Cream cheese stuffed cookies or rather, cheesecake cookies, are a spin on two of my all-time favorite cookies I’ve ever shared here- cream cheese cookies and chocolate chip cookies. They make the perfect holiday cookie recipe when you want to bake something elegant, and delicious, and ridiculously easy. For such a fancy-looking cookie, you’ll love how easy it is to prep, bake, and eat. It’s so simple, I love to get the little ones involved, too!
Why this recipe works
Easier than cheesecake. Sure, baking a cheesecake is fun, but it’s also super time-consuming. These cookies take just 25 minutes to bake. Perfect texture. The crumbly chocolate cookies and the smooth cream cheese filling create the most perfect contrast of textures. Only 8 ingredients. These cookies sound like a complex dessert. In reality, you only need eight simple ingredients to make them, and NO eggs. Double dose of cream cheese. Not only is it used in the filling, but it also features in the cookie dough too!
Ingredients needed
Besides a handful of baking staples, there isn’t much else needed to make this cheesecake cookie recipe. Here is everything you will need:
Flour. I use all-purpose flour for this recipe but you can use wheat flour or even cake flour. I found cake flour was a little too delicate but if you prefer super soft cookies, you’ll want to use that. Butter. Unsalted and softened butter. When baking, always choose butter from a stick, not from a tub. The latter adds extra liquid and preservatives to make it spreadable, which in turn will affect how these cookies turn out. Sugar. I use both white and brown sugar for this recipe. The white sugar gives the cookies crispy edges and the brown sugar keeps everything soft in the middle. Baking soda. To help the cookie dough rise. Cream cheese. Because this is the star ingredient in these cookies, use a good quality one from a block, not a tub or spread. Also, DO NOT use light or fat-free varieties because the middle will dry out. Chocolate chips. I use a mix of milk chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips, but use whichever you prefer. Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie. Salt. To balance all flavors.
For the filling:
Cream cheese. As mentioned above, good quality and full-fat is the way to go. Powdered sugar. I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar as it melts easily and produces smoother results.
How to make cheesecake cookies
Step 1- Make the cream cheese filling. Whisk together the cream cheese and the powdered sugar until fully combined. Step 2- Freeze cream cheese mixture. Use a teaspoon to freeze small portions of the cream cheese frosting. Place the frosting on a plate lined with food wrap and freeze for an hour. You should get 12 cream cheese balls when using a teaspoon. Step 3- Make the cookie dough. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the softened butter, sugars, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Cream until smooth and glossy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Step 4- chill. Cover the bowl with food wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour. Step 5- Assemble. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and scoop out 12 even-sized balls. Make an indent in the center of each ball. Remove the frozen cream cheese balls from the freezer and place one in each cookie. Shape the cookie dough around the cream cheese filling to cover it up. Step 6- Bake. Place the cookies on lined baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until firm around the edges. Let the cookies cool completely before you eat them.
Tips to make the best recipe
If you don’t have powdered sugar, use a food processor to blend granulated sugar into fine powder. This extra step is worth taking if you want to achieve a smooth consistency for the cream cheese filling. Don’t forget to chill the dough before shaping the cookies. Refrigerating the dough solidifies the fats in it and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. While the recipe specifies the baking time, always keep an eye on the cookies to prevent them from darkening or burning. Remember, the cookies continue to bake as they cool down.
Flavor variations
The beauty of these cookies is that you can jazz them up with a few little tweaks. Here are some suggestions:
Make strawberry cheesecake cookies. Use chopped fresh strawberries or strawberry jam instead of chocolate chips for a pop of color and fruity flavor. Use white chocolate chips. White chocolate chips are certainly not a classic but they taste just as good as cookies made with dark chocolate. Add Oreos. If you love our Oreo cheesecake recipe, add crushed Oreo cookies to the batter before adding in the cream cheese. Experiment with the cream cheese frosting. You can add different flavors to the cream cheese frosting, including peanut butter, cocoa powder, pureed fruits, or honey. No bake cheesecake cookies. Stuff the filling into your favorite no bake cookie for a fun twist.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftover cookies in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge. To freeze: You can make an extra batch of cookie dough and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More cookie recipes to try
Almond butter cookies Flourless cookies Ricotta cookies
Frequently asked questions
