“Dot Cake” Cheesecake Cookies
When Livia first brought up the idea of making something inspired by dot cake, my mind immediately went to the cheesecake cookie phase we had been obsessed with for a while. Somehow the combination just made perfect sense from the start. The soft, buttery, sprinkle cookies wrapped around a creamy cheesecake center just works so well together. They feel like one of those instant classics that’s so good and shocking we hadn’t thought to make them sooner!
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 “dot cake” cheesecake cookies every single time.
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 sweet!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for “dot cake” 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!
Viral “Dot Cake” Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 & 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanillla
- 2 & 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup sprinkles
- 8 oz Cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Method
- In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Scoop 1-tablespoon portions onto a parchment paper lined plate or tray and freeze until firm.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (convection). In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar for 1–2 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl. Mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Fold in the sprinkles evenly throughout the dough.
- Scoop portions of cookie dough and flatten slightly in your palm. Place a frozen cheesecake filling ball in the center, then carefully wrap the dough around it until fully sealed. Roll into a smooth ball if needed.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake for 13–14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
- For perfectly round cookies, gently swirl a round bowl, cup, or cookie cutter around each cookie immediately after baking while still warm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring.
- Enjoy fresh while soft and gooey, or store in a chilled container for up to 8 days.
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
