Cherry Cheesecake Cookies: A Delightful Fusion of Flavors

Several years ago, while shopping for holiday baking essentials with Elle, I felt a tremendous craving for cherry cheesecake. Suddenly, standing next to cookie-baking supplies, an idea struck me.

Cherry cheesecake COOKIES.

My family simply adores cheesecake, often opting for it instead of cake on birthdays and always including it on our holiday tables. From my grandma’s easy cheesecake recipe to our lemon cheesecake, we have a cheesecake for every occasion.

We even transform our cupcakes into cheesecake with cherry cheesecake cupcakes. So, it’s only natural that we would love these cookie versions too!

These cookies are essentially a cheesecake rendition of thumbprint cookies. You’ll create the cookie dough and cheesecake filling separately, molding the cookie dough into a bowl-like shape with an indentation in the center. Each indentation is filled with the cheesecake mixture before baking.

The cookie dough incorporates graham cracker crumbs, lending the essential flavor of a classic graham cracker crust. Once baked, each cookie is topped with cherry pie filling, precisely what cheesecake needs: cherries!

These delightful cookies may appear complicated, but they’re surprisingly simple to make. With basic ingredients, you might already have everything needed on hand!

Ingredients you’ll need

• 1 ¼ cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 12 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg, white and yolk separated
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Homemade cherry pie filling

Before starting, ensure you’re familiar with how to measure flour accurately. This helps your cookies come out perfectly every time.

Graham cracker crumbs can be bought pre-made or you can crush whole graham crackers to make your own—about one sleeve yields 1 ¼ cups of crumbs. Brown sugar adds richness and chewiness to the dough; if you’re out, a simple alternative exists for brown sugar. If your brown sugar has hardened, review my tips on softening it.

While I prefer homemade cherry pie filling for these cookies, feel free to use store-bought for convenience. When selecting, I recommend the “extra fruit” variety for more cherries.

Making these cookies

Begin by whisking together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the egg white and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined.

Next, prepare the cheesecake filling. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until well combined. Incorporate the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing until the filling is smooth.

Using a medium cookie scoop (around 1.5 tablespoons), place the cookie dough onto lined baking sheets. Gently press your thumb or a round measuring spoon into the center of each dough ball to create an indentation.

Fill each indentation with the cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350°F for approximately 12 minutes, until the filling is barely set, and the cookies are lightly golden.

Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, top each cookie with cherry pie filling.

Store your cherry cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For optimal freshness, keep the cookies without their cherry pie filling, adding it only just before serving.

You can freeze the cookies in an airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag for up to a month. To enjoy, allow the cookies to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a couple of hours.