These strawberry cheesecake cookies are my go-to when I want a quick and easy treat that also feels special. I love how these cookies combine sweet strawberries and creamy cheesecake, making them perfect for any occasion. With a preparation time of under 30 minutes, they’re convenient for my busy days and always a hit with my family and friends.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfect for sharing. If you’re hosting a party or gathering, it’s easy to double this recipe. Plus, they’re guaranteed crowd favorites!
- Summer treat. Nothing’s better than fresh strawberries in the summer, and these cookies are just light, refreshing, and perfect for a warm day, just like my strawberry shortcake cookies.
- Make ahead dessert. You can make these cookies (or the cookie dough) in advance and freeze it to enjoy later.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this strawberry cheesecake cookie recipe, you’ll need fresh strawberries, cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, powdered sugar, egg, baking soda, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and egg.
Cream cheese mixture:
- Cream cheese. I used a cream cheese spread for this recipe. You can also use full-fat cream cheese.
- Lemon zest. Adds a bright flavor. You can skip it if you don’t like having a lemon flavor.
- Powdered sugar. Adds sweetness to the cream cheese filling.
Strawberry cookie dough:
- Strawberries. For a sweet flavor, use fresh, ripe strawberries. But you can also use frozen berries in a pinch.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter and make sure it’s room temperature before using it. If using salted butter, you can skip adding more salt.
- Sugar. I used both granulated and light brown sugar.
- Egg. Use a large egg at room temperature for the best results..
- All-purpose flour. Substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking soda. Helps the cookies rise and spread.
- Vanilla extract. You can also use almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- Salt. Skip adding salt if you’re using salted butter.
- Additonal toppings. Top it with white chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
📖 How to make strawberry cheesecake cookies
Step 1:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest. Using a spoon, place 1-inch dollops of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 1 hour or overnight until solid. Freezing helps the cream cheese maintain its shape during baking.
Step 2:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. You can also use a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Step 3:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add this to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a rubber spatula.
Step 4:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to form the dough into 2-inch balls, placing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. This should yield about 9 cookies. Use a teaspoon to create an indent in the center of each dough ball.
Step 5:
Quickly remove the frozen cream cheese balls from the freezer and press them into the indents of the cookie dough. Press gently to cover the cream cheese with a bit of the remaining dough from the bowl.
Step 6:
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden.
Step 7:
Once baked, let them cool on the baking sheet or cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve while warm and enjoy!
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Remove any water from the cream cheese spread before mixing it with powdered sugar. The mixture should not be runny. If your cream cheese is too moist, you might need to add more powdered sugar. Instead of adding more sugar, you can add a teaspoon more or less of cornflour.
- Don’t overmix. Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined to prevent the dough from becoming too thick and the cookies from becoming tough and dense.
- If the cookies spread or lose shape, use a spatula to gently nudge the edges back into a round cookie form.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Chill the dough for at least an hour before baking.
Use freeze-dried strawberries for intense flavor without adding moisture.
Press a small indent in the center of each cookie and avoid overfilling with cream cheese.
🍴 How to serve strawberry cookies
These strawberry cheesecake cookies are best served while fresh and warm. Enjoy them as a dessert for brunch parties, summer barbecue, or simply to make any day of the week better.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them in a Ziploc bag and let them thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy them.
🍴 More delicious cookie recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other quick cookie recipes:
Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
3 Ingredient Nutella Cookies
Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Brown Butter!)
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup cream cheese spread, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest, optional
Strawberry Cookies
- 1 cup butter, unsalted, salted will also work, just omit extra salt
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, chopped
Instructions
- Make sure there's a flat area in your freezer large enough to hold a baking sheet.
- Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest, if using, just to combine, don’t overmix to not thin the cream cheese. Using a spoon, place 1-inch dollops of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 1 hour or overnight until solid. Freezing helps the cream cheese maintain its shape during baking.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the egg, and vanilla extract, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add this to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. The dough will be thick, so avoid over-mixing. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a rubber spatula.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 2-inch balls, placing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. This should yield about 9 cookies. Use a teaspoon to create an indent in the center of each cookie ball.
- Quickly take the frozen cream cheese balls from the freezer and press them into the indents of the cookie dough. Cover the cream cheese with a bit of the remaining dough from the bowl, pressing gently. It's fine if they're not perfect; the imperfections add character.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden. Once baked, let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. If the cookies spread or lose shape, use a spatula to gently nudge the edges back into a round form.
Notes
- Cream cheese mixture: Try to remove some of the cream cheese water before mixing with powdered sugar. You might need to add more powdered sugar if your cream cheese is too moist. The mixture should not be runny. An alternative to adding more sugar is adding a teaspoon more or less of cornflour.
- Storage: The cookies are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them in a Ziploc bag and let them thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
