Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
This Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookie recipe is a little blast from the past, one I’ve come back to share every year on Pinterest because people absolutely cannot get enough of it. It’s an older favorite, but there is a reason it keeps making a comeback, the soft, spiced gingerbread cookie paired with a creamy, gooey cheesecake center is pure holiday magic in every bite. Every year, people fall in love all over again, and honestly, it’s hard not to, warm spices, a hint of molasses, and that sweet, creamy cheesecake surprise makes these cookies feel like a little festive celebration every time you bake them!
The Chill Trick for Picture-Perfect Cookies
One little tip that quickly became a must during testing our cheesecake stuffed cookies is cooling the cheesecake filling before baking the cookies. At first, we skipped this step and ended up with cheesecake oozing all over the pan, delicious, yes, but definitely not the neat, picture-perfect cookies we were aiming for. Letting the filling chill first keeps it stable and makes it much easier to work with, so each cookie has that perfect creamy center without any messy mishaps. It’s a simple step, but it’s the real key to getting beautifully formed gingerbread cheesecake cookies every single time.
These cookies are perfect for holiday parties when you want to add a little “spice” to the cookie table, haha, literally and figuratively! They look like a simple gingerbread cookie, but the creamy cheesecake center is a sneaky little showstopper that’s guaranteed to impress anyone who takes a bite. Serve them up and watch people do a double take, simple on the outside, totally delicious on the inside, and full of festive flavor that makes them the star of any dessert spread.
Why I Measure in Grams (and You Might Want To, Too)
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two totally different results, the measuring method is often the reason.
Professional bakeries almost always measure by weight, not volume. Measuring cups leave room for inconsistency—especially with ingredients that pack differently depending on how you scoop or pour them. A scale removes all of that guesswork.
One of the biggest offenders is sugar. Different sugars (and even the same sugar measured by different people) can vary wildly in volume, but 100 grams is always 100 grams. Measuring by weight gives you repeatable, bakery-consistent results and cuts down on extra dishes at the same time.
A food scale is one of the best (and most affordable) investments you can make for your kitchen if you love baking and want your recipes to turn out exactly the same every time.
Ingredients To Prepare
Before baking, take a few minutes to gather the ingredients below and to ensure that they are soft, chewy, and perfectly creamy!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for red velvet cheesecake cookie success. I always recommend measuring everything out ahead of time so the process is smoother, and you can focus on making the best cookies possible!
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 block cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection). In a small bowl, mix room-temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Scoop 1-tablespoon balls onto a parchment-lined plate or tray and chill in the freezer while you prepare the cookie dough.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat room-temperature butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1–2 minutes, until light and off-white. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses until fully combined.
- Add all-purpose flour, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to the mixture. Fold in gently until a soft dough forms.
- Bake a single cookie on your tray as a test to check how much your cookies will spread and to ensure no ingredients were missed. This step is also helpful for gauging spacing for the rest of your cookies.
- Scoop ⅓-cup portions of cookie dough, flatten slightly in your palm, and place a chilled cream cheese ball in the center. Fold the dough around the cream cheese and, if desired, roll in extra granulated sugar. Place the prepared cookies on a parchment-lined tray, using your test cookie as a guide for spacing.
- Bake the cookies for 11–12 minutes, until edges are set and centers remain soft. For perfectly round cookies, gently swirl a circular bowl, cup, or cookie cutter around each warm cookie to clean up the edges. Let cookies rest on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring.
- Enjoy fresh, or store in the fridge for up to 8 days.
What is the molasses for and is it possible to sub it out?