Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies
Soft red velvet cookies stuffed with tangy cheesecake and finished with a simple vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese brick style, full fat, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling (optional)
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar for glaze
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp flour until smooth and creamy.
- Line a small baking sheet or large plate with wax paper. Scoop the cream cheese mixture into 2-teaspoon mounds onto the lined surface.
- Freeze the cream cheese mounds for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 2/3 cups flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar until creamy and slightly fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla bean paste, vinegar, and red gel food coloring to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until a soft dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of chilled dough, flatten it slightly in your hand, and gently curve the edges up to form a shallow cup.
- Take 1 frozen cream cheese mound from the freezer and place it in the center of the dough cup, keeping the remaining mounds frozen as you work.
- Scoop another 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of dough, flatten it slightly, and place it over the cream cheese mound.
- Pinch the edges of the dough together to fully seal in the filling, then roll gently between your palms to form a smooth ball.
- If rolling in sugar, place 1/3 cup granulated sugar on a small plate and roll each dough ball in the sugar to coat.
- Place the dough balls on the parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line additional baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Arrange the frozen cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Do not thaw before baking.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops look set and the edges are slightly firm.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet so the cream cheese centers can set.
- For the glaze, whisk together 1 tbsp milk and 1 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth, then add up to 1/4 cup more powdered sugar as needed until the glaze is white and thin enough to drizzle.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies, using a spoon or piping it from a small freezer bag with the corner snipped off. Let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- Keep the cream cheese mounds in the freezer and remove only one at a time so they stay firm and easy to handle.
- Chilling the dough and freezing the stuffed balls helps the cookies stay thick and prevents the filling from leaking out.
- You can assemble the stuffed dough balls and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 1 month; bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and let them sit at room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Chilling the dough and freezing the stuffed balls helps the cookies stay thick and prevents the filling from leaking out.
- You can assemble the stuffed dough balls and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 1 month; bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and let them sit at room temperature before serving for the best texture.