Skip to content 
My daughter Olivia and I love to ask fun “what if” questions in the kitchen. Our latest one: what if a soft cookie and a creamy slice of cheesecake had a baby? The delicious answer is these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies! This is the ultimate dessert mashup, a soft, chewy strawberry cookie wrapped around a dreamy, cheesecake stuffed center. It’s truly the best of both worlds in one bite.
What makes this strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe so special is how they combine three amazing desserts into one incredible treat. You get the chewy sugar cookie dough, the tangy cream cheese filling, and fresh strawberry flavor all in one bite. These are perfect for bake sales, cookie swaps, or just when you want something truly special. They look impressive but are surprisingly easy to make, and everyone always asks for the recipe. Trust me, once you try these strawberry cream cheese cookies, regular cookies will seem boring.
Jump To
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
1. Three Desserts in One – These cookies give you everything you love about strawberry cheesecake but in a handheld cookie form. The buttery graham cracker cookie base mimics the crust, the stuffed cream cheese center is like the cheesecake filling, and the real strawberry pieces bring that fresh fruit topping. It’s genius.
2. Soft and Pillowy Texture – These aren’t crispy cookies. They’re soft, thick, and have this amazing pillowy soft texture that makes them melt in your mouth. The cream cheese filling stays creamy even after baking, creating this incredible contrast with the chewy cookie exterior.
3. Perfect for Any Occasion – Whether you need easy bake sale items to make, want impressive cookies for a party, or just want to treat yourself, these work for everything. They look professional, taste amazing, and people can’t believe you made them at home.
Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
This strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe uses simple ingredients to create something that tastes bakery-quality. You’re making both the cookie dough and the cheesecake filling from scratch, which sounds fancy but is actually super easy.
What You’ll Need
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed (or fresh strawberries, finely diced)
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
For the Strawberry Glaze (Optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons strawberry puree or jam
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Why These Ingredients Matter
Graham Cracker Crumbs – This is what gives you that authentic cheesecake crust flavor in the cookie base. The graham crackers add a subtle honey sweetness and that classic cheesecake taste. You can buy graham cracker crumbs or just crush graham crackers yourself in a food processor.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries – These are a game changer for strawberry cheesecake cookies with freeze-dried strawberries. They pack intense strawberry flavor without adding moisture that would make the cookies soggy. You can find them in the dried fruit section or use fresh strawberries if you prefer, just make sure to dice them super fine.
Cream Cheese Filling – This creamy cheesecake filling is what makes these cookies special. The cream cheese stays soft and tangy in the center of each cookie, creating that signature cheesecake taste. Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened so it mixes smoothly.
Instructions for Making Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Make the cheesecake filling first. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate while you make the cookie dough. This needs to be cold when you stuff the cookies.
Step 2: For best results, freeze cheesecake balls before baking. Scoop the cream cheese mixture into tablespoon-sized portions onto a parchment-lined plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes. This makes them easier to stuff into the cookies.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 4: In another bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until combined.
Step 5: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries or finely diced fresh strawberries. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Step 6: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten it in your palm. Place a frozen cream cheese ball in the center, then wrap the dough around it, sealing completely. Roll into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 7: Repeat with remaining dough and filling, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape.
Step 8: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking as they cool.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10: If using the strawberry glaze topping, whisk together powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Hint: These soft and chewy strawberry cheesecake cookies pair beautifully with the strawberry cheesecake crunch bites for a full strawberry dessert spread. The textures complement each other perfectly.
Top Tip
Freeze the Filling First – Don’t skip freezing the cream cheese balls. When the filling is frozen, it’s so much easier to wrap the cookie dough around it without it squishing out. This one step makes the whole process way less messy.
Don’t Overbake – These cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy inside. Overbaked cookies will be dry instead of that perfect pillowy soft texture.
Seal the Dough Completely – Make sure the cookie dough completely covers the cream cheese filling with no gaps. If there are any openings, the filling will leak out during baking. Pinch and smooth the seams really well.
Chill Before Baking – That 15-20 minute chill time after shaping prevents the cookies from spreading too much and helps them stay thick and puffy. It’s worth the wait for perfectly shaped cookies.
My Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Journey
I first made these cookies for a school bake sale fundraiser, and honestly, I was nervous. I’d never made stuffed cookies before and wasn’t sure if the cream cheese would work. Grandma watched me fuss over them and said, “Jazzy, stop overthinking it. Just wrap that dough around the filling and trust it’ll work out. Cookies are more forgiving than you think.”
Well, those cookies sold out in the first 15 minutes of the bake sale. People were actually asking if they could pre-order more for the next event. Now these are my go-to whenever I need easy bake sale items to make or want to impress someone with homemade cookies. Every time I make them, I remember that first batch and how Grandma’s simple confidence helped me try something new. These old fashioned strawberry cheesecake cookies have become a family favorite, and they’ve made so many bake sales successful.
Substitutions for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Regular Sugar Cookies Base – If you can’t find graham cracker crumbs, you can make these with just regular chewy sugar cookie dough. They won’t have that cheesecake crust flavor, but they’ll still be delicious. Just replace the graham cracker crumbs with an extra 1/2 cup of flour.
Fresh Strawberries Instead of Freeze-Dried – Use 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries finely diced instead of freeze-dried. Pat them really dry with paper towels first to remove excess moisture. They’ll give you jammy strawberries pockets in the cookies.
No Cream Cheese Filling – If you want easier strawberry cookies with cream cheese, skip the stuffing step and just swirl some softened cream cheese into the cookie dough before baking. You won’t get that surprise center, but they’ll still have cheesecake flavor.
Gluten-Free Version – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free graham cracker crumbs. Everything else stays the same. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.
Variations on Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie Bars – Press half the cookie dough into a 9×13 pan, spread all the cream cheese filling on top, then crumble the remaining dough over it. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Cut into strawberry cheesecake cookies bars for easy serving.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies with Jam – Mix 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam into the cream cheese filling for extra strawberry flavor. The jam creates these beautiful jammy strawberries swirls in the center of each cookie.
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies – Use vegan butter, replace the eggs with flax eggs, and use vegan cream cheese for the filling. These strawberry cheesecake cookies vegan versions work surprisingly well and taste almost identical to the original.
Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies – Make bite-sized versions using a small cookie scoop for the dough and tiny cream cheese balls. Perfect for parties or when you want easy back sale ideas that are portion-controlled.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies – Mix crushed graham crackers with melted butter, form into discs, top with a cream cheese and strawberry mixture, and chill. These strawberry cheesecake no bake cookies are great for hot summer days, similar to this southern banana cobbler that’s also perfect for warm weather.
Equipment for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – You need a good mixer to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, which creates those soft, tender cookies. A hand mixer works fine, but a stand mixer makes the job easier.
Cookie Scoop – A 2-tablespoon cookie scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size, which means they bake evenly. It also makes portioning the dough faster and less messy.
Baking Sheets and Parchment Paper – Use heavy-duty baking sheets lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking. The parchment also makes cleanup a breeze.
Wire Cooling Rack – Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack so air circulates underneath. This prevents the bottoms from getting soggy and helps them maintain that perfect texture.
Storage Tips for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Refrigerator Storage – Because these have a cream cheese filling, they need to be refrigerated. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They actually taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to blend.
Bring to Room Temperature – Take the cookies out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before eating. They taste best at room temperature when the cookie is soft and the filling is creamy but not cold.
Freezer Storage – These freeze beautifully. Store baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature.
Unbaked Cookie Dough – You can freeze the shaped, unbaked cookies on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time. Great for having fresh cookies whenever you want them.
Grandma’s Secret for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Grandma taught me the most important trick for making the best strawberry cheesecake cookies. “Jazzy,” she said while watching me make a batch, “the secret is making sure that cream cheese is completely sealed inside. You don’t want any cracks or gaps because the filling will leak out and make a mess.” She showed me how to really pinch and smooth the dough around the filling, making sure there were no thin spots.
Her other secret is adding just a tiny pinch of lemon zest to the cream cheese filling. She says it brightens the flavor and makes it taste more like authentic cheesecake. I tried it both ways, and she’s absolutely right. That little bit of lemon zest takes these cookies from really good to absolutely incredible. It’s one of those small touches that makes people say “there’s something special about these cookies, but I can’t figure out what it is.”
FAQ about Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
What are the best cookies for cheesecake?
Graham cracker-based cookies or vanilla sugar cookies work best for cheesecake flavors. The graham crackers mimic traditional cheesecake crust, while vanilla cookies provide a neutral base that lets the cream cheese and strawberry flavors shine. Soft, chewy cookies work better than crispy ones because they complement the creamy filling.
What are the ingredients for strawberry cheesecake?
Traditional strawberry cheesecake uses cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, a graham cracker crust, and fresh strawberries or strawberry topping. In cookie form, we use these same ingredients but adapt them into a buttery graham cracker cookie base, a cream cheese filling center, and real strawberry pieces mixed throughout the dough.
Do cheesecake cookies need to be refrigerated?
Yes, any cookies with cream cheese filling must be refrigerated. The cream cheese is a dairy product that can spoil at room temperature. Store these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll stay fresh and safe to eat for up to 5 days. Just bring them to room temperature before eating for the best taste and texture.
How to thicken strawberry cheesecake topping?
To thicken strawberry cheesecake topping or glaze, reduce the liquid by simmering fresh or frozen strawberries until they break down and the mixture thickens. You can also add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water) and cook until it reaches your desired consistency. For a glaze on cookies, use less liquid when mixing the powdered sugar with strawberry puree.
Conclusion
These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies are hands down one of the most fun and delicious recipes Olivia and I have created together. It’s so much fun to play with your food and create something brand new and delicious! I hope this creative and fun mashup inspires your own happy “what if” moments in the kitchen.
If you love strawberry desserts as much as we do, check out these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies from AllRecipes for another delicious variation. And if you’re in the mood for more fruity treats, this peach cobbler pound cake and blueberry buttermilk pancake casserole are also amazing.
Give this strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe a try and let me know what you think. Grandma and I love hearing about your baking adventures!
Grandma’s Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Cookie scoop 2-tablespoon size recommended
- 2 Baking sheets
- 1 roll Parchment Paper
- 3 Mixing Bowls (small, medium, and large)
- 1 Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries crushed into a coarse powder
For the Strawberry Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp strawberry puree or jam
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grandma always started with the filling. 'Get the heart of the cookie ready first, Jazzy,' she’d say. In a medium bowl, beat the softened [cream cheese], 1/4 cup [granulated sugar], [vanilla extract], and the [egg yolk] until it’s perfectly smooth. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto a parchment-lined plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes. This is her secret to keeping the filling from making a mess!
- While the filling chills, let's make the cookie dough. I can still smell the sweet graham crackers from Grandma’s kitchen. In a large bowl, whisk together the [all-purpose flour], [graham cracker crumbs], [baking powder], and [salt]. Set it aside for a moment
- Now for the fun part. In another bowl, beat the softened [unsalted butter] and 1 cup of [granulated sugar] until it’s light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step was my job as a kid! Then, beat in the [large egg] and [vanilla extract] until just combined
- Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix! Grandma warned that leads to tough cookies. Now, carefully fold in the crushed [freeze-dried strawberries]. The dough will turn a beautiful pink-speckled color.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten it in your palm. Place one of your frozen cream cheese balls in the center. Gently wrap the dough all the way around it, pinching the seams to seal it completely. Roll it into a smooth ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you’re out of dough
- Once all your cookies are shaped, pop the whole baking sheet into the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Grandma swore this little rest keeps them from spreading too much. While they're chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. The edges should be set, but the centers will still look a little soft. That’s the key to a chewy cookie! Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. The smell will fill your whole house with joy
- If you want to make them extra special like I do for Olivia, whisk together the [powdered sugar], [strawberry puree or jam], and [vanilla extract] until smooth. Drizzle it over the completely cooled cookies. It’s the perfect finishing touch.
Notes
- Grandma’s Secret: Grandma always added a tiny pinch of lemon zest to the cream cheese filling. She said it brightens the flavor and makes it taste more like a real cheesecake. It’s a small touch that makes a huge difference!
- Don’t Overbake: The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center when they come out of the oven. This is perfect! They will finish setting up on the hot baking sheet, which keeps them soft and pillowy.
- Storage: Because of the cream cheese filling, these cookies must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They taste even better the next day! Just let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
