Yes, you can substitute cream cheese for butter in cookies to create softer, chewier cookies.
Here’s what you need to know:
Benefits of using cream cheese:
- Softer, chewier cookies: Cream cheese holds the dough together better than butter, preventing the cookies from spreading as much and resulting in a softer texture.
- Denser cookies: Cream cheese has less fat than butter, which can lead to denser cookies. This can be desirable for some types of cookies, such as chocolate chip cookies.
- Gooey chocolate chips: The dense texture of cream cheese cookies can help keep the chocolate chips gooey and melty.
Things to consider:
- Fat content: Cream cheese has less fat than butter, so you may need to adjust your recipe accordingly. Some recipes suggest using full-fat cream cheese to ensure the cookies don’t become dry and tough.
- Salt content: Cream cheese may have more salt than butter, so you may need to adjust the amount of salt in your recipe.
- Baking time: Cream cheese cookies may bake faster than butter cookies, so keep an eye on them and adjust the baking time as needed.
How to substitute cream cheese for butter in cookies:
- Soften the cream cheese: Just as you would do with butter, soften the cream cheese to room temperature before using it.
- Cream the cream cheese with sugar: Cream the softened cream cheese with the sugar in your recipe until light and fluffy.
- Follow the rest of your recipe: Continue with the rest of your recipe as usual, using the creamed cream cheese in place of the butter.
Here are some additional tips for baking cookies with cream cheese:
- Use full-fat cream cheese: This will help ensure the cookies are moist and tender.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough before baking: This will help the cookies spread less and bake more evenly.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes: This is a good starting point for baking cream cheese cookies.
Here are some resources that you may find helpful:
- Lifehacker: “Replace Butter With Cream Cheese for Softer, Fluffier Cookies” https://lifehacker.com/replace-butter-with-cream-cheese-for-softer-fluffier-c-1789231753
- Tasting Table: “Swap Butter With Cream Cheese For The Softest Cookies You’ll Ever Bake” https://www.tastingtable.com/1407008/swap-butter-cream-cheese-softest-cookies-youll-ever-bake
Please note that the information provided above is a general guide. The specific results of substituting cream cheese for butter in cookies may vary depending on the recipe and the ingredients used.
Pro Tips for this recipe
- The most common mistake is to add too much flour to a recipe. Make sure to measure your flour accurately! Using a scale is the most efficient and convenient method of measuring flour. If you don’t have one, level off the flour with a knife after fluffing it with a spoon and adding it to your measuring cup.
- Before adding the dry mixture, scrape down the bowl; you want a nice, homogenous mixture, so don’t beat it for too long.
- These dough balls are sticky, but well worth it! Wet your hands before rolling, and if the dough gets too caked on them, take a moment to wash them.
- Once baked, you can add some visual interest by dusting cookies with powdered sugar or lightly drizzling them with melted white chocolate.
Do they need to be refrigerated?
These cookies keep well for two days at room temperature when kept in a sealed container. Refrigerating items containing large amounts of cream cheese, such as cheesecakes and baked goods frosted with cream cheese, is highly recommended.
Cream Cheese Cookies
FAQ
Can cream cheese be used instead of butter in baking?
What can I substitute for butter in cookies?
Can I use cream instead of butter in cookies?
Can I use cream cheese instead of butter in cookies?
Cream cheese will work instead of butter in most cookie recipes! You can even sub in some cream cheese in pie crusts. I would recommend a subbing in half of the butter for cream cheese but in a pinch you can do a full swap out. Keep an eye on the oven as bake times will differ. If you love this recipe try these out!
What are the best substitutes for butter?
The substitute that you might want to use depends on what you are using butter for. In baking you can use any fat such as olive oil, nut butters, or even avocados. In baking you can also substitute non-fats for butter such as Greek yogurt, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, or even applesauce. For replacing butter as a spread, you can use any fat, hummus, avocado, nut butter, or cheese. For cooking, canola oil can be a great sub, or avocado oil is also good because it has a high smoke point.
Can I substitute cream cheese for butter in chocolate chip cookies?
An equal amount of cream cheese may be substituted for butter in any favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. (1/2 cup butter will equal 1/2 cup cream cheese). If desired, a combination of butter and cream cheese may be used together to keep a buttery flavor as long as the the total amount is equal to the amount of butter in the original recipe.
Is cream cheese a good substitute for butter?
Cream Cheese in baking also doesn’t spread as much as butter, which is it is a nice addition (or substitution) for cookies where you are looking to get a really thick cookie. They can end up a little more “cakey” than an all-butter cookie, which, again, is why I love the combo of butter and cream cheese!