These Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies are my favorite cut out sugar cookie recipe. The cream cheese gives these classic cookies a great flavor and helps keep them soft!
Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Cut Out Sugar Cookies are my kid’s favorites, I am sure this isn’t exclusive to my house. Sure they like to eat them, but the decoration part is what they love the best…that is until they have iced and sprinkled 3 cookies each and then they’re over it, leaving me with a good 30 cookies to decorate on my own. Yeah, every year.
This year I’m switching up the usual cookie game we play. First I’m making this cream cheese cut out sugar cookies recipe. PLUS I’m making fluffy frosting to spread on the cookies. No piping bags this year, no little metal balls on the cookie that crack out fillings…nope, none of it. Plus, we all know fluffy frosting > royal icing. It’s a no brainer.
This is such a fantastic cut out sugar cookie recipe because it includes the addition of cream cheese. The cream cheese adds delicious flavor to the cookie, and also helps keep them soft. But they totally hold shape when cutting them out with cutters. It might be the perfect recipe!
Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe
Besides the cream cheese, another secret to this recipe is the use of just egg yolks…this adds to the richness of the batter!
Once you make the dough and chill it, you can go ahead and roll it out. I like thick cookies, so I roll it to about a 1/2 inch thick.
You can use simple circle cutters…
Or get fancy for the holidays!
Just bake them up until they are lightly golden at the edges and let them cool before icing.
Again, I topped mine with a fluffy and creamy Cream Cheese Frosting, but if you want to get detailed here is the recipe for my royal icing!
These cream cheese cut out sugar cookies are just the best!
Looking for more cream cheese cookie recipes? Try these:
PrintCream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies
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Prep Time: 10 minutes - Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 36 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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PinDescription:
These Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies are my favorite cut out sugar cookie recipe. The cream cheese gives these classic cookies a great flavor and helps keep them soft!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 1/4 cups flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 ounces butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
- In bowl of stand mixer beat cream cheese and butter until creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping sides as necessary.
- Add sugar and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Mixture should be fluffy and pale in color. Turn mixer to medium-low and add in egg yolks, vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
- Finally turn mixer to low and slowly add in flour. Mix just until all flour is incorporated.
- Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from fridge and in portions, roll dough to 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Using cookie cutters cut dough and place onto prepared baking sheet. Cookies won’t spread too much.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how large the cookies you are baking are.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Frosting
- Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and turn the mixer up to medium high and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Color with food coloring if desired.
Notes:
Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to a week. Or freeze for up to a month.
Store frosting refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
Keywords:: soft sugar cookies recipe, cream cheese cookies recipe, cream cheese cookies, cream cheese sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting recipe, sugar cookie frosting recipe
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Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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Great recipe! Just made them, but they not make it to the decorating phase. My family is enjoying them “naked” – as my 3 yr old would say.
What size cookie cutter did you use?
I used my large round 3 1/2 inch cutter
These sound delicious. Can you use lite cream cheese or does it have to be regular?
I have only done these with regular, but I imagine 1/3 fat would work great as well!
These tasted ok, but the texture is off. THey ended up really flat and thin even though I rolled them out thick. They need baking powder or baking soda. IT’s like a thick cracker. Can’t serve these.
That’s so strange that you had that result. I haven’t heard of anyone else with that issue, and I have never had it either and I make these all the time.
5 Stars! Love these cookies! I added a teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla. Perfect! Thanks Shelly!
★★★★★
After frosting the cookies, do they need to be refrigerated since there is cream cheese?
I actually don’t, but it certainly won’t hurt!
Could I use a whole egg instead of 2 yolks? Thanks!
Salted or unsalted butter?
I always use salted, but if you prefer unsalted, go for it!
the smoothest nicest dough I’ve ever made. love the flavour and texture the cream cheese adds. will definitely make again and again.
★★★★★
Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback!
Can you freeze these cookies with the frosting on them or just unfrosted? I want to have them decorated and ready to go but want to freeze them and take them out a few days before they are needed.
You could freeze them frosted as well!
Can you freeze the cookie with the frosting on already?
Thanks!!
You can freeze them frosted as well!
Hi! I will be trying these cookies tomorrow. Is it possible to turn this icing into “royal icing”? Meaning making it more liquidity for filling in details and more stiff for outlining details?
Sure, You can add more milk to the frosting until it’s more of a syrup consistency!
Self rising or all purpose flour?
all purpose!
These cookies look so soft! What a fun activity to do with your kids!
Thank you! Made these this evening and they are so good. Didn’t ice them yet. But the cookie alone is very good. Easy to roll out as long as you Keep the dough chilled.
How long can I leave the dough in the fridge before baking it? I know you say your chocolate chip dough can be in for a long time – will this be okay for a day or two if I can’t get around to baking them?
Absolutely this will be ok! You could leave it in the fridge for up to a week!
No making soda or powder?
Nope, not in these!
When freezing is that scrictly the dough or the cooked cookie?
Either!
Shelly, your cookies look beautiful and the recipe sounds tasty! Thanks for the photos, too. I especially like your well used rolling pin! It looks a lot like the last one I owned! I’m going to try these. After they cool, I’ll taste them to see if I want to try a variety of frostings so the cookie plate looks as pretty as it tastes.
P.S. I’m a fan of Philly cream cheese, too!
i made these today and they were awesome! Came out just as you described! Thanks!
These turned out delicious! And the dough was great to handle and easy to cut out cookie shapes! Thank you! 🙂
★★★★★
I sometimes wish my kids would burn out after 3 cookies just to save me the never ending clean up of sprinkles!!! I am such a bad mom for saying that but when your still finding sprinkles in June enough is enough. 🙂
Can margarine be used instead of butter or is it strictly butter?
★
Strictly butter 🙂
I did half margerine and they cane out great.
these look amazing!! I can’t wait to make them!
Perfect cookies!! They look so good 🙂
These are so darn cute! I love that you used pastel colors instead of the typical holiday green and red. It’s a nice change of pace. My coworker and I have been looking for a super soft sugar cookie recipe – can’t wait to share this with her!
Cream cheese wins me over every time. I must try these. I used to make cut out cookies for every holiday growing up, my family has the craziest array of cutter shapes!
I know it’s not going to harden up like royal icing, but did the cream cheese frosting stiffen up enough to stack these? I trying to make like little goodie bags for gifts but I’m not sure if these would hold up or not…and I hate dealing with royal icing.
It did yes! I always cover my cookie plates with clear wrap and after the frosting sets it won’t stick!!
I was wondering the same thing an this is just the answer u wa thinking if! Thank uu they are delicious!
Those itty bitty marshmallows look so cute on the cookies. I’m a big fan of cream cheese frosting but have never put them on cookies. Must try! Happy holidays!!
Wow, these look beautiful and delish!
The BEST!! Love your festive photos! xo
Is there any other way to make these other than cut-out? I make a dozen different cookies at Christmas. Cut-outs are a bit time consuming. Also I am looking for an icing recipe that is similar to the bakery style of this kind of cookie
I believe they are called Lofthouse. Is this similar?
Here’s a great recipe… http://cookiesandcups.com/favorite-soft-sugar-cookies/
Hope that helps!!
If you aren’t overly worried about presentation you can always roll out the dough and cut it into squares with a pizza cutter. It won’t be gorgeous but it will save a lot of time and work just the same
Great tip!!
Cookie perfection right here! Cream cheese – pure brilliance!
Beautiful cookies. Catherine
I’ll have the blue one with the marshmallows. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Cookies look delicious!