These cookies take about 45 minutes start to finish, and 30 of those minutes are just the dough firming up in the fridge. You need five ingredients: cream cheese, salted butter, sugar, flour and about 10 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
The dough is closer to a soft cheesecake batter than a classic cookie dough, so don't skip the chill. Cold dough holds its shape when you roll it, and warm dough spreads into flat puddles before the middle sets.
You'll get 12 cookies from one batch. They bake at 350°F in 12 to 15 minutes, and you're looking for golden bottoms rather than golden tops.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Beat the cream cheese mixture
Put the softened cream cheese, room-temperature butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth and no cream cheese lumps are left, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.
2. Mix in the flour
Add the flour and mix on low just until it disappears into the dough. Stop there. Overmixing makes the cookies tough.
3. Fold in the crushed cookies
Add the crushed cookies and fold them in gently with a spatula. You want the pieces spread evenly through the dough, not broken down further.
4. Chill the dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the dough feels firm when you press it. This step is what keeps the cookies from spreading.
5. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Roll and flatten
Roll the chilled dough into small balls and set them on the lined sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Press each one down with your fingers or a warm spoon to start the cookie shape.
7. Bake
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Check at 12 minutes, since the tops will still look pale.
8. Cool on a rack
Move the cookies to a cooling rack and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. They're soft straight from the oven and firm up as they cool.
Tips & Tricks
- Let the cream cheese and butter sit out for about 30 minutes before you start. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy and you'll overbeat the dough trying to smooth it.
- Crush the cookies in a sealed bag with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan. A food processor turns them to dust fast.
- Chill the dough for the full 30 minutes. If it's still sticky after that, give it 10 more minutes rather than adding flour.
- Press each dough ball down with your fingers or the back of a warm spoon. They don't spread much on their own.
Variations
- Use vanilla sandwich cookies instead of chocolate ones for a lighter, sweeter cookie.
- Add a handful of white chocolate chips with the crushed cookies for extra texture.
- Roll the dough balls in a little extra crushed cookie before pressing, for a crunchier outside.
How to Store Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cookies
Refrigerator
Keep the baked cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The raw dough keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days before baking.
Freezer
Freeze baked cookies in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. You can also freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then bag them, and bake from frozen with a couple of extra minutes.
Reheating
A few seconds in the microwave brings back the soft middle. Ten minutes in a 300°F oven works better if you want the edges crisp again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my cookies spread out flat?
The dough was probably too warm or too soft when it went in. Chill it for the full 30 minutes, and if it's still sticky, give it 10 more. Also check that your butter wasn't melted, just soft.
Q: Can I use low-fat or spreadable cream cheese?
You can, but the dough gets looser and the cookies spread more. Full-fat block cream cheese gives the firmest dough and the most cheesecake-like texture.
Q: How do I know when they're done?
Look at the bottom. The tops stay pale, so lift one edge with a spatula at 12 minutes. A golden brown underside means they're ready.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling if it's too hard to scoop.
Q: Do I have to use salted butter?
No. Unsalted butter works, but add a small pinch of salt to the dough. The cookies taste bland without it because there's no other salt in the recipe.
Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
Soft cheesecake cookies made with cream cheese, butter and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Chill, scoop, bake at 350°F and get 12 cookies.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Beat the cream cheese mixture — Put the softened cream cheese, room-temperature butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth and no cream cheese lumps are left, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.
- 2Mix in the flour — Add the flour and mix on low just until it disappears into the dough. Stop there. Overmixing makes the cookies tough.
- 3Fold in the crushed cookies — Add the crushed cookies and fold them in gently with a spatula. You want the pieces spread evenly through the dough, not broken down further.
- 4Chill the dough — Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the dough feels firm when you press it. This step is what keeps the cookies from spreading.
- 5Heat the oven — Set the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 6Roll and flatten — Roll the chilled dough into small balls and set them on the lined sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Press each one down with your fingers or a warm spoon to start the cookie shape.
- 7Bake — Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Check at 12 minutes, since the tops will still look pale.
- 8Cool on a rack — Move the cookies to a cooling rack and let them rest for at least 5 minutes. They're soft straight from the oven and firm up as they cool.
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