White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies
These are the best white chocolate peppermint cheesecake cookies! They are chewy peppermint cookies, with white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes mixed throughout, stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling and rolled in sugar. They’re the perfect Christmas treat and every peppermint lover will adore them!
If you loved my pumpkin cheesecake cookies, lemon cheesecake cookies, gingerbread cheesecake cookies or apple cider cheesecake cookies then you’re sure to love this festive peppermint version! These cookies are pure Christmas magic!
If you’re looking for other peppermint recipes for the holiday season, try my double chocolate peppermint cookies, chocolate peppermint blossoms, white chocolate peppermint cupcakes, peppermint bark Christmas crack, chocolate dipped peppermint sugar cookies or Andes mint cookies!
Why You’ll Love These White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies
They have the best texture– This recipe makes a chewy cookie!
They have a creamy cheesecake filling- The centers are stuffed full of a delicious, creamy peppermint cheesecake.
They taste like Christmas- The dough is flavored with peppermint extract and crushed candy canes for the best holiday peppermint flavor. These might just be your new favorite Christmas cookies!
Ingredients for White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies
- Unsalted Butter– make sure it’s softened, room temperature butter
- Brown Sugar– mostly brown sugar is used for chewier cookies
- Granulated White Sugar– used along with the brown sugar to sweeten the cookies, for the cheesecake filling and to roll the cookie dough in before baking
- 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 & Baking Powder– help the cookies to rise
- Salt– brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- Peppermint Extract- just a 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract adds the best Christmas flavor to the dough
- Candy Canes- candy cane pieces add peppermint flavor and a little crunch to these cookies! You can also use crushed peppermint candies for a similar taste
- White Chocolate Chips- my favorite brand to use is Ghirardelli! (not sponsored, just genuinely love!)
- 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, peppermint extract 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 16, 2 tsp 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 peppermint cookie dough, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl cream the softened butter, granulated white sugar 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, peppermint extract 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: Add in the crushed candy cane pieces and white chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.
STEP SEVEN: Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 2 tbsp 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 sugar.
STEP EIGHT: 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. Sprinkle with extra crushed candy cane pieces, then serve!
FAQs
Can I use peppermint chips instead of candy canes? Yes! Andes peppermint chips would be a great substitute for candy canes!
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 Christmas Cookie Recipes to Try Next Time
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
For the Peppermint Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups (218 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 heaping cup (200 g) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (90 g) crushed candy cane pieces
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, for rolling the dough in
- extra crushed candy cane pieces for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, peppermint extract 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 tbsp (38 g) granulated white sugar, 1/8 tsp peppermint extract, 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Scoop the cheesecake mixture 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 Peppermint Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.1 3/4 cups (218 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- 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.)3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- Add in the egg yolks, peppermint extract and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy.2 egg yolks, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
- Add in the crushed candy cane pieces and white chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.1 heaping cup (200 g) white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (90 g) crushed candy cane pieces
- Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 2 tbsp 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 sugar.(Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer until ready to use for each batch of cookies.)1/4 cup granulated white sugar, for rolling the dough in
- Transfer the cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 10 minutes 30 seconds-12 minutes.
- When the cookies are straight out of the oven, literally seconds after you take them out, scoot an extra large circular cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape! They will spread while baking and this step helps to push everything back together and give you a thicker, chewier cookie. You can also use a spoon to push the edges together if you don't have an extra large circular cookie cutter.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with extra crushed candy cane pieces, then serve!extra crushed candy cane pieces for sprinkling
Can you make these gluten free?
these are so delicious! made them for my boyfriends work holiday party and everyone raaaaved about them!
So I attempted to make these list night to take to a Christmas party and they didn’t turn out at all. The dough was not really doughy… more sticky in nature. And when I baked them, they became one merged pan of tasty goo. Not sure what I did wrong. Any tips? Should I have chilled the dough first to make it more cooperative? I really would like to try them again because they really were soooo good.
I also had the same issue you had the first time I made these cookies however I wanted to try them again as the flavour was very good. I tweaked the recipe and cut down the butter to 1/2 cup and used 2 cups of flour, I cut down the white chocolate chips to 3/4 of a cup and made the cookies smaller around 45 grams each and the cheesecake balls around 10 grams each. This was the perfect ratio for me and would recommend these changes if you try making these cookies again as they have a great flavour profile.
Do leftovers need to be stored in the fridge because of the cheesecake filling or will they be ok at room temp?
I’ve made the pumpkin ones and they turned out delicious. Can I just use whole eggs instead of egg white?
The cookies didn’t turn out great at all. The cookies spread so much while baking because of the butter. The center didn’t flatten with the rest of the cookie. The cookie edges essentially caramelized because of all of the sugar, both in the recipe and the sugar I rolled it in before baking.
I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you, Jasper! Thanks for trying out this recipe.