Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Deliciously soft and tender Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies, featuring a rich dough made with cream cheese and butter, lightly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts. These classic sugar cookies are perfectly baked to a golden finish and topped with a smooth, sweet almond-flavored frosting, making them a perfect treat for any occasion.
- Author: Amaya
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature (8 ounces)
- 8 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (2 grams)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (455 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar (260 grams)
- 2 tablespoons soft butter (28 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Milk to desired consistency
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the room-temperature salted butter and full fat cream cheese using the paddle attachment on low speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugar, Egg, and Extracts: Add granulated sugar, the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed mixture. Mix again for 1-2 minutes, ensuring the ingredients are well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and baking powder to the wet mixture. Blend on low speed until the dough comes together, scraping the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Chill the Dough: Remove the soft dough from the mixer bowl and flatten it into a disk shape. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut shapes. Place the cut cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until they are lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the center.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, soft butter, almond extract, and enough milk to reach your desired frosting consistency. Add food coloring if desired.
- Frost the Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly on each cookie. Allow the frosting to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier handling and better cookie shape retention while baking.
- Be sure to roll the dough to a uniform 1/4 inch thickness for consistent baking.
- Cookies should be lightly golden at the edges when done—avoid overbaking to keep them soft and tender.
- For a different flavor profile, substitute almond extract with additional vanilla extract or lemon zest.
- If you want a thicker frosting, reduce the amount of milk added; add milk gradually to reach the perfect spreadable consistency.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
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