Description
Soft and chewy caramel cheesecake cookies filled with a creamy vanilla cheesecake center and gooey caramel drizzle. These bakery-style stuffed cookies are perfect for fall desserts, holiday trays, or gifting. Packed with flavor, easy to freeze, and make-ahead friendly. A Pinterest-worthy dessert that’s sure to go viral!
Ingredients
Scale
- **For the Cookie Dough:**
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- **For the Cheesecake Filling:**
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- **For the Caramel Drizzle:**
- 12 soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk)
- **Optional Add-ins:**
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Sea salt flakes for topping
- Pumpkin spice (1 tsp)
- Gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Chill dough for 20–30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Melt caramels with cream in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
- Scoop 1 tbsp of dough and flatten. Add ½ tsp cheesecake mixture and ½ tsp caramel to center. Top with another piece of dough, seal, and roll into a ball.
- Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10–12 minutes, or until edges are golden.
- Cool for 5 minutes on sheet, transfer to wire rack. Drizzle with extra caramel if desired.
Notes
- Chill dough to prevent spreading.
- Use thick caramel or chill it before assembling to avoid leaks.
- Seal edges tightly when stuffing to keep filling inside.
- Can freeze baked or unbaked cookies for up to 2 months.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt after baking for a salted caramel version.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: cheesecake cookies, caramel stuffed cookies, soft cookies, dessert cookies, holiday cookie tray, easy cookies, caramel drizzle, cream cheese cookies