Caramel Cheesecake Cookies (Printable)
Soft cream cheese stuffed cookies drizzled with golden caramel. A rich, indulgent dessert treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Cheesecake Filling
08 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
09 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Caramel Topping
11 - 1/2 cup soft caramel candies (about 10-12 pieces)
12 - 1 tablespoon heavy cream
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and 1 cup sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
04 - While the dough chills, beat the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
05 - Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to press a deep well into the center of each ball. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon of the cheesecake mixture.
06 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until cookies are set and the edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
07 - While the cookies cool, combine the caramel candies and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the caramel is melted and smooth.
08 - Drizzle the warm caramel sauce generously over each cooled cookie. Allow the caramel to set before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cheesecake filling stays pillowy and cool inside a warm buttery cookie shell, which is basically two desserts arguing over who gets to be the star.
- That caramel drizzle on top makes them look like you spent hours in a pastry kitchen when really you just microwaved some candies.
02 -
- If you skip the dough chilling step the cookies will spread too thin and the wells will collapse, which I learned the hard way on my first attempt.
- Do not overbake these because the cheesecake filling should stay soft and slightly jiggly in the center when you pull them out.
03 -
- Use a small cookie scoop for the dough and a teaspoon measure for the filling so every cookie bakes evenly and looks uniform on the plate.
- The secret to a clean caramel drizzle is working while the sauce is still warm because once it cools it seizes and clumps instead of flowing nicely.