Cheesecake Cookies
These cheesecake cookies are thick and chewy with a surprise cheesecake filling inside. The dough is a basic drop cookie, stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling and drizzled with caramel. They make a great addition to holiday baking, birthdays, or Sunday baking with the kids.
Servings: 12 cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (can sub 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (can sub 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Caramel Drizzle
- 8 ounces soft caramels unwrapped
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- flaky sea salt to drizzle
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To make the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, flour, and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine then increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Drop the cheesecake filling by a teaspoonful on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Place them in the freezer while you make the dough.
- To make the cookie dough, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Do not skip this step. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to mix then turn it up to medium-high to combine.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough out and roll it into balls and place on the other prepared cookie sheet. Use your thumb to make an indent in the middle of each cookie ball. Remove the cheesecake filling from the freezer and place cheesecake ball in the center of half of the cookie dough balls. Top with the remaining cookie dough balls then pinch the seems and roll into a ball or taller cone shape. Place on the cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. You can put them in the freezer for an hour if you're in a rush.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the chilled cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While they’re cooling, make the caramel topping. Place the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and continue to microwave in 15-second intervals until melted and bubbling. Stir until smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted caramel over each cookie. If the caramel begins to thicken as you work, microwave again in 15-second increments.
Notes
To store: Baked cookies will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I do not recommend stacking the cookies, especially if they have caramel, because they will stick together. If you plan to stack them place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between each layer.
To freeze: Wrap baked cookies (without the caramel) tightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before eating. You can also freeze the cookie dough. Skip the chilling step and flash freeze the dough on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Thaw overnight or bake from frozen. Frozen cookies will need 1-2 more minutes in the oven.
Dairy-free: use dairy-free cream cheese (Kite Hill) in the filling, vegan butter in the dough, and full-fat coconut milk in the caramel topping.
Gluten-free: use 1:1 gluten-free flour. We tested these with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and they worked well!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 55.5mg | Sodium: 282mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 21.7g | Vitamin A: 160IU