These are the best lemon cheesecake cookies! They are super chewy lemon cookies, stuffed with creamy lemon cheesecake filling and rolled in lemon sugar. They're the perfect treat and lemon lovers will adore these delicious cookies!
If you're looking for other lemon desserts, try my lemon curd cookies, lemon poppy seed muffins, lemon bundt cake, lemon tart, lemon strawberry jam cake, lemon bars or lemon blueberry cake!
Why You'll Love This Lemon Cookie Recipe
They have the best texture- These cookies are super chewy.
They have a creamy cheesecake filling- The centers are stuffed full of delicious, sweetened cream cheese. It's the best part about these cookies!
They have the perfect amount of bold lemon flavor. The dough is flavored with lots of lemon zest and then is rolled in lemon sugar before baking. Each bite will taste like summer!
Ingredients for Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
- Unsalted Butter- make sure it's softened, room temperature butter
- Light Brown Sugar- we're using mostly brown sugar in the cookie dough to keep these cookies extra chewy
- Granulated White sugar- used along with the brown sugar
- Egg Yolks- make sure they're room temperature, using only the egg yolk helps to make the cookies extra chewy
- Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the cookies
- Lemons- we'll be using just the zest to pack the most lemony punch
- Flour- just the right amount of all purpose flour helps give these cookies their perfect texture
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder- equal parts are used to just slightly leaven these cookies
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- 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 and sugar to a small bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Then mix in the lemon zest. Scoop the cheesecake filling into 16, 2 teaspoon portions onto a small parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze the cheesecake balls until they are frozen and very firm.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl cream the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Add in the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
STEP FIVE: Add in the lemon zest and combine on medium speed.
STEP SIX: Add in the dry ingredients and combine on low speed. Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes while waiting for the oven to preheat. This will make it easier for the cookie dough to be rolled!
STEP SEVEN: Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Slightly flatten out each then place the 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 lemon sugar.
STEP EIGHT: Transfer the cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time. Let the cookies cool for 10-11 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
FAQs
How do I store these cookies? Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze them in a freezer bag for up to two weeks!
Why is only lemon zest used? Lemon zest adds the most lemony flavor without adding extra moisture to the dough like fresh lemon juice. This allows the cookies to stay extra chewy.
Can I use lemon extract? You can, but it shouldn't be necessary because of all the lemon zest!
Can I add yellow food coloring? The cookies do have a natural yellow hue from the zest, but if you want them to be extra yellow, yes you can add a few drops to the dough!
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 into the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
Other Cookie Recipes to Try Next Time
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!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest
For the Lemon Sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest
For the Lemon Cookies
- 1 ¾ cups (218 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ tablespoon (25 g) lemon zest
Instructions
For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- Line a small cookie sheet with parchent paper.
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to a small bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Then mix in the lemon zest.6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold, 3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar, ½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest
- Scoop the cheesecake filling into 16, 2 teaspoon portions onto the baking sheet.
- Pop the cheesecake balls into the freezer until they are frozen and very firm.
For the Lemon Sugar
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a small bowl. Rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers to really extract the lemon oil in the zest. Then set aside for later.½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar, ½ tablespoon (5 g) lemon zest
For the Lemon Cookies
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.1 ¾ cups (218 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl cream the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- Add in the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy.2 egg yolks, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add in the lemon zest and combine on medium speed.2 ½ tablespoon (25 g) lemon zest
- Add in the dry ingredients and combine on low speed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes while waiting for the oven to preheat. This will make it easier to roll the cookie dough.
- Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Slightly flatten out each then place the 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 lemon 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 about 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!
These turned out amazing, my expectation became the reality. I followed the recipe exactly and I wouldn't change a thing. Absolutely delicious.
Made these for a dessert auction and the people loved them! Everyone said they were amazing and perfectly soft. Highly recommend 🙂
Do these need to be refrigerated?
Hi Angelica! I'm so glad everyone liked them!
Ok, so yes, you can whip up cookies in 1/4 of the time that these take, but these are not your ordinary cookies. After I tasted them, omg, best cookies I’ve ever had and totally worth the time! These will be my “special cookies for a special occasion” recipe. Sooooo good!!
Unbelievable!! These are probably the yummiest cookies I have EVER made - perfectly chewy with the cream cheese core and still tasting very fresh due to the lemon - absolutely love it.
This is, by far, my favorite cookie. It's not sweet and the lemon taste is so refreshing. I could't stop eating.
These were amazing somehow they all had disappeared from our fridge in three days. 🫣
Before I make these cookies, the recipe says to bake 6 at a time! If I want to make 4x the recipe, I can't devote that much time to it! Like all day. Please tell me this was a typo. Otherwise, I'll go for as many as my half-sheet pan will hold with enough space between. I was wondering why a 16-cookie recipe would only bake six at one time. Why not write the recipe in multiples of six (12 cookies) instead of 8 (16 cookies)? If my sheet will only take 10, then I'll rewrite for multiples of 10. There is no indication of spacing between raw cookies. That would be helpful.
When changing the handy portion counter at the top of the recipe, the number of grams stays the same from one to 32 cookies. The numbers of eggs, however, changes with the portions.
Thank you for clearing this up.
You putting the ingredients at each step, game changing. Helps so much with my anxiety around following recipes. Thank you for that little touch, so helpful!!
Hi Jess! I'm so glad this is helpful!
They taste wonderful and it was easy to follow the directions.
12/10 stars!! Such a hit. The day after I made them, I was begged to make more!
These cookies are so good. It seems like a lot of steps but actually goes quickly and the end result is worth it! Will definitely be making these again.
Hi Alana, I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for trying them 🙂
I would love to make these but am allergic to gluten. Do you have measurements for gluten free flour substitute?
WOW these are great! Followed the recipe exactly and everyone at the house loved them 🙂 Perfection
Hi Jillian! I have not tested these with a GF flour substitute, but I have heard great things about Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 GF flour mix. You're supposed to be able to use it the same as regular flour.
Hi Cassie! I'm so happy to read this!! Thanks for trying them out!
What temperature should I set the oven when baking?
I'm not a baker but I was able to easily follow along and they turned out great. I made some of mine too large and those probably should have cooked for a little longer, but these taste awesome and I can't wait to serve them tonight.
350, per the recipe.
I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for trying them 🙂
Great recipe! I made exactly as written the first time. I have a question- for other cookie recipes I make batches and then freeze before baking because I have a small household and like to bake a few at a time. Would that work with this recipe? And should I wait to roll them in sugar until right before baking? I saw your note about freezing but that was after baking. I find the quality is better to freeze before baking for other recipes. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks for the great recipe- my new favorite!!
These cookies and all your recipes have blown my mind. I've shared your page with all my friends!!
I'd just like to share with you a little spin on this recipe that I tried a second time, as you deserve the respect for creating the original:
I sieved frozen raspberries into the cream cheese mixture and then omitted all the lemon zest. When they came out I drizzled melted white chocolate over the top. Voila! Raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake cookies, they were a HIT.
Thank you for giving me the passion and inspiration to bake again <3
So good! I made them as a gift (18 cookies) and they came out perfect at 12 min. I would suggest making sure there is a lot of room between cookies though because they spread, and work quickly when filling and shaping the cookies, the dough is sticky and melts quickly. Putting the dough in the fridge for a bit before filling really helped 🙂
More work than your usual cookie recipe, but sooo worth it, they are the best cookies I've ever made. To break up the work a little, the day before, I zested the lemons and stored it in a small jam jar. Also made the cheesecake filling, measured out the 16 portions, and put them in the freezer. Finishing the recipe was a breeze.
Absolutely amazing cookies, i do have 2 questions if you could kindly answer!
First. Storage
How to store these cookies after ? Seeing as its cream cheese inside would i always keep it in the fridge after?
Second. Freezing
Are we able to freeze the dough to make another day ? If so how long would the dough keep in the freezer 😊
Thank you for the recipe
Hi Ginny, I've made these cookies three times now (even doubled the recipe last time for a birthday party and everyone loved them) and they always turn out absolutely delicious! My only problem is that they always end up really moist because the filling "soaks" through the bottom of the cookie after they've finished baking, which makes the cookies crumble very easily. They still taste divine, but it's impossible to pick up an entire cookie without it falling apart completely from the moisture. What could I be doing wrong? I always make sure to follow the pro tips, but it still happens.