Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookies combine two classic desserts into one decadent cookie recipe. You get pillowy soft chocolate chip cookies with a dollop and tangy cream cheese filling.
You can’t go wrong with classic chocolate chip cookies. But if you love cheesecake (who doesn’t?) and want to take your cookie recipes to the next level – then this decadent cheesecake stuffed cookie recipe is for you. The buttery, chewy chocolate chip cookie and melty chocolate chips pair perfectly with the cheesecake filling. I love the flavor combo of these cookies, and unknowing taste testers get the best surprise when biting into one of these cream cheese stuffed cookies.
The recipe isn’t overly complicated to make, but it does require enough time for the cheesecake filling to firm up in the freezer and your cookie dough balls to chill.
Making Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies
I always make the cheesecake filling first.
- You’ll beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour and a little vanilla extract.
- Make sure to use brick style cream cheese so that the filling is thick.
- The additional of a little flour also helps to thicken the filling so that it doesn’t melt into the cookies as they bake.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
For the cookie dough, it’s very similar to any chocolate chip cookie recipe that you’ve made before. Note that the dough has to be thick for this recipe. This is to ensure that the cookies don’t spread too thin as the cookies bake, causing the cheesecake filling to ooze out.
- In a large bowl you’ll beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- You’ll add in the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then gently mix together.
- After incorporating all of the dry ingredients, when you squeeze the dough in your hand, it shouldn’t stick to your fingers.
- Be sure to measure the flour carefully – whisk first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top. For the most accurate results, measure in grams using a scale.
- Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Note that I only stir in 3/4 cup, and reserve and additional 1/4 cup for dotting on the tops of each cookies.
- While it can be tempting to add extra chocolate chips into the dough, it actually makes it harder to form the dough around the cheesecake dollops.
Assembling the dough balls is the most time consuming part of this recipe. It’s not difficult, but your hands will get sticky. Having a cookie scoop will helps this process because you’ll get uniform cookie scoops.
- Scoop out about 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough (I use a medium cookie scoop for this). Flatten slightly, and make into a shallow bowl shape.
- Using a clean spoon, dollop about 2 teaspoons of the cold cream cheese mixture into the middle of the cookie dough.
- Scoop out another 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Flatten slightly and place on top of the cream cheese dollop.
- Pinch the dough around the sides of the cream cheese dollop so that it’s entirely covered, then roll into a ball.
The cookie dough balls will need to freeze for at least 30 minutes before baking. Alternatively, at this step you can place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to bake, the cookies will need about 12-14 minutes, or until the tops look just set. When they’re warm from the oven, I place a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
Make Ahead Tips
Because the cookie dough balls need to freeze for 30 minutes before baking, this is the perfect recipe to prep ahead of time. Simply make the filling and dough, and form the dough into cheesecake stuffed balls. The cookies will keep in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
When ready to bake, simply preheat the oven and line your cookie sheets. Then bake the frozen cookie dough balls as directed – do not thaw the cookie dough balls first.
Soft, chewy, melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookies filled with the perfect cream cheese filling – these cheesecake chocolate chip cookies are a thing of beauty. Love stuffed cookies? Then be sure to try:
Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (112 grams)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (105 grams)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (105 grams)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (208 grams, measured correctly – weigh in grams or whisk first then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch , AKA cornflour in the UK
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (about 180 grams), divided
Instructions
Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour and vanilla in a medium bowl until creamy.
- Cover with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix together, starting with the mixer on a low speed and gradually increasing until combined.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. I reserve the rest for dotting on top of each cookie after they come out of the oven.
Assemble & Bake the Cookies
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough. Flatten slightly, and curve the edges up so that it forms a shallow bowl shape.
- Using a different spoon, scoop out about 2 teaspoons of chilled cheesecake filling and place in the middle of the cookie bowl.
- With your cookie dough spoon, scoop out another 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough. Flatten slightly and place on top of the cheesecake scoop.
- Pinch the edges of the cookie dough around the cheesecake filling so that it's entirely covered, then roll the dough into a ball. Note that if the cheesecake filling gets to soft while assembling the dough balls, you may need to place it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a plate or cookie sheet, cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
- Place cookie dough balls (do not thaw first) about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes or until the tops look just set.
- Remove from the oven, and place a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie. Cool on the cookie sheets for at least 15 minutes.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use full fat, brick style cream cheese.
- Storage: Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: Cookie dough balls can be frozen in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake as directed in the recipe. Do not thaw first.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 14 uniform cookies and all the cheesecake filling is used.
