Buttery and classic, melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese cookies are simple to make with only 6 ingredients. Top these easy holiday cookies with pecans or roll them in sprinkles for a festive old-fashioned treat!

These family-favorite cream cheese cookies have a special place on my Christmas cookie trays, next to more traditional treats like soft butter cookies, Italian anise cookies, and homemade turtle candy.

A stack of three cream cheese cookies garnished with pecans.

Classic Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

My mom gifted me a giant stack of old recipe cards from her and my grandmother’s collections a while ago. Among the handwritten cards were Nana’s famous overnight cinnamon rolls and my family’s holiday pinwheel cookies. I also came across these classic cream cheese cookies! I recognized my grandmother’s handwriting immediately because it was impossible to read. Thankfully, my mom has translated many of her recipes throughout the years.

The exact origin of this cream cheese cookie recipe is a bit of a mystery. All I know is that it’s courtesy of Cyndi Freeman, who may have been a friend or neighbor. These soft cream cheese cookies have become a staple on my holiday cookie trays year after year, and they’re forever a favorite. So, thank you, Cyndi!

What You Can Expect

Melt in your mouth texture. Cream cheese cookies’ signature is its rich, buttery texture that melts away with each bite. This recipe is mostly butter, with a touch of cream cheese that makes the cookies irresistibly soft in the middle.
Simple ingredients. With only 6 ingredients, traditional cream cheese cookies are pantry-friendly and super simple to make. Mix the dough in one bowl, and after a short chilling time, it’s ready to portion and bake.
Adaptable. I flavor these with good old vanilla, but these cookies are easy to customize with different flavoring extracts and add-ins, like fruit zest.

A cream cheese cookie garnished with a pecan leaning against a bowl of cream cheese cookies, with a bite missing from one of the cookies.

A Few Ingredient Notes

Cream cheese cookies are a lot like sugar cookies, and it’s a pretty straightforward list of pantry-friendly ingredients. What’s interesting is that there’s no leavening agent. These cookies don’t spread very much in the oven.

I’ve included notes on the important ingredients below, and you’ll find a printable list with the full details in the recipe card after the post.

Cream Cheese – Also brought to room temperature. Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese. I don’t recommend the kind that comes in tubs.
Egg – These cookies use an egg yolk rather than a full egg, for extra richness. Separate the yolk and discard the egg white.
Pecans or Sprinkles – Pecan halves and nonpareils are two popular garnishes for these cookies. Of course, you can decorate them in more easy ways depending on the holiday or occasion. I include some easy ideas further on in the post.

Sprinkle-covered cream cheese cookies piled onto a glass plate.

How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies

All in all, my grandmother’s cream cheese cookies are super simple to make. The main thing is the time it takes to chill the cookie dough in the fridge (just an hour, but plan ahead if needed!). Feel free to double the recipe for larger batches. Follow the steps here, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

Mix the wet ingredients. Start with softened butter and cream cheese and beat together to combine. Cream that with the sugar, and, once fluffy, add the egg yolk and vanilla.
Add the flour. Slowly add the flour, beating until the dough begins to form.
Chill. Now, cover and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Shape the cookies. When you’re ready to bake, portion the cookie dough into 1” balls. Place the dough balls onto a lined baking sheet, and press a pecan into the top of each cookie. Alternatively, you can roll the dough balls in nonpareil sprinkles.
Bake. Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes, and move them to a wire rack to cool.

A cream cheese cookie garnished with a pecan propped up against two cookies stacked on top of one another.

How to Decorate Cream Cheese Cookies

I love topping my cream cheese cookies with a crunchy pecan. Another popular choice is to roll the cookie dough in sprinkles. And there are plenty of ways to decorate your cookies beyond that. Here are some ideas:

Garnish with nuts. The original recipe calls for pecans, but you can try different nuts like almonds, macadamias, or hazelnuts. Or, for a nut-free option, substitute dried fruit, like cranberries.
Change up the sprinkles. If you go the sprinkle route, roll these cookies in red and green nonpareils for Christmas, or white, pink, and red sprinkles for Valentine’s Day.
Add a topping. Instead of pecans or sprinkles, top these cookies with a simple glaze and fresh lemon zest (in this case, you can also use lemon extract in the cookie dough). You could also drizzle the tops with melted chocolate, or roll the cookies in powdered sugar similar to snowball cookies.

Three sprinkle-covered cream cheese cookies in a small pile, with a jar of colorful sprinkles in the background.

How to Storage Cookies

At room temperature. You don’t need to refrigerate cream cheese cookies (unless you really want to). These cookies are fine to store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing them airtight with sheets of parchment or wax paper in between layers. Thaw the cookies in the fridge before serving. Depending on which toppings you choose, consider freezing the cookies before decorating.

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