Cream Cheese Cookies

The holidays aren’t complete without these cream cheese cookies. These always make me think of my Mom. She is the baker in the family and definitely has the most patience when it comes to making dozens of cookies to share with our family and friends. These are always the cookies that we request first and she always has to make a double batch because half of them usually are gone by the first night. Dad likes to think they are “one bite” cookies.

Cream Cheese Cookies

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Cream cheese – The base of this recipe is cream cheese mixed with butter. The addition of cream cheese makes for a dense cookie with a unique texture.
• Hershey’s Hugs & Kisses – I like to use a mix of both Hugs and Kisses on the top of the cream cheese cookies based on preferences (I’m partial to the white chocolate coated Hugs). I recommend unwrapping the chocolate while the cookies bake so you can easily pop them on top when the cookies come out of the oven.

How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies

1. Beat butter and cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until throughly combined.
2. Add sugar. Pour in the sugar and beat well.
3. Beat the egg and vanilla in. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add dry ingredients to the dough. In a medium bowl whisk together flour and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the cream cheese mixture and beat until they are well mixed.
5. Chill dough. Divide the dough in half. Place each portion into a medium bowl and cover each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, so the dough is easier to handle.
6. Roll dough balls. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Break apart the dough and roll into small balls in your hands, so they are about 1½” in diameter.
7. Bake the cookies. Place the balls 2” apart on a cookie sheet. Bake until the edges become golden brown, about 8 minutes.
8. Add Hershey’s hugs or kisses. Place a Hershey’s Kiss or Hug into the center of each cookie, lightly pressing down so they sink into the middle of the cookie. Remove to wire racks to cool.
9. Eat and store! Store in an airtight container.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this cream cheese cookie recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Classic Sugar Cookies
• Miso Brown Butter Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
• Meringue Cookies

Cream Cheese Cookies

Print Pin

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 30 mins

Serves 40 cookies

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 40 HERSHEY’S KISSES® & HUGS® brand chocolates

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until thoroughly combined.
• Pour in the sugar and beat well, about 1 minute.
• Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the cream cheese mixture and beat until they are well mixed.
• Divide the dough in half. Place each portion into a medium bowl and cover each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, so the dough is easier to handle.
• Heat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Break apart the dough and roll into small balls in your hands, so they are about 1½" in diameter.
• Place the balls 2” apart on a cookie sheet. Bake until the edges become golden brown, about 8 minutes.
• Place a Hershey’s Kiss or Hug into the center of each cookie, lightly pressing down so they sink into the middle of the cookie. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Store in an airtight container.

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