Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
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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! This is the original viral recipe, so look no further!
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.
Featured Reader Review
“Just made these for mother’s day and they were INCREDIBLE. No words. I think these are my favorite cookies I have ever made.”
Clarissa
They’re easy to make, 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!
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
How To Make These Stuffed Cookies
Make the cheesecake filling.
Scoop the filling then freeze!
Beat butter and sugars together.
Add in egg and vanilla!
Add dry ingredients then stir in the strawberries (best cookie dough I’ve ever tasted, by the way!)
Make dents in each ball of dough.
Fill each dent with cheesecake filling.
Add more dough on top and seal around the edges. Bake!
Expert Tips
- 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.
- Do 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.
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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!
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You can get these answers and more in my frequently asked questions post!
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese (regular or vegan)*, softened, (6 oz) SEE NOTES
- ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar*, SEE NOTES if using vegan cream cheese
Cookies
- 1 cup (210 g) butter (regular or vegan), softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2¾ cup (343 g) all-purpose flour *, SEE NOTES
- ½-⅔ cup fresh strawberries, diced small*, SEE NOTES
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.
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
I loved the recipe. My husband loved the dough. Would it be possible to replace the strawberries with funfetti or other toppings?
Hi Naomy! So happy to hear you both enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you can swap out for a hand full of different add-ins. I actually have quite a few versions of this recipe using different toppings like my Oreo Cheesecake Cookies or my pumpkin cheese cake cookies!
Hey! I was wondering if these cookies need to be refrigerated or if they can be left out in a sealed container. This recipe was amazing! Thank you.
Hi George! The cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days 😊
What about freeze dried strawberries? Will these work?
Hi Alexis! I haven’t tested this recipe with freeze dried strawberries, so I can’t say for sure. If you end up trying it out, let me know how it worked for you!
Re-read and couldn’t find a cooking temperature… what temperature do we bake the cookies at?
Hi Victoria! Cooking temperature can be found on the recipe card, step #9: it’s 350°F.
so is there supposed to be 1 egg yolk or 2 egg yolks?? very confusing
This recipe calls for one full egg and one egg yolk, which means there will be a total of two yolks mixed in the batter. Hope this helps 🤗
Question….. can I omit the fresh strawberry and use strawberry jam stuffed on top of the cream cheese?
I haven’t tried that myself so I’m not sure how the jam will bake into the cookies – it could melt into the dough. But let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Each of these cookies has 420 kcal or all of them together?
It’s an estimate but each one would have around 380-420 ish. They are large cookies
Do you recommend a substitute for the egg? Apple sauce, vegan yogurt, etc?
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
What a remarkable cookie! Definitely a keeper!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Absolutely love it.
I’m so happy you loved them Heidi!
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.
I am so happy you loved the cookies and found the instructions easy to follow Jennifer! Thank you for the review!
Hi. Can you substitute gluten free flour at the same measurement?
You can use 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour (the kind with with xantham gum)
Hi,
Can you freeze the cookie dough or is it better to freeze baked cookies?
Thank you!
Charm
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
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.
I’m so happy you loved them Liz! Thanks so much for the review!
Hey I want to ask, can I save the cookie dough after putting the cream cheese in it overnight in the fridge ?
That shouldn’t be a problem!
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
So glad you loved them Sara! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
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?
Freeze dried is fine!
Quite possibly my new favorite cookie. I used browned butter, and ugh! Chef’s kiss!!
So happy you loved them Bri!!
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?
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.
could you tell me all of the nutrition please i need to know asap
nutrition info is in the bottom of the recipe card
I like your recipe I’m flowing your good one thanks for your
Wery good your recipe I’m flowing your recipe thanks
so glad you loved them!
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!
I am so happy you loved them so much Madeline! Thanks for the review!
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!
Hi Anna! Happy belated birthday 🙂 So glad you loved the cookies and thanks for the review!
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!
I am so happy to hear that Emily! Thank you for the review!
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!
Could you use other berries in the cookies?
Sure, you can use raspberries or blueberries in the same quantity!