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Cherry cheesecake cookies have all the flavors of traditional cheesecake – in cookie form. They’ll be a new family favorite for years to come!

Close up of cherry cheesecake cookies on a marble board.
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A few years ago, Elle and I were picking up some holiday baking essentials at the store while I had a huuuuge craving for cherry cheesecake. But we were right next to a bunch of cookie-baking supplies, and it struck me. 

Cherry cheesecake COOKIES.

You guys know that my family adores cheesecake. We have it for birthdays instead of regular cake, and it’s always on our holiday tables.

 From my nana’s easy cheesecake to lemon cheesecake, my family has a cheesecake for just about every occasion. 

We even turn our cupcakes into cheesecake with cherry cheesecake cupcakes. So of course we would love these cookies, too!

Overhead view of cherry cheesecake cookies on a marble board.

What are cherry cheesecake cookies?

These cherry cheesecake cookies are pretty much a cheesecake version of thumbprint cookies.

You’ll whip up a cookie dough and cheesecake filling separately. Then, mold the cookie dough into a bowl-like shape, with a little indentation. Spoon or pipe the cheesecake filling into each little indentation, and bake ’em up.

The cookie dough has graham cracker crumbs in it, so you get the flavor of a graham cracker crust.

Once they’re baked, you’ll top each one with some cherry pie filling (because what’s cheesecake with out cherries?!), and there you have it. Cherry cheesecake in an adorable cookie form!

Bite taken from a cherry cheesecake cookie on a marble board.

How to make my cherry cheesecake cookies

These sweet little bites might look complicated, but they’re actually super easy to make. And the ingredients are pretty basic, so you might just have everything on hand already!

Ingredients you’ll need

To make these sweet little cookies, you’ll need:

  • 1 ¼ cups finely crushed graham crackers 
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons softened unsalted butter 
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg, white and yolk separated
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese 
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • homemade cherry pie filling
Ingredients for cherry cheesecake cookies arranged on a countertop.

Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your cherry cheesecake cookies to come out perfect every time.

You can buy graham cracker crumbs from the store or crush whole graham crackers to make your own. You’ll need about 1 sleeve of graham crackers for 1 1/4 cups of crumbs.

Brown sugar adds a richness and chewiness to the cookie dough. If you are out of brown sugar, try making a simple brown sugar substitute.

If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, check out my tricks for softening brown sugar.

Homemade cherry pie filling is always my go-to for topping these cookies, but feel free to use store-bought if that’s easier for you. I try to buy the “extra fruit” pie fillings so there’s lots of cherries in it.

Making these cookies

Start by making the graham cracker cookie dough. Whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This will take about 3 minutes. Add the egg white and mix until well combined.

Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.

Now make the cheesecake filling. In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until the filling is smooth.

Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to scoop the cookie dough onto lined baking sheets. Press your thumb or a round measuring spoon until the center of each ball to slightly flatten and create a bowl shape in the center.

Spoon or pipe the cream cheese filling into each indentation. 

Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12 minutes; the filling should be barely set and the cookies will be lightly golden when they’re done.

Baked cheesecake cookies cooling on a baking sheet.

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Before serving, top each cookie with a spoonful of cherry pie filling.

Cherry cheesecake cookies lined up on a wire rack.

Other topping ideas

If you’re not a fan of cherry pie filling, you can top these cheesecake cookies with just about anything. 

Strawberry pie filling and peach pie filling are both great options. 

For a citrusy twist, top with a bit of microwave lemon curd or lime curd.

If you don’t want to go the fruity route at all, dry a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or chocolate ganache

Cherry cheesecake cookies and a bowl of cherry pie filling arranged on a marble board.

Storing these cookies

Store cherry cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the cookies without the cherry pie filling; wait to top them with the filling until just before serving.

You can freeze the cookies in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to a month. Let the cookies thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.

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Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

By: Jamie
4.42 from 247 ratings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies
Cherry cheesecake cookies have all the flavors of traditional cheesecake – in cookie form. They’ll be a new family favorite for years to come!

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.
  • In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add the egg white and beat until well combined.
  • Stir graham cracker mixture into butter mixture until just combined.
  • In another medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar until combined. Add in egg yolk and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons), scoop out the cookie dough and place on prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb or a round measuring teaspoon into the center of the ball to flatten slightly and create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  • Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture into the indents of the cookies.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden.
  • Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.
  • Spoon cherry pie filling onto cooled cookies just before serving.

Notes

Store cherry cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the cookies without the cherry pie filling; wait to top them with the filling until just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 61mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 403IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

4.42 from 247 votes (245 ratings without comment)

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114 Comments

  1. Barbara says:

    How many cookies does this make???

    1. Jamie says:

      Hello, Barbara! You can find the yield for most of my recipes in the recipe card under the title. This recipe yields 16 cookies. I hope this helps!
      -Jamie

  2. Roseanna Morris says:

    Are these a crispy type cookie,or are they soft?

  3. Gloria Gregory says:

    Wow these looks awesome. This is one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing

  4. Terri Cvikel says:

    Just made these, Omg delicious. Such a big hit with everyone who tried them before I ran out.
    Would these freeze well?

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed them! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
      -Jamie

  5. Vicky anaya says:

    Why did my cookies go flat??

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi, Vicky! When my cookies go flat, I usually check my baking powder to make sure it hasn’t expired. I’ve found new baking powder works wonders. I hope this helps.

  6. Ruth says:

    Muy faciles de hacer, y se ven muy buenas. Gracias.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thank you, Ruth!

  7. Carrisa says:

    I made these today and haven’t put the Cherry topping on yet. I’m wondering if they will get soggy once I put the topping on and then store them. Would you recommend waiting to put topping on until ready to serve?
    THX

    1. Jamie says:

      Hello! Yes, I recommend topping them just before serving. :)
      -Jamie

  8. Adam S. says:

    This looks so good. It combines two of my favorite deserts cookies and cheese cake. This would be a nice surprise for my birthday!

    1. Jamie says:

      I’m so glad, Adam. Happy early birthday!

  9. Marie says:

    Hello!

    How well do they freeze? Can these be frozen and thawed when needed and then once thawed, topped with the cherry pie filling?

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi, Marie! I’ve never really frozen them, but I think it would work. I hope you enjoy them!

  10. Top 10 Bhajans says:

    Looks delicious.