Get the Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
Bright, zesty, and melt-in-your-mouth soft, lemon cheesecake cookies are like a little bite of sunshine! With a creamy cheesecake center and a burst of citrus flavor, these cookies are guaranteed to steal the show.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- ¾ cup (6 oz or 170 g) block-style cream cheese, cold
- 3 Tablespoons (38 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ Tablespoon lemon zest
Cookies
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Additional granulated sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest.
- Use a teaspoon to scoop a heaping teaspoonful. Roll into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cream cheese until there are at least 18 balls.
- Place cheesecake balls in the freezer until firm and frozen.
Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and zest between your fingers to increase the lemon flavor.
- Add melted butter to the bowl and use an electric mixer to mix until butter is absorbed. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until combined, then mix in the lemon juice and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the dough for at 30 minutes. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a medium cookie scoop to scoop 1 ½ Tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Slightly flatten the ball, place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center and wrap it inside the dough. Roll dough back into a ball. Work quickly so the dough stays relatively cold before baking.
- Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers are soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cream cheese: Block-style is best since it is thicker and is less likely to melt.
Climate: If baking in a warm or humid climate, you may have to chill the dough longer than 30 minutes or work in batches when assembling the balls of dough.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
Freeze dough for up to 3 months. Form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Cheesecake balls can also be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 145mg, Potassium: 37mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 313IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg