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!
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
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
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 1/3 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
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
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.
Can I freeze unbaked cookies?
Yes! You just might need to add an extra minute or two when baking from frozen
These Cookies are AMAZING!! I did make a slight change to the recipe. I had made some raspberry powdered sugar a while back for a different cookie recipe and I had some left over. I mixed that with the cream cheese instead of the plain powdered sugar. It was a fun twist. I had to send some of the cookies to my husbands work so I didn’t eat them all. Highly recommend.
I’m wondering, do you really have to wait until the cream cheese is almost SOLID to start the rest, or can you start while the cream cheese is freezing?
You just want to make sure the cream cheese is solid by the time you start assembling the cookies – that might take more or less time depending on the brand of cream cheese and your freezer which is why I suggest giving yourself plenty of time to let them freeze, but whatever works for you!
Can I add freeze dried strawberry powder to the cookie dough to increase the strawberry flavor?
I haven’t tried this myself so I can’t personally recommend, but it sounds like a good idea and would love to hear how it works for you if you give it a try!
Made these cookies several times.
I use half cake flour half all purpose flour.
Gives cookies a lighter , cake like texture.
Very good recipe
Just made these for mother’s day and they were INCREDIBLE. No words. I think these are my favorite cookies I have ever made.
How long can these be stored in the freezer?
You can freeze the baked cookies by placing them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
It doesnt say what temperature to preheat to??
On the recipe card, you’ll find preheating instructions on step #9: Preheat the oven to 350°F 😊
I’ve made this recipe 3 times for my sibling who LOVES anything berries and cream, it’s consistently a hit. I use a medium cookie scoop to make sure all my tops and bottoms are even, I haven’t had an issue at all! I did have some leftover dough but I used a teaspoon to evenly distribute it amongst the cookies & it was prefect. As an avid baker this is a lower effort recipe that always impresses.
So happy to hear this Anastasia! Thank you for your review!
This recipe was really frustrating. It says it makes 12 large cookies but at no point does it say to put aside dough to put on TOP of each cookie to seal in the cream cheese. I never had enough dough and now I have six bigger than my face cookies that have all gotten wet from the strawberries. I reread the recipe a hundred times. I cook all the time and am still extremely confused. Its like it’s missing instructions.
Hi Bridget, sorry to hear you had trouble understanding the directions. Step 3 says “Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.” and Step 7 says “Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough onto each baking sheet.” Hope this helps!
I make these ALL the time, big party favourite! I’ve tried with other fruits as well, blueberry lemon, peaches and raspberries! I’d absolutely recommend!
Hi Taylor! Thank you so much for your kind review! Love that you’ve used this recipe with different types of fruits 😍
What can u replace the egg yolk with as a vegetarian option like is flax egg a good alternative
I haven’t tested these that way so I can’t say for sure, but I think it could work!
I’ve made these with strawberries but I’d like to try with raspberries. Did you use fresh ones? Was there more liquid to deal with? TIA!
Yes! I actually have a raspberry version of these cookies you can follow here! You can use fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried!
So curious how you used blueberries as im planning to try them out myself. Did you chop them up?
I plan on making these cookies for some friends and me but I have some questions like when using normal cream cheese how long does it take to freeze the filling/how long in advance to i have to make them and, 2 I only have salted butter so how would that work? Do I not add any salt in the recipe, and will it affect the cookies negatively?
Hi Raine! I’ve tested this with salted and unsalted butter, and both ways are great. The cookies will be on the sweeter side if you use unsalted butter and less sweet if using salted. I personally prefer less sweet so I liked them better with salted butter. I would still add salt even if using salted. Freezing time will be 25-45 minutes for the cream cheese.
I just made these and they’re excellent! I know you said they can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Would it be okay to leave them out for several hours though? Like 8 hours or so at room temp? Or should they be refrigerated right away?
Hi Christina! 8 hours is on the longer side, but should be okay. They are also best served fresh as the cream cheese filling will start to soften the cookies!
I think I messed mine up since the strawberries I bought were sadly already kinda soft, so they got squished when mixing them in and my cookies turned out reaaaallly soft and cake like but they’re still incredibly tasty! Bummer about the texture but that’s a me issue not a recipe issue lol. Totally recommend adding some white chocolate drizzle on top, i did that + cookie crumbles and they look cute and taste even better 😀
Hi! I’m sorry to hear the strawberries didn’t work out texture-wise, but I’m glad it was still tasty for you! Thank you for your feedback 😊
can I use cream cheese spread instead of regular,?
I can’t recommend this as I haven’t tested it with cream cheese spread. Spread contains different fat and moisture content than standard cream cheese, so the texture is quite different and may not work for these cookies.
These came out great. I used some sour cream along with the cream cheese. Very flavorful. Hot outside, so these refrigerator treats were perfect.
Hi Jeff! Happy to hear you enjoyed these! Thank you for your review!
I made 20 cookies medium sized out of single batch and they were yummy
Hi Dana! I’m so happy you found these yummy!
Can you prepare the dough the night before and then bake it the following day?
Hi Lys! If you are assembling the cookies with the cream cheese the night before, then I would freeze those assembled cookie dough balls so that the cream cheese in the middle can stay frozen. Add an extra 2-3 minutes for baking from frozen. If you plan to assemble the cookie dough and cream cheese the next day when you bake them, then I would just refrigerate the dough and keep the cream cheese teaspoons in the freezer until then.
the cookies were hard to assemble because the dough was sticky, but overall it was easy to follow. these cookies aren’t overly sweet which is great for my asian parents. i will make more of these in the future. 🙂
Thank you for your review Savannah!
These are amazing cookies!
Hello! They look delicious 🤤. Is it possible to put the cookie balls into the freezer or will freezing them draw out more water into the cookie when cooking from frozen?thank you.
Yes you can freeze the uncooked dough! Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and put in freezer until frozen. Then transfer frozen dough to ziplock and freeze up to 3 months. Add an extra 2-3 minutes in the oven if baking from frozen.