These are the best gingerbread cheesecake cookies! They are chewy gingerbread cookies, stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling and rolled in spiced sugar. They're the perfect Christmas treat and every gingerbread lover will adore them!
If you loved my pumpkin cheesecake cookies from fall, then you will love the Christmas version: gingerbread cheesecake cookies! These cookies are pure Christmas magic. No need for a springform pan or water bath to make the easy cheesecake filling either. These cookies come together easily and you won't believe just how good this delicious dessert is. These are the perfect way to celebrate this time of year!
If you're looking for other Christmas cookie recipes for the holiday season, try my chocolate thumbprint cookies, chewy peanut butter cookies, chewy gingerbread cookie recipe, Christmas kitchen sink cookies or chocolate peppermint cookies!
Why You'll Love These Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
They have the best texture- These cookies are super chewy and soft.
They have a creamy cheesecake filling- The centers are stuffed full of a delicious, creamy cheesecake layer.
They taste like Christmas.The dough is flavored with lots of warm spices and molasses for the best holiday flavor. These cookies are the perfect addition for all your holiday baking!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
- Unsalted Butter- make sure it's softened, room temperature butter
- Brown Sugar- brown sugar is used for chewier cookies
- Molasses- adds that classic gingerbread flavor and helps to make the cookies soft and chewy
- Egg Yolks- make sure they're room temperature
- Vanilla- as always I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, but vanilla extract will work perfectly fine as well
- Flour- just the right amount of all purpose flour helps give these cookies their perfect texture
- Baking Soda- helps the cookies to rise
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- Spices- ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves add warm Christmas flavor to these cookies
- Granulated White Sugar- used for the cheesecake filling and spiced sugar
- Cream Cheese- used to make the delicious cream cheese filling
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including measurements and bake time!
STEP ONE: Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until the cream cheese mixture is fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Scoop the cheesecake mixture into 18, 2 teaspoon portions onto a small parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze the cheesecake balls until they are frozen and very firm.
STEP TWO: To make the gingerbread cookie dough, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl cream the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. (You can also use a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Add in the egg yolks, molasses and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium speed until fluffy.
STEP FIVE: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
STEP SIX: Scoop the dough into 18 portions with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Press cookie dough to slightly flatten it out, then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center. Then close the cheesecake ball in with the cookie dough and roll into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough balls in the spiced sugar.
STEP SEVEN: Transfer the cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
FAQs
Why aren't my cookies as chewy as they should be? If your cookies came out cakey instead of chewy this most likely happened because the ingredients were not measured properly. Use a digital kitchen scale so that your cookies (and all baked goods) come our perfectly every time.
Why aren't my cookies as flat as pictured? When the cookies are straight out of the oven they will appear "fluffy" and tall, but as they cool they will become flatter like the pictures show!
How do I store these cookies? Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze them for up to two weeks!
Pro Tips
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
Make sure to completely freeze the cheesecake balls. This will ensure no cheesecake filling leaks out of the cookies while baking. Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer just until you're ready to use for each batch of cookies.
Let the cookies cool completely before eating. This will allow the cheesecake filling to firm up and not be runny.
When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a large circular cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape!
Make sure to beat your eggs and molasses into the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
If you make these cookies please, please leave a star rating! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ and follow me on Pinterest also for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the Spiced Sugar
- 6 tablespoon (75 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses
Instructions
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until the cream cheese mixture is fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold, 3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Scoop the cheesecake mixture into 18, 2 teaspoon portions onto the baking sheet.
- Pop the cheesecake balls into the freezer until they are frozen and very firm.
For the Spiced Sugar
- Add the sugar and spices to a small bowl. Whisk to combine then set aside.6 tablespoon (75 g) granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 2 ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. (You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.)¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- Add in the egg yolks, molasses and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium speed until fluffy.2 egg yolks, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
- Scoop the dough into 18 portions with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Press the cookie dough to slightly flatten it out, then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center. Then close the cheesecake ball in with the cookie dough and roll into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough balls in the spiced sugar.(Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer until ready to use for each batch of cookies.)
- Transfer the cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 11-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
Hey, these look amazing! Just curious, how quickly do you need to eat them? They seem like the type of cookie you’d need to eat the day they’re made, but I was wondering what you do if you have leftovers. Will they keep at room temperature or need to be refrigerated because of the cheesecake filling? Thanks!
GINNY. THESE WERE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLEEE! My husband often dms me dessert recipes as I bake pretty much every weekend and this is definitely a keeper. I've never tried your recipes before and I'm so glad I did! The cookies were soft, beautifully spiced ( I tend to add extra spices as we like our flavors intense but didn't need to here!) and the cream cheese filling???? perfection, just the right amount. I'll be bringing to Thanksgiving and/or Christmas FOR SURE. We didn't have unsalted butter or allspice so I subbed with salted butter and extra spices+ cardamom. THANK YOU !
i only have cinnamon, how much should i use to replace all the other spices?
Delicious and easy! I also would like to know how these should be stored and for how long, thanks!
Ginny put on her Instagram that you can make these without the cheesecake filling and I did because I brought them on a plane for thanksgiving and they are LITERALLY AMAZING and even for leftovers they were STILL moist and so good
Do they need to be stored in the refrigerator?