These are the best strawberry cheesecake cookies! These cookies are so decadent and have the most amazing flavour. They are soft, thick, gooey and perfectly sweet. I've included options for making them gluten-free and dairy-free too!
I love desserts made with fruit like dairy free berry ice cream bars, healthy lemon blueberry pop tarts, easy strawberry vanilla popsicles and cherry brownies, which is why I can't wait for you to make the strawberry cookie recipe I am sharing with you today!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The taste! These cheesecake filled cookies are so incredibly good. They are soft, thick, chewy and gooey. They combine the flavours of strawberry cheesecake with vanilla cheesecake to give these cookies the best flavour.
- This is a bakery style cookie recipe that is decadent enough to serve to guests at holidays and events like Easter, Mother's Day, or Father's Day, but also good enough to serve any time.
- Kid's love these cheesecake stuffed cookies!
- I have included gluten-free and dairy-free options depending on your dietary needs.
- These strawberry cheesecake cookies freeze really well.
If you love the flavour of cheesecake you will also love berry cheesecake overnight oats.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Strawberries - fresh strawberries give these strawberry cheesecake cookies the most incredible flavour plus a beautiful pink colour. I recommend using fresh strawberries rather than frozen strawberries.
- Cream cheese - cream cheese is used to make the most delicious vanilla cheesecake filling. Be sure to use plain, unflavoured cream cheese.
- Butter - this is used to give these cookies the most delectable soft and fluffy shortbread cookie texture. Be sure to use unsalted butter.
- Cane sugar - this gives these cookies the perfect sweet taste. I have not tried this recipe with any other granulated sweeteners so can't guarantee that any swaps would work out.
- Honey - this natural sweetener helps give these strawberry cheesecake cookies the best sweet taste! You could swap this for maple syrup.
- Eggs - eggs help these cookies rise and turn out extra light and fluffy. I have not tried this recipe with any egg replacements or egg substitutes and can't guarantee they would work out.
- All purpose flour - these cookies are made with all purpose flour to give them that perfect bakery style texture. If you are gluten free you can use a gluten-free all purpose flour instead.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To make these strawberry cheesecake cookies dairy-free: use a dairy-free cream cheese or vegan cream cheese and vegan butter.
- To make these cookies gluten-free: use a gluten-free all purpose flour.
- Instead of strawberries you could make these cookies with another fruit such as blueberries or blackberries.
How to make strawberry cheesecake cookies:
To make the cream cheese filling:
Step 1: In a bowl, use a whisk or hand mixer (depending how hard your cream cheese is) to mix the cream cheese and the cane sugar together until they are smooth and combined.
Step 2: Next line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and place 10 heaping tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on the baking sheet. Freeze them for at least one hour, or until frozen solid.
To make the cookies:
Step 1: Once the cream cheese filling is frozen, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda then set the bowl aside.
Step 2: Then using a standing mixer, beat the butter, sugars, vanilla extract and eggs together until you have a smooth texture.
Step 3: Next add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix until just combined (try not to over-mix).
Step 4: Gently fold the cut up strawberries into the dough. You don't want to mix them in too much or they'll get squished and the color will bleed into the dough. Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 5: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and using a large cookie scoop, transfer the dough to the parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Step 6: Now press the back of a teaspoon or your thumb into the top of half the balls of dough to create an indent in the dough. Remove the cream cheese filling from the freezer and place one into each of the indents.
Step 7: Next take a bit more dough and place it over the cream cheese, pinching the sides to seal the cream cheese inside. You should have large, tall balls of dough. Then bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The tops will still be slightly under-cooked looking.
Step 8: Lastly, let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet, then enjoy!
Top tips:
- Use room temperature eggs for best results.
- Use softened cream cheese. Cold cream cheese will be really hard to blend with the sugar. You can soften cream cheese by letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Use a large cookie scoop rather than a regular cookie scoop for making these strawberry cheesecake cookies.
- Don't forget to chill the dough for these strawberry cheesecake cookies. Otherwise they will be way too runny!
- I recommend using fresh rather than frozen strawberries to make these cookies.
- Don't use melted butter to make these cookies. Room temperature butter works best.
- These cookies spread out when baking so be sure to leave at least 3 inches between each cookie.
- Don't overcook these cookies - they are meant to be slightly gooey in the middle.
- Let these cookies cool before eating them. The middle will still be soft and gooey.
How to store:
Because of the cream cheese filling, these strawberry cheesecake cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not try storing them at room temperature. These cookies also freeze really well in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Allow the cookies to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Strawberry cheesecake cookies FAQs:
No, this is not a vegan cookie recipe. They can easily be made dairy free but they do contain eggs and I have not tried making them with any egg replacements to make them vegan.
I would not consider these cookies to be a healthy cookie option. But, I do believe that the occasional decadent dessert can be part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
No they are not.
Yes! If you prefer to leave out the cream cheese filling you can turn these into strawberry cookies instead - plus they will be even easier to make.
Yep! Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries all work well.
No they are definitely not. The sugar and fresh strawberries used in these cookies makes them high in carbs and not keto friendly.
Other cookie recipes you will love:
Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour (or use an all purpose gluten free flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (use vegan butter for dairy free)
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
Cream Cheese Filling
- 3/4 cup cream cheese (use vegan for dairy free)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cream Cheese Filling Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and place 10 heaping tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on the baking sheet. Freeze for at least one hour, or until frozen solid.
Cookie Instructions
- Once the cream cheese filling is solid, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda then set the bowl aside.
- Using your standing mixer, beat the butter, sugars, vanilla extract and eggs together until you have a smooth texture.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix until just combined (try not to over-mix).
- Gently fold the cut up strawberries into the dough. You don't want to mix them in too much or they'll get squished and the color will bleed into the dough. Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 350F and using a large cookie scoop, transfer the dough to the parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
- Press the back of a teaspoon or your thumb into the top of half the balls of dough to create an indent in the dough.
- Remove the cream cheese filling from the freezer and place one into each of the cookies. Take a bit more dough and place it over the cream cheese, pinching the sides to seal the cream cheese inside (see the pictures in the post above). You should have tall balls of dough.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The tops will still be slightly under-cooked looking.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet, then enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe yields 10 large cookies.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
- For a gluten-free version use a gluten-free all purpose flour.
- Store these cookies in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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