Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

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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.

A stack of strawberry cheesecake cookies with strawberry compote dripping down the front.

It’s safe to say I have a cheesecake obsession. The cream cheese filling is a is a mini bite of cheesecake on top of every cookie.

This recipe is a super easy way to get your cheesecake fix without any hard work. These cookies are fun for parties, birthdays or just because!

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.

Recipe Ingredients

This Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies recipe uses simple delicious ingredients.

Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar
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 for Simple Strawberry Compote. Fresh strawberries are best for this recipe.
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.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – These are leaveners, helping the cookies to rise.
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.

All purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, cream cheese, strawberry compote, freeze dried strawberries, eggs and vanilla.

How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Making the Strawberry Compote:

Step 1: First, you’ll want to make a batch of Simple Strawberry Compote for this Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies recipe. Fresh strawberries are best for this recipe. You will only need about a half a batch and this can be made up to 5 days in advance then stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

A small mason jar filled with strawberry compote that has a spoon coming out of the top and strawberries laying to the side.

Mixing the Cookies:

Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Cream the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape sides down.
Step 4: Mix in egg and egg yolk then mix in the vanilla until fully incorporated.
Step 5: Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Fold in freeze dried strawberries.
Step 6: 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.

Dry ingredients mixed together in a clear glass bowl.

Wet ingredients mixed together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Making Cheesecake Filling

Step 7: Blend cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl for 1 minute until smooth.
Step 8: Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing on low-medium speed for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 9: Add eggs and mix until combined. Mix in vanilla extract and salt.

Cheesecake filling in a bowl with a hand mixer.

Making Cookies:

Step 10: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper. Place each cookie on the sheet pans, 3 inches apart. Using the back of the cookie scoop, press down into each cookie making an indent.
Step 11: Fill each cookie with the cream cheese filling and 1 tsp of strawberry compote. 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!

Strawberry cheesecake cookies after being baked. A bite taken out of the cookie.

Expert Tips & Tricks

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.

You will have extra cheesecake batter. You can use it to make a few mini cheesecakes. Place mini cupcake liners in a pan, fill with cream cheese filling then bake at 325°F for about 8 minutes. Save the raw cream cheese filling in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days before using.

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!

Storage

These Cheesecake 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.

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 strawberries, this cookie recipe would be delicious with raspberry, apricot, blueberry, blackberry, peach or mango.

Use store bought compote or jam.
You can also switch up the freeze dried fruit you’re using.
Use almond extract in the cookie dough instead of vanilla. Almond goes really well with strawberries.
Try a flavored cream cheese in your cheesecake filling.

Strawberry cheesecake cookies on top of each other with strawberry compote running down.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries In This Recipe?

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.

How Do I Soften Cream Cheese Quickly?

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.

Why Do I Need Room Temperature Ingredients?

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.

Do I Have To Chill The Cookies?

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.

What Kind Of Cream Cheese Should I Use?

Full fat cream cheese is the best option for strawberry cheesecake cookies. It has the most flavor and yields a creamier cheesecake batter.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Recipe Ingredients