Soft, melt in your mouth brown sugar cheesecake cookies filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy cream cheese center are sinfully delicious!
As a lover of cheesecake desserts, I always try to squeeze in a cheesecake-inspired treat when I can. This time, I decided to satisfy my cheesecake cravings in the form of cookies! Not just any kind of cookies but my incredibly soft and flavorful brown sugar cookies. The caramel notes from the brown sugar perfectly complements the tangy creaminess of the cheesecake filling making for one the most scrumptious cookies to ever come out of my kitchen. For an extra touch of deliciousness, I finished these brown sugar cheesecake cookies with a light drizzle of melted white chocolate.
How to make Brown Sugar Cheesecake Cookies
Key Ingredients
- Flour – Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Brown Sugar – I used light brown sugar; however, dark brown sugar may be used as well
- Milk – may use dairy or non-dairy depending on preference
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Cream Cheese – regular full-fat cream cheese is used due to its creamier consistency
- Powdered Sugar
- White Chocolate – may substitute with dark or milk chocolate
- Flavorless Oil
To Make Cheesecake Filling
- Whisk – in a medium mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Whisk mixture until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Divide – line a medium plate/small baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a teaspoon to divide and place cheesecake filling onto prepared plate/baking sheet. You should have (15) individual teaspoon pieces of the cheesecake filling.
- Freeze – place cheesecake fillings in the freezer until ready to use.
To Make Brown Sugar Cookies
- Whisk – in a medium mixing bowl, add and whisk to combine the flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
- Beat – in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the brown sugar and room temperature butter and beat at medium speed (4 on stand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy in appearance.
- Mix – add milk and vanilla extract into butter-sugar mixture and mix until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low (2 on stand mixer) and slowly mix in flour mixture into wet batter. Turn off mixer once cookie dough starts to form into a ball. Refrigerate brown sugar cookie dough for at least (1) hour or overnight.
To Shape and Bake Brown Sugar Cheesecake Cookies
- Scoop – Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line (2) large baking sheets with parchment paper and retrieve cheesecake fillings from freezer. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scooper, scoop brown sugar cookie dough into 30 equal pieces.
- Fill and Shape – working with (2) cookie dough scoops at a time, use thumb to make an indent in one of the cookie dough scoops, place one of the cheesecake fillings in the center, and top with second cookie dough scoop. Use the palm of both hands to roll cookie doughs together ensuring that the cheesecake filling is completely enclosed. Repeat process with that remaining cookies doughs and cheesecake fillings. You should end up with (15) cookie filled doughs.
- Divide and Bake – divide the filled cookie doughs between the two prepared baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes rotating the pans halfway through bake time. Cookies are done once the edges appears crisp and golden brown. The center will have a slightly puffed appearance which will flatten as the cookies cools.
- Cool – allow cookies to rest in baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
To Make White Chocolate Drizzle (Optional)
This step is completely optional but highly recommended. In a heat safe small mixing bowl, add white chocolate chips and oil and place bowl over a pot of simmering water. The base of bowl should not be touching water. Stir mixture until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and allow chocolate to cool before transferring to a piping bag. Cut off the top tip of pastry bag and drizzle chocolate along the side or over the entire surface of cooled cookies. Alternatively, chocolate and oil maybe placed in a microwave safe bowl and warmed up in the microwave at 30 seconds until completely melted.
PrintBrown Sugar Cheesecake Cookies
Soft, melt in your brown sugar cheesecake cookies filled with a perfectly sweet and tangy cream cheese center are sinfully delicious!
- Prep Time: 90 Minutes
- Cook Time: 14
- Total Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
- Yield: 15 Cookies
Ingredients
Cheesecake Cake Filling
• 4 Ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
Brown Sugar Cookie Dough
• 2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Milk, Dairy/Non-Dairy, Room Temperature
• 3/4 Cup (6 Ounces) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
White Chocolate Drizzle (Optional)
• 2 Ounces White Chocolate Chips
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Flavorless Oil i.e. Vegetable, Grapeseed, or Avocado Oil
Instructions
Cheesecake Cake Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Whisk mixture until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Line a medium plate/small baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a teaspoon to divide and place cheesecake filling onto prepared plate/tray. You should have (15) individual teaspoon pieces cheesecake filling.
- Place cheesecake fillings in the freezer until ready to use.
Brown Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a medium mixing bowl, add and whisk to combine the flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the brown sugar and
room temperature butter and beat at medium speed (4 on stand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until
mixture is light and fluffy in appearance. - Into the butter-sugar mixture, add milk and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop mixer and with a spatula, scrape that sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Set mixer speed to low (2 on stand mixer) and slowly mix in dry ingredients into wet batter. Turn off mixer once cookie dough starts to come together and form into a ball.
- Refrigerate brown sugar cookie dough for at least (1) hour or overnight.
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line (2) large baking tray with parchment paper and retrieve cheesecake fillingss from freezer. Set aside.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scooper, scoop brown sugar cookie dough into 30 equal pieces.
- Working with (2) cookie dough scoops at a time, use thumb to make an indent in one of the cookie dough scoops, place one of the cheesecake fillings in the center, and top with second cookie dough scoop.
- Use the palm of both hands to roll cookie doughs together ensuring that the cheesecake filling is completely enclosed. Repeat process with that remaining cookies doughs and cheesecake fillings. You should end up with (15) cookie filled doughs.
- Divide the filled cookie doughs between the two prepared baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes rotating the pans halfway through bake time. Cookies are once the edges appears crisp and golden brown. The center will have a slightly puffed appearance which will flatten as the cookies cools.
- Allow cookies to rest in baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Assembly
- In a heat safe small mixing bowl, add white chocolate chips and oil and place bowl over a pot of
simmering water. The base of bowl should not be touching water. - Stir mixture until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and allow chocolate to cool before transferring to a piping bag.
- Cut off the top tip of pastry bag and drizzle chocolate along the side or over the entire surface of cooled cookies.
Notes
- Both the cheesecake filling and brown sugar cookie dough can be prepared in advance like the night before and baking the next day. Just keep the cheesecake filling in the freezer until ready to use and allow refrigerated cookie dough to sit out at room temperate for 15-20 minutes to make it easier to scoop, fill and shape.
- Filled and shaped cookie doughs maybe frozen and baked at a later time.
- Brown sugar cheesecake cookies are best eaten the day it is baked but will last up to a week if stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator.
- White chocolate drizzle is optional but highly recommended. May substitute white chocolate with milk or dark chocolate.
- I used a pastry bag to drizzle chocolate over cookies but a fork maybe use as well for a more free form drizzle look.
- For more of my cookie recipes, check out the link to these Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies.
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