These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies an absolute dream! They are soft, melt in your mouth, filled with cheesecake batter, freeze dried strawberries, graham cracker and fresh strawberry compote.
These treats bring the classic taste of old fashioned strawberry cheesecake into a delightful cookie form, perfect for any occasion.
It's safe to say I have an obsession with cheesecakes. I make cheesecake everything: strawberry cheesecake ice cream, cheesecake cookies, regular cheesecake, cheesecake cones, etc. The cream cheese filling is a is a mini bite of cheesecake on top of every cookie.
It's an especially good recipe during strawberry season, when you can pick your own fresh strawberries! This recipe along with my lemon blueberry cookies may just be my two favorite spring/summer cookie recipes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's as if you're biting into a piece of strawberry cheesecake without all the hard work!
- The soft buttery texture of the cookie mixed with a creamy cheesecake center and strawberry compote is the perfect blend of textures. Similar to that of Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.
- Strawberry cheesecake cookies offer a fresh and creative take on traditional cookies, making them a standout choice for any dessert table!
Recipe Ingredients
This Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies recipe uses simple yet delicious ingredients.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries - These can be found at most local grocers. Freeze dried strawberries are also available on Amazon.
- Fresh Strawberries - Use fresh strawberries to make the simple strawberry compote. Use any extras to make Strawberry Galette!
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - Buy premade or blend graham crackers yourself to give the cookie dough the flavor of cheesecake crust.
- All Purpose Flour - I have not tested this recipe with any other flour.
- Corn Starch - This helps with the structure of the cookies.
- Kosher Salt - I always use kosher salt. Diamond Crystal brand to be specific.
- Unsalted Butter - Room temperature butter. Unsalted butter is the way to go so you can add in the exact amount of salt you'd like.
- Eggs & Egg yolk - Room temperature is best when making this cookie dough recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract - I prefer to use pure but imitation will work if that's what you have.
- Cream Cheese - Room temperature is best for the cream cheese filling.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
Mix up this strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe with some fun variations. Here are a few to try:
- Use any flavor of fruit compote or fruit jam that you like. Instead of strawberry sauce, try this cheesecake cookie recipe with raspberry, apricot, blueberry, blackberry, peach or mango compote.
- Use store bought compote or jam in a pinch.
- Match the freeze dried fruit to the jam you're using. There are many different freeze dried fruits to choose from at your local grocery store or Amazon!
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla in the cookie dough.
- Add a little strawberry crunch topping to each cookie before baking for added texture and flavor!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Step 1: Stir strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a medium sauce pot then bring to a simmer. Continue simmering 20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Cream butter and both sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and yolk then mix on low-medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula then mix in vanilla.
Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just a streak or two of flour is visible. Fold in the crumbled freeze dried strawberries
Step 5: Scoop cookies using a 3oz scoop onto a parchment lined sheet tray then chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Step 6: Blend cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl for 1 minute until smooth. Add granulated sugar and continue mixing on low-medium speed for an additional 2 minutes. Add eggs and mix until combined. Mix in vanilla extract and salt.
Step 7: Place each cookie on sheet pan, 3 inches apart. Using the back of the cookie scoop, press down into each cookie making an indent. Fill each cookie with cream cheese filling and 1 teaspoon of strawberry compote.
Step 8: Bake 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies after fully cooled!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Chilling cookie dough before baking will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It will also make the cookie dough easier to work with and shape.
- Pro-Tip: If you like to eat raw cookie dough, edible Cookie Dough Balls are for you!
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier. Non-stick cooking spray is not needed.
- Cheesecake cookies should be soft and slightly chewy. Be careful not to overbake the cookies, or they may become too crisp and dry.
- Use a 3 oz cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the cookie dough evenly. This will help ensure that all of your cookies are the same size and will bake evenly. You'll end up with a 4 inch cookie.
- Use extra cheesecake batter to make a few mini cheesecakes.
- To get those perfectly round cookies, use a biscuit cutter or large cookie cutter to "scoot" the cookies as soon as they're out of the oven. Place the biscuit cutter over each cookie and move it in a circular motion. Ta-da! Perfectly round cookies!
Recipe FAQs
You could use frozen strawberries in place of fresh strawberries when making the strawberry compote for this strawberry cheesecake cookie recipe. Frozen strawberries contain more water, so you may have to let the compote cook slightly longer to get to the proper thickness. If at all possible, I love to use fresh ripe strawberries.
If you're in a rush to soften cream cheese, you can take it out of the package, place it in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 second increments on 50% power until softened. I use this same trick when making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe!
Using room temperature ingredients when baking cookies is important because it helps the ingredients to mix together more easily and uniformly, which results in a better texture and consistency of the finished product.
Yes, chilling this strawberry cheesecake cookie recipe is very important. Chilling the cookie dough will help prevent spreading. It also allows the flavors to develop more fully.
Full fat cream cheese is the best option for strawberry cheesecake cookies. It has the most flavor and yields a creamier cheesecake batter.
These Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies can be stored at room temperature, uncovered, for the first 12 hours. After than, store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge because of the cream cheese filling. Cookies can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then put in a plastic freezer bag for up to 2 months in the freezer.
The cookie dough can also be frozen as raw cookie dough balls before adding cheesecake filling or strawberry compote. Place the cookie dough in a freezer bag, in the freezer, for up to 2 months.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 3oz cookie scoop
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 1 pint fresh strawberries hulled and diced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1½ tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt diamond crystal brand
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temp
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temp
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 oz freeze dried strawberries rough chop or crumble
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temp
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 egg room temp
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Add all compote ingredients to a medium sauce pot. Heat over low-medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Reduce heat and continue simmering 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat and allow compote to cool
Make Cookie Dough
- Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl then set aside
- Cream butter and both sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy
- Add egg and yolk then mix on low-medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula
- Mix in vanilla
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just a streak or two of flour is visible. Do not overmix
- Fold in the crumbled freeze dried strawberries
- Scoop cookie dough with a 3oz scoop and place on parchment lined sheet tray. Chill cookies for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight
Making Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper
- Blend cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add in granulated sugar then mix for an additional minute
- Mix in vanilla, egg and salt on medium speed until fully combined
- Use the back of the 3oz cookie scoop to make an indent in cookies. Fill with cheesecake filling and a dollop of strawberry compote. Be careful not to overfill and spill out the sides
- Place cookies on parchment lined sheet trays, 2-3 inches apart then bake 12 mintues
- Let cookies cool on sheet tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until fully cooled before enjoying
Notes
- Chill the cookie dough: Chilling the cookie dough before baking will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It will also make the cookie dough easier to work with and shape.
- Use parchment paper: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier.
- Don't overbake: Cheesecake cookies should be soft and slightly chewy. Be careful not to overbake the cookies, or they may become too crisp and dry.
- Use a cookie scoop: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the cookie dough evenly. This will help ensure that all of your cookies are the same size and will bake evenly.
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