Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

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.

Four Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies stacked on a white plate.

Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy free recipes and remains popular with long time readers. You can try using substitutions to make it dairy free, however I have not tested this myself and can’t say how it will turn out.

Well, this is the last cookie recipe that I have to share with you before the holiday.  Just in time if you are looking for one last treat to cram into your baking schedule.  And I promise, it’s a good one.

This is one of those recipes that I expected others to like, but not to be the biggest hit or anything like that.  

And of course I was wrong.  I totally ended up eating my words.  

By far, these chocolate cream cheese cookies were the most popular dessert at our holiday party and among the leftovers that I sent in to my husband’s office.  

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookies on a plate and wire cooling rack.

And I guess I totally get it.  

It’s hard not to love a soft, thick chocolate cookie studded with even more chocolate, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.  

Now you can obviously leave out the white chocolate dipping part, but please oh please don’t skip it … unless you’re in a huge rush and then I’ll allow it.

There’s something about the hardened white chocolate shell that makes these cookies magical.  Yes, I just said magical.

A Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookie on a plate with a bite taken out.

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Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies with Sea Salt | Cookie Monster Cooking

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

Yield: about 30 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 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:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. 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 in both kinds of sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  3. Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Scoop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of dough (I used my large cookie scoop). Drop on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Use your fingers to flatten each cookie a little (they won’t really spread while baking).*
  7. Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes, until the cookies are set. Let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. {If you are baking the cookies in batches, make sure you keep the dough in the refrigerator in between.}

For the topping:

  1. Lay out a piece of wax paper on a work surface or a baking sheet. Melt the white chocolate (I usually do this in the microwave - heating in 30 second intervals at 50% powder, stirring after each until smooth).
  2. Carefully dip half of each cookie in the white chocolate and then set on the wax paper. Sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let the white chocolate harden completely before removing from the wax paper. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

No skipping chilling the dough!

*Alternatively, if you don’t want to dip the cookies in white chocolate, sprinkle a little sea salt on each before baking.

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 a medical professional’s advice.