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These strawberry cheesecake cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with real strawberry pieces in every bite. They are naturally flavored and stuffed with a delicious cream cheese filling!
I never knew I could love a cookie as much as I love these strawberry cheesecake cookies (and I LOVE cookies, so that's saying something). Up until now my favorite cookie was a tie between peanut butter cookies or cookie butter cookies. But these strawberry cream cheese cookies take the cake.
They're easy to make, so buttery, have slightly crispy edges, and are so soft and pillowy. The flavor from the tiny chunks of strawberry throughout the batter is just amazing, and the cream cheese filling in the middle stays gooey while providing a tang in every bite. They are truly summer in cookie form!
Why These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Work
- The strawberry cookie dough has real strawberries folded into the dough, which gives the cookies a natural strawberry flavor without the need for anything artificial.
- Cream cheese filling is frozen and then wrapped up in between two balls of cookie dough, then baked, so there's a perfect mix of cream cheese and strawberries in every bite.
- These cookies are big and pillowy, and because of the cream cheese filling, they stay soft for days!
Ingredients
These strawberry cheesecake cookies require 11 simple ingredients. A few notes about the ingredients:
- Butter: you can use regular butter, or dairy free butter for these cookies.
- Cream Cheese: you can use regular cream cheese or a dairy free/vegan cream cheese alternative for the filling. Ingredients used to make vegan cream cheese can vary so some may take longer to freeze than others, and regular (dairy) cream cheese will require more icing sugar to achieve the gooey filling.
- Strawberries: I strongly recommend using fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries will release water into the dough and make it more wet and sticky. If you only have frozen strawberries, see recipe notes below for more instructions!
Step By Step Instructions
STEP ONE: In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper and place 12 heaping teaspoons of cream cheese on it. Freeze for at least one hour, or until frozen almost completely solid.
STEP TWO: Once the cream cheese is frozen, prepare two large baking sheets and set aside.
STEP THREE: Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
STEP FOUR: Chop up the strawberries and very gently fold them into the cookie dough.
STEP FIVE: Scoop 10-12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto one lined baking sheet (each ball of dough will be almost 2 tbsps measured), Gently press a dent into half of the balls of dough. Take 6 cream cheese balls out of the freezer and place them on top of 6 of the balls of dough.
STEP SIX: Cover each ball of dough with another ball of dough, pinching the sides to seal it and keep the cream cheese inside. Place the tray in the fridge then repeat on a second tray with the remaining cookie dough.
STEP SEVEN: Preheat the oven. Chill the prepared dough while the oven preheats, then bake one tray at a time for 13-17 minutes. Leave cookies on the tray for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
What kind of cream cheese should I use?
This recipe can be made with regular dairy ingredients if you aren't dairy free. If using regular cream cheese, the full fat kind is best and you should increase icing sugar to â…“ cup.
Regular (not vegan) cream cheese is firmer than vegan cream cheese alternatives, so it requires more icing sugar to achieve a softer filling.
If using dairy free/vegan cream cheese, be aware that every cream cheese brand is different. Some are made with a coconut base (which I prefer), others use tofu as a base. The time it takes to freeze the filling will vary based on the kind of cream cheese used.
Can I skip the filling?
Absolutely! You can totally skip the cheesecake part of these cookies and just make the most delicious strawberry butter cookies you've ever tasted.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes but it's not recommended. I tested these cookies many times with frozen strawberries and they work but you have to move really quickly because frozen strawberries hold water, that releases into the cookie dough as they thaw, making the cookie dough sticky and harder to work with. The color can sometimes bleed into the dough with frozen strawberries.
If you only have frozen strawberries, you can still use them. Be sure to dice them up before making the dough, then just work really quickly to assemble the cookies.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh strawberries instead of frozen. Frozen strawberries hold a lot of water and will make the dough very sticky.
- As you fold the top ball of dough over the cream cheese, the dough may start to get sticky. Keep a cloth nearby and wipe your fingers on it before moving to the next cookie to make it a bit easier to work with.
- Try not to add more strawberries to the dough than the recipe calls for. Too many strawberries will make the dough hard to work with.
- When assembling the cookies, make sure to use heaping tablespoons. These are big cookies! Each assembled ball will contain around 3-4 tablespoons of dough.
- Preheat the oven after you've prepared the dough with the filling inside. It isn't a long chill time, but it just helps to firm up the cookies after you've been handling the dough and softening it up.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
The cookies are best enjoyed fresh, when the edges are still slightly crispy and crunchy. The cookies start to soften over time, so if you enjoy soft cookies you'll like these even more the next day.
Because of the cream cheese filling, the cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days.
You can also freeze them to enjoy later and let thaw in the fridge when you're ready to eat!
MORE COOKIE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
- Cookies and Cream Stuffed Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cookie Butter (Biscoff) Stuffed Cookies
- Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Video
Equipment
- handheld mixer or Standing Mixer
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter (regular or vegan), softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2¾ cup all-purpose flour * SEE NOTES
- ½-â…” cup fresh strawberries, diced small* SEE NOTES
Cream Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup cream cheese (regular or vegan)* (6 oz) SEE NOTES
- ¼ cup powdered sugar* SEE NOTES if using regular (not vegan) cream cheese
Instructions
- This recipe makes 12 LARGE cookies. See NOTES below for instructions to make smaller cookies** Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. In a small bowl, use a whisk or mixer (depending how hard your cream cheese is) to mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth and combined.
- Place 10-12 heaping teaspoons of cream cheese on the baking sheet or plate. Freeze for at least one hour, or until frozen almost completely solid.
- When the cream cheese is frozen almost solid, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda then set aside.
- In the bowl of a handheld mixer or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix until just combined (don't over-mix).
- Dice the strawberries and gently fold them in. You don't want to mix them in too much or they'll get squished and the color will bleed into the dough.
- Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto each baking sheet. They should be fairly big - if measured they'd be about 2 tbsp-sized (these are big cookies!). Press the back of a teaspoon slightly into the top of half the balls of dough to create an indent.
- Remove the cream cheese filling from the freezer and place one into each of the cookies. Take a second ball of dough and place it over the cream cheese, pinching the sides to seal the cream cheese inside (see picture in post above), but making sure to not squish the cream cheese into the cookie dough. The dough may start to get sticky and a bit crumbly, and a bit harder to work with because of the strawberries, but just go with it! Wipe your hands clean before moving on to the next cookie. You should have tall balls of dough.
- Refrigerate the prepared cookie dough balls and repeat with the second cookie sheet and remaining dough. Preheat the oven to 350°F and leave the cookie dough in the fridge while it preheats.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven one sheet at a time for 13-17 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
emilia
Each of these cookies has 420 kcal or all of them together?
Gabby
It's an estimate but each one would have around 380-420 ish. They are large cookies
Rachel
Do you recommend a substitute for the egg? Apple sauce, vegan yogurt, etc?
Gabby
I haven't tested them without eggs so I can't say how they'll turn out, but you can try 1.5 flax eggs
Heidi
What a remarkable cookie! Definitely a keeper!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Absolutely love it.
Gabby
I'm so happy you loved them Heidi!
Jennifer
Wow! These are phenomenal cookies! I was nervous making them and wasn't confident they'd turn out, but your instructions were spot on and my cookies turned out perfectly. It just looks complicated - you made it really quite simple. Thank you for making me look like an amazing cook! I'm looking forward to really impressing people with these cookies.
Gabby
I am so happy you loved the cookies and found the instructions easy to follow Jennifer! Thank you for the review!
Ashley
Hi. Can you substitute gluten free flour at the same measurement?
Gabby
You can use 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour (the kind with with xantham gum)
Charm
Hi,
Can you freeze the cookie dough or is it better to freeze baked cookies?
Thank you!
Charm
Gabby
Hi Charm, for best results, I'd recommend freezing the cookie dough and the filling separately, then baking later if you must. The cookies are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven
Liz
These cookies are DELICIOUS! The soft chewy texture of the cookie, the creaminess of the cheesecake and the freshness of the strawberries are the perfect combo.
The fresh strawberries in the cookie dough makes for a thrilling ride but if you read the blog post through beforehand you'll find all the tips and tricks you need to get it right.
Gabby
I'm so happy you loved them Liz! Thanks so much for the review!
Beba
Hey I want to ask, can I save the cookie dough after putting the cream cheese in it overnight in the fridge ?
Gabby
That shouldn't be a problem!
Sara
Really good recipe, the cheesecake filling is so unique! I made it twice and the second time I made some adjustments which I found helped make them even better, but your recipe is still amazing.
I used slightly less cream cheese - about 130g as I found 170g makes the balls a little too big. I also increased the sugar and added vanilla extract to the cheesecake filling as I found it a little bland
I also thought the cookies came out a tad cakey for my taste, so I added an extra 50g granulated sugar and they were perfectly chewy and sweeter
You’re right about how it’s hard to add more strawberries without making the dough too sticky, but I really missed some of the strawberry flavour. I got around this by - at about the 12 minute mark of baking - when the cookies are spread out a little, I sprinkled some extra chopped strawberries on top and continued baking until done. They look so pretty with the strawberries on top!
I also added some white chocolate chips because I clearly have a sweet tooth 😂 and it goes so well with the other flavours
Gabby
So glad you loved them Sara! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Melania
I'm ready to make these for Father's Day! He loves cheesecake so let's see if he likes these!
Also, I only have freeze dried strawberries in my pantry. Do you think I can use these in my dough?
Gabby
Freeze dried is fine!
Bri
Quite possibly my new favorite cookie. I used browned butter, and ugh! Chef’s kiss!!
Gabby
So happy you loved them Bri!!
Holly
I have made these several times and love that they are not too sweet and cakey!!
I would like more strawberry flavor without adding extract.
Could I add strawberry jam? If so, how much and how would I need to change other ingredients (flour) to accommodate more moisture?
Gabby
Hi Holly! So happy you love the cookies! I haven't tested the recipe with strawberry jam so I'm not sure how it would go. You can try adding a small amount. You can also try using freeze dried strawberries instead of fresh, as you can use a lot more of those without adding too much moisture to the dough.
bob
could you tell me all of the nutrition please i need to know asap
Gabby
nutrition info is in the bottom of the recipe card
Luxman Munich mullage
I like your recipe I'm flowing your good one thanks for your
Luxman Mun mullage
Wery good your recipe I'm flowing your recipe thanks
Gabby
so glad you loved them!
Madeleine
I made these cookies last weekend and they were sooo yummy! I couldn’t stop eating them! The cream cheese filling makes the cookies so unique and 10x better, especially when still warm. The extra taste of freshness from the fresh strawberries is also so good. Definitely a 10/10 and will be making again!
Gabby
I am so happy you loved them so much Madeline! Thanks for the review!
Anna
Made these to celebrate my birthday and they are amazing! Huge cookie with huge flavors! I did add in white chocolate chips for texture and am thrilled with the outcome!
Gabby
Hi Anna! Happy belated birthday 🙂 So glad you loved the cookies and thanks for the review!
Emily
These cookies were a HUGE hit in my house. They weren't as complicated as I originally thought they were going to be, and they turned out perfectly chewy, creamy, and sweet. Definitely a new go-to for dessert!
Gabby
I am so happy to hear that Emily! Thank you for the review!
Madeleine
I made these cookies last weekend and they were sooo yummy! I couldn’t stop eating them! The cream cheese filling makes the cookies so unique and 10x better, especially when still warm. The extra taste of freshness from the fresh strawberries is also so good. Definitely a 10/10 and will be making again!
Kristie
Could you use other berries in the cookies?
Gabby
Sure, you can use raspberries or blueberries in the same quantity!