Food and Recipes Desserts Cookies Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Are Picnic Perfect 5.0 (1) 1 Review When freshly baked, these strawberry cheesecake cookies have just-crisp edges that frame a more tender cookie crumb. Each bite is studded with fresh, juicy strawberries along with crushed freeze-dried berries that further underscore the fruit flavor. Each cookie also boasts a filling of sweet, tangy cream cheese and graham cracker crumbs sprinkles. It's strawberry cheesecake meets strawberry shortcake in cookie form. You can press a few more chopped strawberries into cookie tops before baking if desired. Lightly grease your hands with cooking spray to make working with the dough easier. It's still fairly sticky, but it will be worth the effort. By Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia is a recipe developer and tester for Dotdash Meredith with a focus on baking and pastry as well as a passion for all things food-related. She has developed over 1,200 recipes, which have appeared both in magazines, online, and in cookbooks alike. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 12, 2024 Recipe tested by Amanda Holstein Recipe tested by Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein fell in love with baking at the age of 6, and continued growing her passion through culinary school and working in bakeries for over 10 years. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Active Time: 1 hr 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Servings: 22 Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Ingredients 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened 8 oz. cream cheese (about 1 cup), softened and divided 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 2/3 cup, plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups (about 10 3/5 oz.) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (2 oz.) packed finely ground graham cracker crumbs (from 5 [0.55-oz. each] graham cracker sheets) 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 2/3 cup (1/4-in.) chopped fresh strawberries (from 6 to 8 medium strawberries) 1/3 cup roughly crushed freeze-dried strawberries (from 1 [0.8-oz.] pkg.) Directions Combine butter and cream cheese: Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add 2 ounces of the cream cheese; beat until smooth and just combined, about 30 seconds. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Add sugar and eggs: Add brown sugar and 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Add dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture all at once; beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Add strawberries, and chill: Fold in fresh and freeze-dried strawberries until evenly distributed. Cover and chill dough until cold, about 30 minutes. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Make cream cheese filling: While dough chills, stir together remaining 6 ounces cream cheese and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl until fully combined; cover and freeze for 30 minutes. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Add cheesecake filling to cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 to 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop half of the dough into 22 mounds, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (about 10 cookies per baking sheet). Using lightly greased hands, flatten dough into 2-inch disks. Spoon cream cheese and sugar mixture evenly into center of each dough disk (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each). Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Top with cookie dough disks: Shape 1 tablespoon of remaining dough into a 2-inch disk; place over cream cheese mixture on 1 dough disk, and press together edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and dough disks. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Seal cookies: Gently flatten dough disks to 3/4-inch thickness, if needed, pressing together any cracks to seal. (This may be a slightly sticky experience, but will be well worth the effort!) Bake cookies: Bake, 1 pan at a time, in preheated oven until edges are set and lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan 180° halfway through baking. (It’s OK if some cream cheese mixture peeks out on top of cookies.) Let cookies cool on pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to wire racks, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cookies are best enjoyed same day. Cookies can be refrigerated in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but cookies will just grow even more soft and cakey throughout. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Rate It Print