These pretty Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies have a wonderful flavor and texture. Thick, soft vanilla cookies with a classic cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries, how can you go wrong?
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Okay, here’s what happened. I was trying to develop a strawberry shortcake-y type of cookie, mostly because I’ve got a bone to pick with that crumbly, dry shortcake part.
Good news! These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies came out of the deal instead, and I’m in love with the results. Here’s some good reasons to make these delightful cookies:
- Thick, soft, vanilla sugar cookies. You read that correctly.
- An easy, tangy cream cheese based topping, spiked with fresh lemon zest
- The freshest and simplest strawberry topping, bumped in flavor with good quality strawberry jam.
- When you put these three together, you’ve got cookie magic, my friends!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Sugar Cookies: The recipe below is for a thick, flavorful vanilla sugar cookie that’s soft and lightly sweet. All good.
- Strawberries: Sliced and placed in a bowl
- Cream Cheese: This gets blended with some flavorings for extra deliciousness
- Strawberry Jam: This is the best way to keep those strawberries together when we top them on the cookies!
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the full recipe and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Make the cookie dough: This is an easy and forgiving cookie dough that’s easy to handle and roll out, and doesn’t require any chilling or other fussy tasks before rolling it and cutting it into thick rounds.
- Make the cheese layer: Thick and flavorful with cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and sugar, this is good enough to eat by the spoonful. 🙂
- Prep the strawberries: Slice the fresh strawberries and toss them gently in some good quality strawberry jam.
Tips for Selecting Strawberries
- Fresh strawberries are generally available January through November, depending on the climate where you live. Most agree that the peak for this tasty berry is May and June.
- The best tip for selecting ripe, flavorful strawberries is to smell them first..if they smell great, they’re ready to eat. Also, if the color of the berries are bright, this means the strawberries are sweet!
Tips for this Recipe
- These cookies are best eaten the same day they are assembled.
- If you’re making these cookies ahead, put the cream cheese layer and sliced strawberries on just before serving.
- Store any un-frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Serving Ideas
- These cookies were made for showers – baby, wedding, or any gathering where a light spring or summer menu is being served.
- Wait until you are ready to serve them to assemble. You can swirl the cheese mixture on, and add the strawberries right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make the components – the sugar cookie and the cream cheese middle – a day or two ahead and keep them separate until ready to serve. Slice the strawberries and make the topping the day you’re serving the cookies.
Store the cream cheese mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and the cookies in a separate airtight container.
More Recipes to Try
Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar: A popular recipe, these are great for picnics!
California Fig Banana Bread A moist, rich banana bread, with or without frosting!
Outrageous Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: Such a great dessert, easy too!
Snickerdoodles: The classic recipe, soft and delicious…
Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad: Refreshing with asparagus and goat cheese, this is a delicious salad!
Mini Strawberry Pies Recipe: Delicious little fresh strawberry pies in a sugar cookie cup!
If you’ve tried this Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe, or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please rate the recipe and & I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH
- 8 ounces Butter, unsalted, room temperature 2 sticks
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg, large, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Flour, all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- FOR THE FROSTING
- 4 ounce Cream cheese, regular, softened
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- FOR THE STRAWBERRIES
- 2 pounds Strawberries, fresh, organic if possible, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons Strawberry Jam
Instructions
- MAKE THE COOKIES
- Heat oven to 375 and line two large baking pans with parchment paper
- Place the butter in a bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Alternatively, use a medium bowl and hand mixer and do the same.
- Add the sugar and beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing for another 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat on low for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or just until the dough comes together to form a ball.
- Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Working with one half at a time, pat the dough into disc with the palm of your hand then roll it out with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch of thickness.
- Using a 3" round cutter, cut the dough and gently lift and place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with other portion of dough, pressing any leftover dough scraps together and rolling them out for cutting too, in order to use all the dough.
- Refrigerate the cookies on the sheets for 20 minutes. Remove from fridge and bake for 10-14 minutes until very lightly golden brown on the edges. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- MAKE THE FROSTING
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest, salt and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until smooth and free of lumps, about 2 minutes.
- Add more powdered sugar if the mixture is too thin, it should be a bit thick but spreadable. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- PREPARE THE STRAWBERRIES
- Place the jam in a small bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of water to loosen it up.
- Pour the jam over the cut strawberries and toss the mixture gently to coat.
- TO ASSEMBLE COOKIES
- Frost each completely cooled cookie with one generous tablespoon of frostingTop with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture
- Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cookies are best assembled right before eating.
Notes
- If you’re making these cookies ahead, put the cream cheese layer and sliced strawberries on just before serving.
- Store any unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Nutrition
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
The text below is from the original post before the text and instructions were updated.
Here’s what I really think about Strawberry Shortcake. We might as well get it out in the open. Strawberry Shortcake is usually dry and not very good. Please hear me out for a minute.
It’s usually presented as a lumpy golden biscuit, with a sparkle of sugar on top, full of hope and promise. Cracked open, it’s often a tasteless, doughy glob of stuff that is pleasant enough, but low on flavor and overall excitement.
Not always, of course. I should mention this has never stopped me from eating it :)One hopes it’s served with enough whipped cream and sweet syrupy strawberries to make up for all that. Am I right? The whipped cream and strawberries are not the problem. It’s that dry biscuit.
As responsible members of society, we must stand together and raise our expectations of strawberry shortcake. We want it, and we deserve it. Sort of a stretch in the tradition department, but trust. The base is an easy and tasty soft vanilla cookie – rolled, cut, sliced, and baked.
We then swirl cream cheese frosting spiked with fresh lemon zest on top of the beauteous discs. A healthy dollop of sliced organic strawberries happens next, after they’ve been lightly tossed in a flavor-boosting jam. This one is staying in my repertoire of spring and summer desserts for ever and ever. The only catch is these are best when put together just before serving.
But that’s no problem, because it’s super easy and they can hang for a little while until you’re ready to eat them. You don’t want anything to mess with this little bite of perfection.
These cookies are so cute! Strawberry shortcakes are so lovely, and perfect way to usher in spring/summer!
Definitely! Thank you!
What a great twist on strawberry shortcake. The cookie is awesome and the individual cookie is just awesome. These are a great dessert that is easy to make and the family will love!
Thank you 🙂
These look so pretty and are one of my favourite things to eat in Spring. I love that you dip the strawberries in jam I bet they taste amazing!
Thank you!
These look so cute! I absolutely LOVE strawberry shortcake. We haven’t had any good berries here lately but I can’t wait for them to come in season so I can make this recipe.
Great! Hope you like it!
Absolutely love the idea of turning a cookie into a cute delicious treat on its own. Plus, strawberries, cream & cookie make such a great combo!
Thanks!…They are really tasty 🙂
What a fun spin on classic strawberry shortcake! These cookies look so amazing!
Thank you 🙂
I hate dry biscuits too! I’ve got a good recipe, but I’m always open to new ideas. These would certainly be fun for parties.
Right? Thanks so much…:)
Strawberries and shortcakes in the same recipe… these are two of my favorite things and your putting them together makes this the ultimate snack! I’ll be saving this!
Thank you.! 🙂
These are amazing! Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite desserts, I’ve never thought aboutt them as a cookie! These are positively beautiful cookies and look absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try!
That’s sweet of you to say…thank you! 🙂
I actually agree – I often feel like the biscuits are lacking in shortcake desserts, as well! But I love strawberries, so I, also, am rarely deterred from eating it. 🙂 These cookies look like an ideal swap – they’re adorable and such a great base for the cream and berries!
Thank you !!
I love strawberry shortcake, and even better when they are in the form of a cookie!
You got it! 🙂