Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies | Easy Holiday Treat Recipe
These Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies combine the warm, festive spices of gingerbread with a creamy, tangy cheesecake filling for a delightful holiday treat. The cookies feature a soft, spiced gingerbread dough encasing a sweet cream cheese center, rolled in a mixture of spiced sugar for an extra burst of flavor and a crisp finish. Perfect for holiday baking and sharing with friends and family.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Filling:
- 6 oz (170 g) cold cream cheese
- 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Spiced Sugar:
- 6 tbsp (75 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Gingerbread Cookie Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses
Instructions
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: Beat cold cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scoop the mixture into 18 small balls and place them in the freezer until they are firm enough to handle.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter with the packed light brown sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and fully blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg yolks, molasses, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Form Cookies with Filling: Scoop cookie dough into 18 equal balls. Flatten each dough ball into a disk and wrap it around one frozen cheesecake ball, sealing the edges completely. Gently re-roll the assembled cookie dough ball to smooth the shape.
- Prepare Spiced Sugar: In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and all the ground spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves) to create the spiced sugar coating.
- Coat Cookies: Roll each cookie ball generously in the spiced sugar, making sure all sides are coated.
- Bake Cookies: Place 6 cookies on each parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly spaced. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (177°C) for 11 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are puffy with edges that are set but not browned.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese balls are well frozen to prevent leakage during baking.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should remain soft and chewy with set edges.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to 5 days.
- You can prepare the cheesecake filling and freeze it in advance for convenience.
- If you like a stronger spice flavor, consider adding a pinch more ground ginger or cinnamon in the dough.
Keywords: Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Spiced Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Cheesecake Filled Cookies, Gingerbread Recipe
