Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
These fudgy chocolate cookies are easy to make, freeze beautifully, and are topped with a smooth icing glaze that hardens to a satiny finish.
Cream cheese chocolate cookies are rich, chocolatey, and irresistibly soft. They’re the perfect treat when you’re craving something indulgent!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
I’ve never met a chocolate dessert I didn’t like, but these cream cheese chocolate cookies might just be my new favorite.
Rich, soft, and absolutely irresistible. They’re the kind of treat you dream about sneaking from the cookie jar (ask me how I know!).
These chocolate cream cheese cookies with icing are sweet, decadent, and everything a chocoholic could want in a cookie.
I love that the texture of the cookie is so rich and soft. It’s got that perfectly chewy, brownie-like bite. If you’re looking for fudgy chocolate cookies with icing, these are a must-try.
And can we talk about that frosting? It’s a chocolate cookie icing that hardens to a gorgeous, satiny finish that looks as good as it tastes.
They’re beautiful on their own, but a few holiday sprinkles or some crushed peppermint on top take these cookies straight to the Christmas cookie hall of fame.
Best of all, they freeze like a dream, so I can make a batch ahead of time and pull them out when I need a quick dessert for company—or just a chocolate fix for myself!
More Cookie Recipes to Try:
- Twix Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cosmic Brownie Cookies
- Easy Bisquick Sugar Cookies
- Brownie Mix Cookies
- Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Baking with Cream Cheese
One of the things that makes these soft chocolate cookies so irresistible is an unlikely ingredient–cream cheese!
Adding cream cheese to cookie dough not only brings the slightest tang that enhances the chocolate flavor, but it also adds richness and moisture for an incredibly soft, tender texture.
You’ll find that these chocolate cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth quality that’s hard to beat. I use a similar technique for my Easy Cream Cheese Cookies, as well as this Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
More Cream Cheese Baking Recipes:
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookies
It’s really easy to whip up these decadent cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Cookies:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cream Cheese (Softened)
- Unsalted Butter (Softened)
- Sugar
- Eggs (At Room Temperature)
- Vanilla Extract
- Granulated Sugar
For the Icing: - Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Unsalted Butter
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar (Sifted)
How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Prepare the cream cheese mixture. First, you’ll beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating until well-combined.
Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well to incorporate them into the cream cheese mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients. Next, you’ll whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl, mixing just until a soft cookie dough forms.
Bake the cookies. Next, you’ll use a cookie scoop to scoop out rounds of dough (if you don’t have a cookie scoop, just scoop the dough out by rounded tablespoon).
Place the rounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet. If you want the cookies to have a smoother appearance, roll the dough balls in your hands, then place on the prepared baking sheet
The dough will be a little sticky–keeping your hands slightly wet or spritzed with nonstick spray will make it easier to roll the dough.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ice the cookies. Last, you’ll prepare the icing by combining the chocolate chips, butter, and a little milk in a small microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is fully melted.
Stir in 3/4 cup of sifted powdered sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a couple more tablespoons of milk to thin it out. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Dip the tops of the cooled cookies in the icing, then place them on a piece of parchment or wax paper, icing side up, to allow the icing to cool and harden to a satiny finish.
Notes and Adaptations
- Using sifted powdered sugar in the icing helps avoid lumps.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- For a festive holiday flair, you can add colorful sprinkles to the tops of the cookies while the icing is still wet.
- These cookies freeze well! I recommend placing the cookies on a lined baking sheet, then transferring them to your freezer to “flash freeze” for about an hour or so. Then transfer them to an airtight container for longer-term storage. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recommended Equipment
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup milk (+2-4 tablespoons, if needed)
- 3/4 – 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating until well-combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well to incorporate them into the cream cheese mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl, mixing just until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out rounds of dough (alternatively, scoop out by rounded tablespoon), placing the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet. If you want the cookies to have a smoother appearance, roll the dough balls in your hands, then place on the prepared baking sheet (the dough will be a little sticky–keeping your hands slightly wet or spritzed with nonstick spray will make it easier to roll the dough).
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the icing by combining the chocolate chips, butter, and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is fully melted.
- Stir in 3/4 cup of sifted powdered sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a couple more tablespoons of milk to thin it out. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies in the icing, then place them on a piece of parchment or wax paper, icing side up, to allow the icing to cool and harden to a satiny finish.
Notes
- Using sifted powdered sugar in the icing helps avoid lumps.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- For a festive holiday flair, you can add colorful sprinkles to the tops of the cookies while the icing is still wet.
- These cookies freeze well! I recommend placing the cookies on a lined baking sheet, then transferring them to your freezer to “flash freeze” for about an hour or so. Then transfer them to an airtight container for longer-term storage.
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Instagram and Pinterest for more easy recipes!
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your cookies board on Pinterest!
Your recipe does not say how much sugar to add. I put 3/4 cup. Hope it works.
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry about that, Sandy! Thank you for catching my error. I use 1 1/2 cups sugar–I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that.