Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies! Wow. They are soft and cakey with a rich flavor. You can't taste the cream cheese in them but it gives the cookies a rich more intense chocolate flavor. I saw a recipe for a cookie similar to this a while back on the internet. Honestly, I just skimmed over the ingredients and realized that they substituted some of the butter with cream cheese. Okay, big deal. I forgot about it. Until...my hubby wanted chocolate chip cookies and I didn't have quite enough butter! However, I did have some cream cheese. Problem solved!

So in my desperation to make chocolate chip cookies without having to get out of my very cool Star Wars pajamas...I decided to try making them with half cream cheese and half butter. The deciding factor would be how much my husband likes them. He is a chocolate chip cookie lover and HATES (did I say he really hates) cream cheese. The idea of cream cheese gags him. Sssshhhh.....don't tell him that I added cream cheese to these wonderful little cookies! It will be just our secret! ;)

I was very pleased with the results! The cookies stayed very round and cakey but still slightly chewy. They didn't spread much on the baking sheet which is convenient. And they seemed very moist and not very messy. And lots of chocolate flavor! It seemed more intense chocolate than normal. I think that is because they didn't spread much and the chocolate chips are in every bite! No one could tell they had cream cheese in the batter! It gave the gluten free flour a less "crumbly" texture and they baked perfect! I think they would be great with any flavor of chocolate chips or dried cranberries or M&Ms. It is a great base cookie dough that could be made custom to what you like or what you have on hand. Walnuts, macadamia nuts or pecans would also be yummy. I didn't add nuts today. (Of course if you don't have a gluten allergy...you can make these cookies with regular flour - just omit the guar gum or xanthan gum).

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookie Recipe

• 1/2 cup real butter (or substitute margarine with at least 65% fat)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese (don't use fat free cream cheese. I used regular)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup sugar (you can use raw sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract, optional (be sure it is gluten free)
• 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend (I used cup4cup brand today. Be sure to add 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum or guar gum if your flour blend doesn't contain it!)
• 2 tsp. corn starch (make sure it is gluten free!)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• pinch salt, about 1/2 tsp.
• 2 cups (at least 2 cups. I usually add 2 1/2 cups!) chocolate chips or chunks

Beat the butter (or margarine), cream cheese, sugars & eggs until fluffly. Add the vanilla or almond extract if you are adding them. If you leave them out, it is okay. They aren't necessary to the recipe but give it a little extra flavor. Add the baking soda, salt, corn starch and mix well. (You will need to add either guar gum or xanthan gum if you gluten free flour doesn't contain it!) Mix in the gluten free flour. Beat until smooth. Batter will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips.


Drop cookies by spoonfuls (I like to use a cookie scoop) onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. I personally really like using parchment paper because I think it cooks even and prevents sticking and crumbling cookies but you don't absolutely have to do that. I didn't do it for many years. Now...I almost have convulsions if I don't have parchment paper! One of life's simple baking pleasures for me! Bake about 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree pre-heated oven. My oven takes 10 minutes exactly to get perfect cookies. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the oven style and altitude you are baking. Check your cookies after 8 minutes. I wouldn't suggest baking longer than 11 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the bottom and around the edges only. Don't over bake!

I hope you like the cookies as much as we do! We enjoyed our cookies on the patio this morning...enjoying the beautiful weather here in Arizona and drinking out of my new Star Wars mugs! I just love geek stuff!

Please feel free to post any pictures or substitutions that you made to my recipe that worked great (or didn't work so great!). We all learn from each other!

Enjoy!
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually