooking spray then used a little spoon to put the cookies on the pan then I sprinkled the cinnamon sugar on top of the cookies . I had my oven at 350° and I baked the cookies for 9 minutes , no longer or they will burn . My cookies turned out very nice and tasted good .
My cookies came out very tasty but the texture seemed like a cake mix rather than a slightly harder cookie. Should i add more flour?
Hi Lisa, make sure you do not oveermix them and add a bit more flour pleasee.
No, that’s exactly how they’re supposed to be. Cale or chewy inside and crispy outside.
Beginner, when you say 2 teaspoons, does it literally mean measure out 2 teaspoons and form into a ball? Seems like such a small amount ☺️
sorry, that 2 tablespoons, I updated the recipe!
These had the best soft and chewy texture with just a little crispness around the edges. I loved the cinnamon sugar coating and the slight tang from the cream cheese.
I LOVE the texture the cream cheese gives these cookies, and the cinnamon flavor is so yummy.
You make the best dessert recipes. We always love finishing them off the next morning for breakfast!
I love the texture and thickness of these cookies. They’re so good, and they just kind of melt in your mouth.
I made these cinnamon cream cheese cookies and loved how soft and tender they turned out! The cream cheese gives them such a rich texture. They were especially good with coffee.