Caramel Cheesecake Cookies (Printable)
Soft cream cheese cookies swirled with rich caramel, perfect for dessert platters and sweet indulgence.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Caramel Swirl
09 - 1/2 cup soft caramel sauce, slightly cooled
# Method:
01 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
02 - Add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
03 - Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
05 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up for easier scooping.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Use the back of a spoon to gently press an indent into the center of each cookie dough mound.
09 - Dollop about 1/2 teaspoon of slightly cooled caramel sauce into each indent and swirl gently with a knife or toothpick.
10 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
11 - Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- That impossible cream cheese texture folded into a cookie still surprises people every single time I serve them.
- The caramel swirl looks like you spent hours but it takes about ten seconds of lazy knife work.
02 -
- I once rushed the chilling step and my cookies spread into one giant caramel puddle that I had to break apart with a spatula like some kind of dessert salvage mission.
- Slightly cooled caramel is the secret because if it is too runny it seeps everywhere and if it is too cold it refuses to swirl at all.
03 -
- Homemade caramel from melted soft caramels with a splash of cream tastes noticeably better than most jarred sauces and takes barely five extra minutes.
- The biggest secret is stopping the mixer the second the flour disappears because even thirty seconds too long changes soft cookies into dry ones.