Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
These raspberry cheesecake cookies deliver the full cheesecake experience without a springform pan or water bath. A soft, chewy cream cheese dough is studded with white chocolate chips, baked with a thumb-pressed well, then topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting, sweet seedless raspberry jam, and a fresh raspberry half. Cream cheese goes into both the dough and the frosting, so the tangy cheesecake flavor comes through from edge to center in every single bite.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for creaming the butter and cream cheese
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium bowl for the dry ingredients
- Rimmed baking sheets at least 2
- Cookie scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Wire cooling rack
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon for pressing the wells
- Small zip-top bag or piping bag for the frosting
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, softened
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese 113g, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar 50g, packed
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 280g, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips 130g
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese 113g, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar 90g
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt 1 small pinch
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam 160g
- 12 fresh raspberries halved, for garnish
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and confirm all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 4 ounces softened cream cheese on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping down the bowl.
- Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds until just combined. Do not overbeat, as too much air can make the cookies puff up and collapse.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add to the wet mixture in 2 or 3 additions on low speed, stopping as soon as no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm it up and prevent excess spreading.
- Scoop the chilled dough into balls of about 1 1/2 tablespoons each and place them about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets, aiming for about 12 cookies per sheet. If the dough feels very soft, chill the trays for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 8 minutes, until the edges are just set and the tops look puffy. Press the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each cookie to make a well, then bake 3 to 4 more minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look soft.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire cooling rack and cool for at least 30 minutes until fully cool to the touch. Do not frost warm cookies or the frosting will melt and slide off.
- Beat the remaining 4 ounces softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons softened butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a small pinch of salt, and beat 1 to 2 minutes until light, fluffy, and spreadable. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off the corner.
- Stir the raspberry jam well so it loosens up. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting into the well of each cookie, spoon about 1 teaspoon of jam over the frosting, and top with a fresh raspberry half. Serve right away or chill for 15 minutes to set the frosting.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese properly: cold cream cheese leaves tiny lumps in both the dough and the frosting, so give it a full hour on the counter.
- Use full-fat cream cheese: low-fat and whipped versions hold extra water and can make the dough too wet and the frosting runny.
- Do not skip the 30-minute chill time: cold dough spreads less and bakes up thicker and chewier.
- Measure the flour carefully by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, or weigh it at 280g, since packed flour makes dry cookies.
- Underbake slightly: pull the cookies when the centers still look soft, and they will finish setting on the pan.
- Choose seedless jam: it spoons cleanly into the wells and gives a smooth, glossy topping.
- Frost only when the cookies are completely cool, or the cream cheese frosting will melt.
- Storage: because the frosting contains cream cheese, store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Make ahead: refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days, or freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
- Freeze baked unfrosted cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, then thaw and frost; reheat unfrosted cookies in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes and cool before frosting.
- Variations: swap the raspberry jam for strawberry, blueberry, or cherry preserves; sprinkle crushed graham crackers over the frosting for a cheesecake crust crunch; drizzle melted white chocolate over the finished cookies; or add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the dough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1CookieCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 4mg
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