I loved my pumpkin cheesecake cookies so much I decided to make a raspberry version! These raspberry cheesecake cookies are just as delicious.
They’re filled with a rich raspberry cheesecake filling and bake up soft and chewy with a deliciously creamy center!
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Ingredients & Substitutions
I love this recipe just the way it is but I know some people might not have all of these ingredients on hand! Or you might have food restrictions or allergies.
Below are some swaps and variations that I’ve tested out and can be made in this recipe.
- All Purpose Flour – You can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed in place of the AP flour in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter, you can use it and omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter.
- Cream Cheese – The full fat version that comes in a block works best.
- Freeze Dried Raspberry Powder – This ingredient really packs these cookies with raspberry flavor. If you can’t find any, you can either make your own by placing freeze dried raspberry in a food processor or you can use 1 Tbsp of raspberry jam instead.
- Lemon Juice – A bit of lemon juice really helps brighten the raspberry flavor in these cookies. It can be omitted if needed but I recommend adding it!
Making These Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Let’s walk through each step of these raspberry cheesecake cookies to make sure they turn out as amazing as possible.
Step 1: Make the Vanilla Cookie Dough
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and white sugar with a stand or hand mixers until the mixture lightens in color (about 1 minute).
Add the egg and mix on a medium speed until combined.
Mix in the dry ingredients on a low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to make 2 1/2 Tbsp balls of cookie dough.
There should be enough dough to make 12 cookie dough balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for about 1-2 hours or overnight.
Step 2: Make the Raspberry Cheesecake Filling
While the cookie dough chills, make the raspberry cheesecake filling! Use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, freeze dried raspberry powder, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Mix on a medium high speed until combined and smooth.
Use a spoon to add about 12 dollops (about 1 Tbsp each) of the cheesecake filling onto a parchment paper lined plate or tray.
Place in the freezer for at least 45 minutes or until frozen and firm to the touch. These can also be made in advance or frozen overnight.
Step 3: Fill These Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper of silicon mats.
Remove the cookie dough and cheesecake dollops from the fridge and freezer.
Very lightly wet your hands with water. Flatten the cookie dough balls in the palm of your hand and place the cheesecake filling in the center.
If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
Place a dollop of cheesecake in the center and wrap the overhanging cookie dough around the filling, doing your best to cover it.
If there is a little bit of cheesecake filling peeking through, don’t worry! Just make that the bottom of the cookie when you bake them. They’ll still bake up just fine!
If you notice the cookie dough or cheesecake filling is getting too soft to handle, pop the dough in the fridge and the cheesecake filling in the freezer to make them easier to handle.
Place 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl and toss the cookies in granulated sugar until they’re fully coated.
Place them on the lined baking sheets and space them about 3 inches apart. They spread as they bake so they need a little room!
Bake for 16-19 minutes, or until the cookies have set on the outside. Place them on a wire rack to cool, then enjoy!
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Troubleshooting
While these cookies are absolutely worth the effort, filling and rolling them can be a bit challenging. It’s also a messy process, so get ready to get your hands dirty!
The dough is easiest to flatten and roll after it’s been in the fridge for an hour or two.
The cheesecake filling needs at least 45 minutes in the freezer, and can be made in advance or chilled overnight.
My hands are always cold so it’s pretty easy for me to flatten the dough in the palm of my hand. If your hands run warm, flatten the cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
Or if you notice the cookie dough or cheesecake filling is getting too soft, pop the dough in the fridge and the cheesecake filling in the freezer to make them easier to handle.
Tips for Making the Best Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Chilling your cookie dough is a must! It’s almost impossible to fill these cookies if the dough isn’t chilled. I find they’re easiest to roll out when they’ve been in the fridge for an hour or two.
- Use a cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
- Thoroughly coat each cookie with granulated sugar. It really adds the the texture of these cookies.
- If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Wet your hands before flattening and rolling out the cookie dough. It will help prevent them from sticking to your hands.
- Don’t worry if there’s a little bit of cheesecake filling peaking through a small crack in the cookie dough. It will bake up just fine and be covered with sugar!
- Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They will spread as they bake.
- Don’t over-bake your cookies! Even if they seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will continue to bake and set on the tray once they’re out of the oven.
How Many Cookies Does this Recipe Make?
The recipe makes about 12 cookies (2.5 Tbsp scoops of dough per cookie). However, you can also make mini raspberry cookies that are half the size!
Scoop 20 cookie dough balls (about 1.5 Tbsp each) and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.
Making these Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies in Advance & Storage Tips
In the off chance that you have any leftover cookies, they can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 10 days in the fridge. In fact, I think they taste best after they’ve been chilled in the fridge!
You can also freeze baked cookies for up to a month. I like to thaw them in the fridge overnight, then heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make the centers gooey again.
If you make the cookie dough in advance, you can freeze stuffed (and unbaked) cookies in an airtight container for up to a month. Let the cookies thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for raspberry cheesecake cookies I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and share a comment below.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
These raspberry cheesecake cookies bake up so soft and are filled with raspberry cheesecake! Roll them in a bit of sugar and they're completely irresistible!!
Ingredients
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (195g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (4g)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1g)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg (56g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4ml)
Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese, room temp (170g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 Tbsp freeze-dried raspberry powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice (4ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4ml)
Crunchy Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66g)
Instructions
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and granulated sugar with a stand or hand mixers until the mixture lightens in color (about 1 minute).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until combined.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on a low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to make 2 1/2 Tbsp balls of cookie dough. There should be enough dough to make 12 cookie dough balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for about 1-2 hours or overnight.
Raspberry Cheesecake Filling
- While the cookie dough chills, make the cheesecake filling! Use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, freeze-dried raspberry powder, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix on a medium high speed until combined and smooth. If you want your filling to have a vibrant color, mix in a squirt of red gel food coloring.
- Use a spoon to add about 12 dollops (about 1 Tbsp each) of the cheesecake filling onto a parchment paper lined plate or tray. Place in the freezer for at least 45 minutes or until frozen and firm to the touch. These can also be made in advance or frozen overnight.
Assembling the Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper of silicon mats.
- Remove the cookie dough and cheesecake dollops from the fridge and freezer.
- Very lightly wet your hands with water. Flatten the cookie dough balls in the palm of your hand and place the cheesecake filling in the center. If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Place a dollop of cheesecake in the center and wrap the overhanging cookie dough around the filling, doing your best to cover it. If there is a little bit of cheesecake filling peeking through, don't worry! Just make that the bottom of the cookie when you bake them. They'll still bake up just fine! If you notice the cookie dough or cheesecake filling is getting too soft to handle, pop the dough in the fridge and the cheesecake filling in the freezer to make them easier to handle.
- Place 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl and toss the cookies in granulated sugar until they're fully coated. Place them on the lined baking sheets and space them about 3 inches apart. They spread as they bake so they need a little room!
- Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the cookies have set on the outside. Place them on a wire rack to cool, then enjoy!
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Notes
Making the Best Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Chilling your cookie dough is a must! It's almost impossible to fill these cookies if the dough isn't chilled. I find they're easiest to roll out when they've been in the fridge for an hour or two.
- Use a cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
- Thoroughly coat each cookie with sugar. It really adds the the texture of these cookies.
- If you have warm hands, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Wet your hands before flattening and rolling out the cookie dough. It will help prevent them from sticking to your hands.
- Don't worry if there's a little bit of cheesecake filling peaking through a small crack in the cookie dough. It will bake up just fine and be covered with sugar!
- Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They will spread as they bake.
- Don't over-bake your cookies! They don't really brown, so you have to keep an eye on the texture of the top of the cookie. Even if they seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will continue to bake and set on the tray once they're out of the oven.
Making These Cookies in Advance and Storing Them
- In the off chance that you have any leftover cookies, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days in the fridge.
- You can also freeze baked cookies for up to a month. I like to thaw them in the fridge overnight, then heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make the centers gooey again.
- If you make the cookie dough in advance, you can freeze stuffed cookies in an airtight container for up to a month. Let the cookies thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 205Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 31mgSodium 156mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 0gSugar 23gProtein 3g