Description
Delight in these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies featuring a soft, buttery cookie base filled with creamy, sweetened cream cheese and fresh diced strawberries. These homemade large cookies combine the best of fruity freshness and rich cheesecake flavor in every bite, perfect for a special treat or sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter (regular or vegan), softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ to ⅔ cup fresh strawberries, diced small
Cream Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup cream cheese (regular or vegan) (6 oz)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (if using regular cream cheese)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk or beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth and well combined.
- Freeze the Filling: Spoon 10-12 heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture onto the parchment-lined surface and freeze for at least one hour until almost completely solid.
- Preheat and Prep Dry Ingredients: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Make the Cookie Dough Base: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the softened butter with white and brown sugars until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add Strawberries: Fold the diced fresh strawberries into the dough gently to prevent them from breaking down and releasing too much color.
- Form Dough Balls: Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto each prepared baking sheet. Press the back of a teaspoon into the top of half the dough balls to create small indents.
- Fill Cookies: Remove the frozen cream cheese pieces from the freezer. Place one piece into each indented dough ball, then cover with a second dough ball, pinching the edges carefully to seal the cream cheese inside without squashing it.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the assembled cookie dough balls on their baking sheets while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Repeat for the second baking sheet.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 13-17 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are set.
- Cool: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- To make smaller cookies, reduce dough portion sizes accordingly and adjust baking time to avoid overbaking.
- Use fresh strawberries for best texture and flavor; frozen strawberries may release too much moisture.
- If using vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar helps sweeten and smooth the filling.
- Handle strawberry pieces gently when folding into dough to prevent bleeding of color and moisture.
- Sealing the cream cheese filling properly is key to prevent leaks during baking.
