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!
Looking for more cream cheese cookie recipes? Try these:
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Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 36 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 293
- Sugar: 19.7 g
- Sodium: 68.4 mg
- Fat: 16.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.9 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 53.8 mg
This has become my Go To sugar cookie recipe. I’ve made them dozens of times and they are absolutely perfect and disappear immediately.
Thank you so much for the BEST sugar cookie recipe EVER.
These were absolutely delicious and a big hit at our Easter celebration. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome!! So glad to hear 🙂
for the frosting, I did need to add 2 cap fulls of milk while mixing it. It was too dry without the milk.
Whats the best way to store these after baking?
You can stack them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature…OR you could freeze them for up to a month!
Does this really only make 36 cookies? Seems like with 5 and 1/4 cups of flower, these would have to be REALLY BIG if it only makes 36 cookies.
I use large 3″ round cookie cutters. You could definitely get more cookies if you use a smaller cutter.
can these be make Gluten Free??? Please advise. I’m planning to ship from CA to MI. You think the frosting will hold up?
I made these cookies for my coworkers and they were a hit! Took some to my Grandparents and now I have to make them for Christmas! LOL This recipe is definitely getting added to my cookbook! Thank you for sharing it!
Hey there,
I love the idea of these cookies.
Although I am a tad worried that you keep them at room temp?
Cream cheese is a cream product? Isn’t it a max of 5 hours out of refrigeration before it starts growing the yuckies?
They sound delish but
Thanks x
when the cream cheese is baked with the sugar it is preserved. If you are worried however you can certainly refrigerate them.
These are much better than the sour cream recipe (in my opinion). Totally different taste and texture.
Do these cookies puff up? I have a recipe I have used for years and sell, but I want to try these. I have used the sour cream recipe, will my customers notice a difference?
They don’t puff up, no.