These dreamy chocolate cream cheese cookies are soft, thick and packed with chocolate-y flavor. Finished with white chocolate or a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect final touch! Vegetarian.
Note: This recipe is not dairy-free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy-free recipes and remains a favorite with longtime readers. You can try substitutions to make it dairy-free, but the author has not tested those variations and results may vary.
This is the last cookie recipe I’m sharing before the holiday — perfect if you need one more treat to fit into your baking schedule. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
I didn’t expect this to be the top favorite, but it quickly became the standout at our holiday party and among the leftovers sent to my husband’s office.
It’s easy to see why: a soft, thick chocolate cookie loaded with chocolate chips, dipped in white chocolate and finished with a hint of sea salt is hard to resist.
You can skip the white chocolate dip if you’re pressed for time, but the hardened white chocolate shell really elevates the cookie—adds contrast in flavor and texture that feels a bit magical.
Additional Cookie Recipes:
- Caramel Latte Thumbprint Cookies
- Vanilla Chai Shortbread Cookies
- Grandma’s Butter Horns
- Maple Pecan Biscotti
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below — I’d love to hear from you.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
about 30 cookies
20 minutes
45 minutes
15 minutes
1 hour 20 minutes
These dreamy chocolate cream cheese cookies are soft, thick and packed with chocolate-y flavor. Finished with white chocolate or a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect final touch! Vegetarian.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For topping:
- about 8 ounces white chocolate or candy melts, roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well combined. Add both sugars and beat on medium until light and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of dough (a large cookie scoop works well). Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Gently flatten each cookie slightly with your fingers — they won’t spread much while baking.
- Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until the cookies are set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If baking in batches, keep the remaining dough refrigerated between batches.
For the topping:
- Line a work surface or baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the white chocolate (microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring between intervals until smooth).
- Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate and set on the wax paper. Sprinkle immediately with flaky sea salt. Let the white chocolate harden completely before storing cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
No skipping the chilling step — it helps the cookies hold their shape.
If you prefer not to dip the cookies in white chocolate, sprinkle a little sea salt on each cookie before baking instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 134Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.