These soft, buttery strawberry cheesecake cookies hide a tangy cream cheese center surrounded by pockets of jammy homemade strawberry filling. The edges bake up golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays wonderfully chewy, with that surprise burst of creamy cheesecake in every bite. I first made these after trying a version at a local bakery and knew I had to recreate them at home. The best part? They're easier to make than you'd think, and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible.
If you love fruity, creamy desserts, you might also enjoy this Churro Cheesecake or these classic Chocolate Chip Cookies. For another strawberry treat, try this Coconut Cream Pie.
Why You will Love This Recipe !
My best friend Alex came over last weekend and watched me make these. She couldn't believe I was making the strawberry jam from scratch. "You're actually cooking down strawberries for cookies?" she laughed, leaning against the counter. But when that jam started bubbling and filling the kitchen with the sweetest strawberry scent, she got quiet. After the first bite, she just closed her eyes and said, "Okay, I get it now."
The homemade jam makes all the difference. It's thick, concentrated, and tastes like actual strawberries instead of artificial flavoring. The cream cheese filling stays cold and tangy inside the warm cookie, creating this amazing contrast. And rolling the dough in sugar gives each cookie a delicate, sparkly crust that looks bakery-perfect.
These cookies take a little time because you're making jam and freezing the cheesecake centers, but the steps themselves are simple. You'll end up with cookies that look and taste like they came from an expensive bakery.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these beautifully layered cookies.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- Cream cheese: Cold cream cheese beats up fluffy and holds its shape when frozen. This creates those firm little discs that won't melt too quickly inside the cookies.
- Granulated white sugar: Sweetens the filling and helps it whip up light and creamy.
- Vanilla: Adds warmth and depth to the cheesecake flavor.
- For the Strawberry Jam:
- Fresh strawberries: Fresh berries make the best jam. They cook down into a thick, concentrated filling that tastes bright and natural.
- Granulated white sugar: Helps the strawberries release their juices and thickens the jam as it cooks.
For the Cookies:
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies. Spooning and leveling the flour keeps them from getting too dense.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Work together to give the cookies a slight lift and help them spread just enough.
- Salt: Balances all the sweetness and makes the strawberry and cheesecake flavors pop.
- Granulated white sugar: Creates that soft, chewy texture and sweetens the dough.
- Unsalted butter: Very softened butter creams beautifully with the sugar and gives the cookies their rich, tender crumb.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture.
- Vanilla: Enhances all the other flavors in the cookie.
- Granulated white sugar for rolling: Gives the outside of each cookie a sparkly, slightly crunchy coating.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Follow these steps to create your strawberry cheesecake cookies from start to finish.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat together the cold cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until fluffy and the sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. The mixture should look smooth and creamy.
- Shape and freeze: Scoop the cheesecake filling into 18 portions, using 2 teaspoons for each. Drop them onto your prepared baking sheet, then flatten each scoop slightly so they look like thick little discs. Pop the whole tray into the freezer until the discs are completely frozen and solid.
- Make the strawberry jam: In a medium pot over medium heat, combine your diced strawberries and sugar. Cook for about 45 minutes, smashing the strawberries with a spoon or potato masher about halfway through. Keep stirring more frequently toward the end as the jam thickens and starts sticking to the bottom of the pan. You'll know it's ready when it reduces down to a heaping ⅓ cup. The jam should look thick and glossy. Remove from heat and chill it in the fridge.
- Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set this aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the very softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until the mixture looks fluffy and pale, about 2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg and vanilla on medium speed until everything is pale and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture should look smooth.
- Combine with dry ingredients: Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Don't overmix or the cookies will be tough.
- Fold in the jam: Push about ¾ of the dough to one side of the bowl. Flatten ¼ of the dough at the bottom and spoon ¼ of your chilled jam onto it. Add another ¼ of the dough on top, followed by more jam. Keep repeating this layering until all the jam is used up.
- Swirl the dough: Use a rubber spatula to cut the dough into quarters, then fold it gently. You want the jam incorporated in ribbons and pockets throughout, not fully mixed in. You should see streaks of pink.
- Stuff with cheesecake: Scoop the dough into 18 portions using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. Slightly flatten each portion in your hand, place a frozen cheesecake disc right in the center, then wrap the dough around it completely. Make sure the cheesecake is totally covered so it doesn't leak out during baking.
- Roll in sugar: Roll each stuffed dough ball in the remaining granulated sugar until coated. Keep your cheesecake discs frozen until you're ready to stuff each cookie.
- Bake: Place 6 cookies at a time on your prepared baking sheet, giving them plenty of space. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. The edges should look set and lightly golden, but the centers might still look a tiny bit soft.
- Shape and cool: For perfectly round cookies, gently press a large circular cookie cutter around each cookie right after they come out of the oven. This scoots them into neat circles. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Substitutions and Variations
Use freeze-dried strawberries. If you want extra strawberry flavor, crush some freeze-dried strawberries and fold them into the dough along with the jam.
Try different berries. Raspberry or blackberry jam would work beautifully in place of strawberry. Just cook them down the same way.
Make it gluten-free. Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.
Add lemon zest. A teaspoon of lemon zest in the cookie dough brightens up all the flavors and complements the strawberries.
Use low-fat cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese works best, but low-fat will work if that's what you have. Don't use fat-free, it won't set properly.
Equipment
Electric mixer: A hand mixer or stand mixer makes creaming the butter and beating the cream cheese filling quick and easy.
Baking sheets: You'll need at least two for baking the cookies in batches.
Parchment paper: Keeps the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup simple.
Medium pot: For cooking down the strawberries into jam.
Rubber spatula: Perfect for folding the jam into the dough without overmixing.
Cookie scoop: A 2 tablespoon scoop gives you evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
How to Store Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cream cheese filling means they need to stay cold. Let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating if you prefer them less chilled.
You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
If you want to prep ahead, you can freeze the stuffed, unbaked cookie dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet until frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Expert Tips
Keep the cheesecake frozen. Don't let those cream cheese discs thaw before you stuff them into the dough. If they start softening, pop them back in the freezer. This keeps them from oozing out during baking.
Don't skip the jam-making step. Store-bought jam is too thin and sweet. Homemade jam cooks down thick and concentrated, so it doesn't make the cookies soggy.
Soften your butter properly. Very soft butter creams better with the sugar and gives you that perfect chewy texture. It should leave a slight indent when you press it, but not be greasy or melted.
Chill the jam completely. Warm jam will make the dough too soft to work with. Let it cool in the fridge until it's thick and spreadable.
Bake in small batches. Only bake 6 cookies at a time so they have room to spread evenly. Crowding the pan leads to uneven baking.
Use the cookie cutter trick. Gently pressing a cookie cutter around each cookie right after baking creates those perfect bakery-style circles. It's a simple trick that makes a big difference.
FAQ
Yes, these cookies should be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese filling. The filling can spoil if left at room temperature for too long. Keep them in an airtight container and they'll stay fresh for up to 5 days. Just let them warm up slightly before eating if you don't like them super cold.
The most popular cookies tend to be chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, and snickerdoodles. These classics have been loved for generations. But stuffed cookies like these strawberry cheesecake ones are becoming more popular because they offer something extra special in every bite.
The secret is using more brown sugar than white sugar, not overbaking, and making sure your butter is properly softened. Slightly underbaking the cookies so the centers look a bit soft when you pull them out also helps. They'll continue to set as they cool on the pan. For these strawberry cheesecake cookies, the ratio of butter to flour and the short baking time keep them perfectly chewy.
Strawberry cheesecake works because the tartness of the cream cheese balances the sweetness of the strawberries. The creamy, tangy filling contrasts with the fruity brightness, and together they create this rich but refreshing flavor. Adding that combination into a cookie gives you all those wonderful flavors in a handheld treat.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a small bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Scoop the cheesecake filling into 18, 2 teaspoon portions onto the baking sheet. Slightly flatten each scoop with the back of a spoon so each resembles a thick disc. Freeze until completely frozen. prep
- Add the diced strawberries and sugar to a medium pot over medium heat.
- Cook for about 45 minutes, smashing the strawberries halfway through with a wooden spoon. Stir continuously as the jam thickens and begins to stick. The jam should reduce to a heaping ⅓ cup (80 ml). Remove from heat and refrigerate to chill while making the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Push ¾ of the dough to the side of the bowl. Flatten ¼ of the dough and add ¼ of the strawberry jam. Add another ¼ of the dough on top, followed by more jam. Repeat until all jam is evenly added.
- Scoop the dough into 18 portions with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. Slightly flatten each portion and place a frozen cheesecake disc in the center, covering the cheesecake with dough. Shape each cookie into a slightly flattened disc.
- Roll the cookie dough in the ¼ cup sugar.
- Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 11-12 minutes, until golden around the edges.
- When the cookies are fresh out of the oven, use a large circular cookie cutter to gently shape them into perfect circles.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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