Caramel Cheesecake Cookies (Printable)
Creamy cheesecake cookies swirled with rich caramel, perfect for dessert platters and sweet cravings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
→ Caramel Swirl
09 - 1/2 cup soft caramel sauce, slightly cooled
# Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
03 - Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined and the mixture is uniform.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up for easier scooping and shaping.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each mound about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Using the back of a spoon, gently press a shallow indent into the center of each dough mound.
09 - Dollop approximately 1/2 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indentation. Lightly swirl the caramel into the dough using a knife or toothpick for a marbled effect.
10 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear just set.
11 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These cookies taste like you spent three hours making cheesecake when you barely spent one.
- The caramel swirl makes every single cookie look completely unique, which means no one will notice if a few are misshapen.
02 -
- If your caramel sauce is too runny, chill it in the fridge for ten minutes before swirling or it will bleed into the dough and disappear entirely.
- Do not skip the dough chilling step because warm dough will spread into thin, crispy pancakes that cannot hold any filling.
03 -
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt over each cookie right before baking to turn them into salted caramel cheesecake cookies that taste like they came from a bakery.
- Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and press it lightly onto each scooped dough ball before indenting to create perfectly round, bakerystyle cookies every time.