How to Substitute Cream Cheese for Butter in Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies made with cream cheese contain added protein and less fat.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies, one of America's most popular confections, can be warm, sweet, chewy and crunchy all in one bite. By substituting cream cheese for the more traditional butter, you can make a cookie with lower fat and added protein. The cream cheese produces a cookie that is less crisp, less buttery, but still good texture. Chocolate chip cookies are made from a creamed dough that is dropped from a spoon onto a cookie sheet for baking. Cream cheese will work ideally in place of butter to make a perfect foundation for these easy drop cookies.

Things You'll Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon or beater
• Cooling rack
• 1 cup cream cheese OR 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sifter
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate bits
• Cookie sheet

Instructions

1. Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature.

2. Cream together cream cheese with granulated and brown sugars in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or electric beater.

3. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for one minute.

4. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to cream cheese mixture all at once. Stir just until flour is incorporated.

5. Stir chocolate pieces into batter mixture.

6. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Leave two inches between cookies.

7. Bake in the center of a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light brown. After one minute, remove to a cooling rack.

Tips & Warnings

• 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.

References

• Joy of Baking: Ingredient Substitution
• Food Subs: Fats

Resources

• Oprah: Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies