Caramel Cheesecake Cookies (Printable)
Creamy cheesecake cookies swirled with rich caramel, yielding 24 soft and irresistible treats.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Caramel Swirl
09 - 1/2 cup soft caramel sauce, slightly cooled
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
03 - Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up for easier handling.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Use the back of a spoon to gently press an indent into the center of each dough portion.
09 - Dollop about 1/2 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indent. Use a knife or toothpick to gently swirl the caramel into the dough.
10 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
11 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
# Tips from dashanddishes:
01 -
- The cream cheese in the dough makes these impossibly soft, almost like biting into a tiny cheesecake with a caramel surprise.
- They look fancy enough for a dessert platter but come together with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
- If you skip the chilling step the dough will spread too much and the caramel will pool into a sticky mess on your baking sheet.
- Homemade caramel from melted soft caramels with a splash of cream holds its swirl better than thin store bought sauce.
03 -
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in or you will end up with tough cookies instead of the tender crumb you want.
- The indent you press into each dough ball should be deep enough to hold the caramel but not so deep that the cookie splits open during baking.