Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Want to add something a little extra to your next bake sale, cookie swap or office party? These cookies are as delicious as they sound. Share them just once and get ready to share this strawberry cheesecake cookie recipe often!
Strawberry cheesecake cookies stand apart from other cookie recipes because they’re a bit unexpected and so, so delicious. The strawberry-studded, buttery, graham cracker-coated cookie hugs a rich, creamy filling for bursts of flavor in every bite.
These special treats are like mini strawberry cheesecakes with the convenience of a cookie. Much easier to pack into lunch bags, too! They also make a great addition to end-of-summer celebrations like Labor Day cookouts and family reunions.
What to serve with strawberry cheesecake cookies
These cookies are rich and decadent all by themselves any time your sweet tooth needs satisfying. To dress them up a bit for an after-dinner dessert, serve them slightly warm (not too much to preserve the creamy center!) along with a scoop of cool vanilla ice cream or mini scoops of strawberry sorbet.
How about a couple of meals that pair perfectly with these cookies? Try my creamy lemon chicken piccata with capers. The lemon sauce on the chicken complements the strawberry and cream cheese flavors of the cookies.
Another option is a savory quiche (like my bacon and cheese quiche) for a hearty contrast to the fruity and sweet strawberry cheesecake flavors.
The combination of fruit, crumbly cookie and cream cheese also makes them a fine addition to an afternoon tea tray, brunch menu or shower spread. Besides the quiche I just mentioned, think pimento cheese, finger sandwiches, chicken salad, cheese wafers, fresh fruit, and ham and cheese sliders.
Just know that these make really large cookies, they can be cut into smaller pieces after they’ve been cooked if you want smaller pieces.
Ingredients needed to make these strawberry cheesecake cookies
Here are the ingredients to gather for baking these beauties and a little about what each does to make them so delicious.
- Cream Cheese: Provides the slightly tangy base for the creamy cheesecake filling.
- Sugars: You will need powdered sugar to sweeten the cream cheese mixture for the filling and then brown sugar and white granulated sugar for the cookie base.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter or this recipe since you’ll be adding a little salt to the dough. If you only have salted on hand, reduce the added 1/2 tsp salt to 1/4 tsp or skip it altogether.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps achieve a crispy cookie exterior.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients and help give the cookies their shape and moist texture.
- Strawberry and Vanilla Extracts: The vanilla brings flavor and aroma and the strawberry adds punch to the flavor of the fresh fruit.
- Fresh Strawberries: Adds natural sweetness and bursts of bright strawberry flavor and texture throughout the cookie.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and stability for the cookies.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Gives the cookie base its classic cheesecake-like flavor and texture.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Help the cookies rise just enough for the desired shape and texture.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
- Three baking pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Silicone mats (optional)
Frequently asked questions about these strawberry cheesecake cookies
Besides “Can I have this recipe?” (yes!), here are a few other questions people ask when I share these cookies. If you have a question I haven’t covered, ask in the comments, and I will reply as soon as I can.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones?
While fresh strawberries are best for their texture and flavor, you can use frozen strawberries if you can’t get your hands on fresh ones. Using frozen strawberries may result in a slightly softer filling due to the increased moisture content. One way to help this is to thaw the frozen strawberries completely, drain any excess liquid, and pat them dry before finely chopping them.
What is the best way to store strawberry cheesecake cookies to stay fresh?
Store your strawberry cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The fridge will keep the cream cheese filling fresh and maintain the cookies’ texture.
Could I substitute other fruits in this cheesecake cookie recipe?
You can easily customize these cookies by swapping the strawberries for other berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. You can also try using chopped peaches, mangoes, or even pineapple for a tropical twist. And of course, there’s the classic cherry!
Just remember to adjust the fruit extract accordingly to complement the chosen fruit, and follow the same instructions about tossing the chopped fruit in a bit of flour before adding them to the cookie dough mixture.
Can I substitute the strawberry extract with something else?
If you don’t have strawberry extract on hand, you can substitute it with 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract or 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. While these substitutions will alter the flavor, they will still add an extra fruity or nutty note for more complexity.
How can I make these cookies gluten-free?
To make these strawberry cheesecake cookies gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix and use gluten-free graham crackers for the graham cracker crumbs. Make sure to double-check that all other ingredients are gluten-free as well, and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
More Grandma Approved Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe for strawberry cheesecake cookies, here are some other grandma-approved recipes that you should try!
- Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Recipe
- Homemade Cheesecake Recipe
- Easy Blueberry Cake Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- 3 Baking pans
- parchment paper
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Silicone mats optional
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
- 1 cup strawberries finely chopped
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cream cheese filling:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer in a medium bowl for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the powdered sugar until fully incorporated.
- Scoop generous teaspoon-sized balls of the filling onto the prepared pan about 2 inches apart – until you have 12-15. Freeze until ready to use.
For the cookie dough:
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and half the graham cracker crumbs in a medium mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
- With a mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Add both sugars and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
- Add both extracts and then eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until well combined.
- Toss the finely chopped strawberries in 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Fold the strawberries into the batter. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two baking pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and scoop 3-tablespoon size balls of dough onto each baking pan, flattening them slightly with a teaspoon-sized divot in each of the centers. There should be 12-15 balls.
- Remove cream cheese dollops from the freezer and place one in each of the center divots.
- Cover and encase cream cheese filling with cookie dough, about 3 tablespoons each.
- Roll the cookie dough balls into the rest of the graham cracker crumbs.
- Bake 6 cookies at a time, about 2 inches apart, for 15 minutes or until the edges are crispy and brown.
