If you’re looking for a delicious and indulgent way to change up your chocolate chip cookie routine, this recipe is for you! Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies are sure to impress your friends and family. Plus, they’re easy to make!
Chocolate Chip Cookies Filled with Cheesecake
You know what’s better than chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookies filled with cheesecake! Who’s with me?
These cookies are a combination of my favorite chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe and a simple, sweetened cream cheese filling. Putting those two things together is pretty darn magical. They’re soft, sweet, and amazingly good!
Perhaps best of all, these cookies are surprisingly easy to make. There are just a couple of added steps versus making a batch of traditional chocolate chip cookies. You’ll take two portions of the cookie dough, place a little cream cheese filling between them, and seal it all together before baking.
If you’re looking for a little extra indulgence for a special occasion or a sweet treat, these Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies are just the thing. They may look like a traditional chocolate chip cookie on the outside, but that cheesecake surprise inside really takes them over the top! And if you’re all in on stuffed cookies, try Cookie Butter-Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies next.
What You’ll Need
Just the basics here! If you bake with regularity, you likely have everything you need to whip up a batch of these irresistible cookies!
For the cream cheese filling:
- Cream cheese – Bring this to room temperature so it will mix smoothly. Full-fat cream cheese works best. Be sure to use the kind in brick form, not whipped cream cheese.
- Confectioners’ sugar
For the cookies:
- All-purpose flour – As always, measure by weight or spoon and sweep.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – After melting the butter, allow it to cool until it’s still warm but not hot. Usually, this is about 5 minutes, but that can vary depending on several factors (your microwave, the bowl, your kitchen’s temperature, etc.).
- Brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar, as the flavor of dark brown sugar might overpower the other flavors. Be sure yours is firmly packed or (better yet) measure it by weight.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – You’ll need one whole egg and an extra egg yolk. Bring the eggs to room temperature. Eggs separate more easily when they’re cold, so do that when you first gather your ingredients.
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – I like semisweet in this recipe, but use your favorite kind.
How to Make Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are simple to make, with just some extra assembly steps to get them stuffed and shaped. Be sure to factor the chilling time into your baking plans.
To make the filling:
Mix the ingredients. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate the filling while you make the cookies.
To make the cookies:
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Combine the wet ingredients. With an electric mixer, mix together the cooled butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain.
Add the chocolate chips. Stir the chocolate chips into the dough.
Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours. You can chill it longer, but you may need to let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping so it’s easier to handle.
Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
Portion and shape the cookies. Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls and slightly flatten each one in your hands. Add 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the flattened dough. Top with another flattened tablespoonful of cookie dough. Wrap the two portions of dough around the filling, and use your fingers to pinch the edges to seal. Roll the assembled cookie between your hands to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on the prepared pans, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Refrigerate the remaining dough between baking batches. If your kitchen is warm or your hands overly warmed the dough, you may want to refrigerate the shaped cookies for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
Bake. Place the pans of cookies (one pan at a time) in the heated oven, and bake 15 to 18 minutes. When the edges are browned and the cookies appear set, they’re ready to come out of the oven. Be sure to refrigerate the remaining dough between baking batches.
Cool. Place the pans on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pans to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the chilling time. This dough needs that refrigerator time to bake with the best results. You’ll be handling the dough quite a bit, so you may also want to chill the cookies again briefly after shaping them if your hands have warmed the dough.
- Use cookie scoops. To expedite the assembly, I strongly recommend using cookie scoops. You’ll need a 1-tablespoon scoop for the dough and a 1/2-tablespoon scoop for the filling. Remember that making the cookies the same size also helps make sure that the cookies bake evenly. Learn more: A Baker’s Guide to Cookie Scoops
- Take care assembling the cookies. Make sure you get all those edges sealed so the filling stays inside the cookies. You can use little bits of dough to patch any areas that may need it.
How to Store Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once cooled completely, place the cookies in an airtight container. Because of the filling, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator if they won’t be eaten the same day they’re baked. They should keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days, although they’ll be at their best with a few days. Bring the chilled cookies to room temperature before serving. You can also warm them for a few seconds in the microwave if you like.
Can These Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes! Place the cooled cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Stored properly, they should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To freeze the unbaked cookies, portion and shape the cookies as directed in the recipe. Place the balls of dough on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in the freezer until they’re frozen solid (about 2 hours). Then place the frozen dough in a freezer-safe container or bag. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, place the frozen cookie dough on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Cheesecake-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are a heavenly combination of two classic desserts - chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 6 ounces (170g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (20g) confectioners' sugar
For the cookies:
- 2 & 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate.
To make the cookies:
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. (You can instead mix by hand if you prefer.)
- Reduce the mixer to low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Using a tablespoonful of dough at a time, flatten the dough into a thick disc. Place 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of the dough. Top with another tablespoon portion of dough that has been flattened.
- Wrap the edges of the dough around the filling, pressing the edges to seal. Roll the dough into a ball between your palms.
- Place the balls of dough on the prepared pans, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. If your hands have warmed the dough, you may want to place the cookies back in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake, one pan at a time, 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers appear set. Refrigerate the remaining dough between batches.
- Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies off the pan to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Recommended Products
Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
