Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Why you will love these cookies

• These cookies are big!  If you are a cookie lover, you will love these extra large cookies.
• The cookies are dotted with fresh strawberries throughout.  The strawberries flavor the cookies and make them so very pretty!
• The cheesecake filling is a creamy, delicious treat in every bite.
• These cookies are impressive, but they are easier to make then they look!

Ingredient notes

• Strawberries:  Use ripe, fresh berries. They will give the cookies their sweet strawberry flavor. Hull, wash and cut them into small pieces.  
• Softened cream cheese:  I use regular full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.  
• Eggs:  You will need one whole large egg and one large egg yolk at room temperature.  This will moisten the dough just enough.
• Butter:  The butter needs to be unsalted and melted.  It should be warm to the touch not hot.
• Corn starch:  I add cornstarch because it helps to make the soft cookies, but using it is really optional.
• Other Ingredients: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla.

Instructions for making delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

1. Make the cream cheese cookie center:

1. Cream the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth.
2. Place 16 hefty teaspoon size dollops of the cream cheese mixture on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1 hour.

2. Make the cookie batter

1. In a large bowl, cream the melted butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar with an electric mixer. 
2. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, beating between additions.
3. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour is completely absorbed.
4. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Assemble and bake the cookies

1. Use a 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop to form a ball of dough, then using a teaspoon, create an indentation in the center of the dough.  
2. Place a frozen cream cheese ball in the indentation in the center of the cookie dough.  Place a scant tablespoon size dough ball on top of the cream cheese and press the dough together to seal the cream cheese inside. 
3. Place the cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake the cookies in a preheated 375F degree oven for 11-13 minutes.  The edges of the cookies will start to turn golden brown and the center will not look completely done.
5. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.  

Baking Tips

• Strawberries will release water into the cookie batter so it is best to pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them into the dough.
• You can sprinkle the strawberries with a tablespoon of flour if you like.  This helps to absorb some of the extra liquid.
• Measure the flour using a spoon to fill the measuring cup and then leveling it off with the flat edge of a knife or dough cutter.
• Make sure to refrigerate the dough.  This step makes the dough more manageable.
• Flour your hands when forming the cookies and work quickly. The strawberries make the dough a little bit sticky and the flour will help to keep it from sticking to your hands.
• Alternatively, if you don’t want to get your hands too dirty, you can scoop the dough balls onto the cookie sheet, make the indentation with a teaspoon in the center, fill the dough with the frozen cream cheese and place the second scoop of dough on top.  You will still need to press the dough together with your fingers to seal the cream cheese in the center, but it may not be as messy.  Flouring your fingers will help keep the dough from sticking.
• Try not to overbake the cookies.  Baking times will vary from oven to oven and based on the size of the cookies. The cookies will continue to cook a bit on the baking sheet after they have been removed from the oven.  Leaving them in the oven too long can make them too dry.                                                

Variations

Add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to the cookie batter.

Leave the cream cheese filling out and just make strawberry cookies.

Use any berry you in like in place of the strawberries.

Up the strawberry flavor by adding a teaspoon of strawberry extract to the batter.

Storing and freezing Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Because the cookies have a cream cheese filling, I store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.  Before serving let them come to room temperature on the counter. Or, put them in the microwave for a few seconds. The microwave brings the cookie to room temperature quickly and softens the cream cheese center!  

The cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.  

FAQ

Other cookies to try

If you are looking for more all occasion cookie recipes to try out you will love my Italian Almond Cookies and Ricotta Cookies. Some of our holiday favorites are Sicilian Chocolate Spice Cookies and Italian Fig Cookies. If you love lemon, you will love my Lemon Ricotta Cookies or my Lemon Pistachio Biscotti.

I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies recipe or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below.  I hope you enjoy my recipes and look forward to hearing from you!

You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

These soft pillowy cookies are laced with pieces of fresh strawberries and filled with a luscious cheesecake cream. They are delicious and impressive! Perfect for Valentine's Day, a summer party, cookout, or just as a yummy snack!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Refrigerate 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 21 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 cookies

Calories 289 kcal

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Ingredients

  

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Cream Cheese Filling

• 6 oz Cream Cheese softened
• ½ cup Confectioners' Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cookie Dough

• 2½ cups Flour all purpose
• 2 tsp Corn starch optional
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup Butter unsalted, melted
• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg large, room temperature
• 1 Egg Yolk large, room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Strawberries fresh, diced

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Instructions

 

Cream Cheese Filling

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until the mixture is creamy and lump free.
• Place 16 hefty teaspoon size dollops of the cream cheese mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour.

Make the Cookie Dough

• Mix the flour, cornstarch if using it, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar for 2 minutes.
• Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in two additions, scarping down the sides between intervals.
• Mix the flour into the batter just until it has been fully absorbed.
• Gently fold in the diced strawberries. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes

Assemble and Bake

• Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
• Flour your hands, then using a 1 tbsp size cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out a cookie dough ball, make an indentation in the center of the dough with the back of a teaspoon. Then place a cream cheese ball in the indentation. Top it with another scant tbsp scoop of dough and press together to seal the cream cheese ball in the center of the dough. *
• Arrange the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet about 3 inches apart and bake for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be starting to brown and the center may not look completely cooked.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. The cookies should be cooled to room temperature before you store them.

Notes

Baking tips:

• Strawberries will release water into the cookie batter so it is best to pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them into the dough.
• You can sprinkle the strawberries with a tablespoon of flour if you like.  This helps to absorb some of the extra liquid.
• It is important to measure the flour using a spoon to fill the measuring cup and then leveling it off with the flat edge of a knife or dough cutter.  This will ensure you don’t add more flour then you need.
• Make sure to refrigerate the dough.  This step makes the dough more manageable and it creates puffy pillowy cookies.
• Flour your hands when forming the cookies and work quickly. The strawberries make the dough a little bit sticky and the flour will help to keep it from sticking to your hands.
• Try not to overbake the cookies.  Baking times will vary from oven to oven and based on the size of the cookies.  Leaving them in the oven too long can make them dry out.  The cookies will continue to cook for a bit on the cookie sheet once you remove them from the oven.

*Alternatively, if you don’t want to get your hands too dirty, you can scoop the dough balls onto the cookie sheet, make the indentation with a teaspoon in the center, fill the dough with the frozen cream cheese and place the second scoop of dough on top.  You will still need to press the dough together with your fingers to seal the cream cheese in the center, but it may not be as messy.  Flouring your fingers will help keep the dough from sticking.

Nutrition

Serving: 16cookiesCalories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 266mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 529IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

Keyword easy, large cookies, fresh strawberries, soft cookie, Strawberry, Cream Cheese filling, Valentine’s Day, summer cookie

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