Description
These Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies combine the warm, spicy flavors of classic gingerbread with a creamy, tangy cheesecake center. Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies encase luscious dollops of sweetened cream cheese, making for an irresistible holiday treat that’s both festive and comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Filling
- 125 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gingerbread Cookies
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 100 g cooking molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 50 g granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: Line a plate with parchment paper. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, then beat on low speed until smooth and well combined.
- Scoop Cheesecake Dollops: Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scooper or spoon to drop small dollops of the cheesecake mixture onto the lined plate.
- Freeze Cheesecake Dollops: Freeze the cheesecake dollops for at least 1 hour until firm enough to hold their shape but not fully solid. This helps them maintain form when baking inside the cookie.
- Prepare Gingerbread Dry Mix: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar using a hand mixer until creamy and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in molasses thoroughly, then add egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing first on low speed until mostly combined, then finish incorporating with a spatula to avoid overmixing.
- Scoop Cookie Dough: Use a 4-tablespoon scooper to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined surface. Place scoops close together.
- Chill Cookie Dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight until solid and easier to handle.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sugar for Rolling: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place granulated sugar for rolling into a shallow dish.
- Stuff Cookies with Cheesecake: Either flatten cookie dough by hand into a sheet, place a frozen cheesecake dollop in the center, then fold dough around to seal; or divide dough into two rounds, sandwich the cheesecake between them, and pinch edges to seal completely.
- Roll Cookies in Sugar: Roll each stuffed dough ball in your hands to smooth it, then roll it in granulated sugar to coat. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10-11 minutes, until edges are set and tops are slightly cracked and puffy.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Freezing the cheesecake filling is essential to prevent it from melting too much while baking.
- Chilling the gingerbread dough before assembly and baking helps the cookies hold their shape better.
- Use room temperature ingredients for smoother mixing and better texture.
- The cookies will spread during baking, so leave enough space between them on the baking sheet.
- Adjust baking time slightly depending on your oven; watch for set edges and a cracked surface as a doneness indicator.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gingerbread cookies, cheesecake filling, holiday cookies, spiced cookies, cream cheese cookies, holiday dessert
