There are moments in the kitchen when you stumble upon a combination so delightful, so utterly perfect, that you wonder why you hadn’t thought of it sooner. For me, that moment arrived with these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies. Imagine a soft, chewy brown sugar cookie, with slightly crisp edges, wrapped around a heart of tangy, creamy cheesecake filling. Just when you think it can’t get any better, you bake them and top them with a pool of molten, gooey salted caramel and a final flourish of flaky sea salt. It’s a dessert that hits every single note.

This is one of those recipes that has become legendary amongst my friends and family. Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties, and I’m always happy to share it. These aren’t just your average caramel cookies; they are an entire dessert experience in a single, handheld treat. The contrast between the sweet cookie, the sharp cheesecake, and the salty caramel is what makes them so special. They work wonderfully for a weekend baking project when you have a bit more time to enjoy the process, or as a show-stopping addition to a bake sale or special gathering.

We’re going to break down this dessert recipe into manageable steps, from creating the smooth cheesecake filling to achieving that perfect chewy cookie texture. Don’t be intimidated by the different components; it’s a straightforward process that is well worth the effort. Let’s get our aprons on and create some truly memorable filled cookies.

Recipe Overview

This recipe brings together three distinct layers: a soft cookie, a tangy cheesecake centre, and a rich salted caramel topping. The key is chilling the components, which ensures the cheesecake filling stays neatly inside the cookie dough while baking. After testing this a few times, I found that freezing the cheesecake balls for at least 30 minutes is the secret to a perfect, no-leak bake. The result is a substantial, satisfying cookie that feels incredibly indulgent.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Servings: 16-18 cookies
• Difficulty: Medium

Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

• Incredible Flavour and Texture: You get the chewy, soft cookie base giving way to a smooth, tangy cream cheese filling. The rich caramel on top, cut by a pinch of flaky sea salt, creates a perfectly balanced sweet and salty profile.
• A Rewarding Baking Project: While there are a few steps, the active time is less than an hour, making it a brilliant recipe for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The process itself is as enjoyable as the final product.
• A Truly Flexible Recipe: You can easily swap the salted caramel for a thick chocolate ganache, a dollop of Biscoff spread, or even a tart fruit jam like raspberry or lemon curd for a different twist.
• Ideal for Sharing: These cookies are substantial and impressive. They work beautifully for taking to a friend’s house, packing into gift boxes for the holidays, or simply sharing with family after dinner.
• Family Tested and Approved: This is a guaranteed winner. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often trying to sneak one before the caramel has even set!

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

⏱️ 40 min prep  •  🍳 15 min cook  •  👥 16 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the best results, we’ll use full-fat cream cheese for a rich, stable filling. I always reach for Philadelphia Original as I find its firm texture holds up beautifully when baked. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature to ensure your cookie dough comes together smoothly.

• For the Cheesecake Filling:
• 120g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 30g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• For the Cookie Dough:
• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g light brown soft sugar
• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the Topping:
• 150g soft caramel sweets (or a thick, store-bought caramel sauce)
• 1 tbsp double cream or milk
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt (like Maldon), for sprinkling

Marcus’s Tip: Don’t skip the flaky sea salt! It’s not just a garnish; it elevates the caramel and cuts through the sweetness, balancing the entire cookie. A little pinch makes all the difference.

How to Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

We’ll tackle this in three stages: first the filling, then the cookie dough, and finally the assembly and baking. The chilling steps are essential, so make sure you factor them into your timing.

1. Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a small bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a spatula to beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the caster sugar, vanilla extract, and plain flour, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
2. Chill the Filling: Line a small tray or plate with parchment paper. Scoop out level teaspoon-sized portions of the cheesecake mixture and roll them into small balls (you should get about 16-18). Place them on the prepared tray and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm. This step is crucial to prevent the filling from melting out during baking.
3. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter with the light brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You can learn more about the importance of the creaming method for light baked goods. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on a low speed until just combined. Do not overwork the dough.
5. Chill the Cookie Dough: Cover the bowl of cookie dough with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This makes the dough easier to handle and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
6. Assemble the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Take a scoop of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons) and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Place one of the frozen cheesecake balls in the centre. Carefully wrap the dough around the filling, sealing the edges completely to form a smooth ball. What works best for me is rolling it gently between my palms to ensure there are no gaps.
7. Bake the Cookies: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of space between them as they will spread. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centres are just set. They might look slightly underdone in the middle, but they will continue to cook on the hot tray.
8. Add the Caramel: Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately use the back of a teaspoon to gently press an indent into the centre of each warm cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
9. Melt the Caramel and Finish: While the cookies are cooling, place the caramel sweets and double cream in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth and melted. Spoon the warm caramel into the indents of each cookie. For another delicious treat, check out this Stuffed Cookies Recipe With Gooey Center.
10. Final Touch: Sprinkle each caramel-filled cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Allow the caramel to set for about 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature is Everything: Using room temperature butter and eggs for the dough is non-negotiable for a smooth, emulsified batter. Conversely, the cheesecake filling and assembled cookie balls must be cold to hold their shape during baking. Don’t rush the chilling times!
• The Secret to a Clean Fill: I learned that if your cheesecake filling starts to get soft while you’re assembling the cookies, just pop the tray of filling balls back in the freezer for 10 minutes. Working with a truly frozen filling makes the wrapping process much cleaner.
• Make-Ahead Magic: You can prepare the cheesecake filling and the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance. Store the filling balls in an airtight container in the freezer and the dough tightly wrapped in the fridge. You can even assemble the cookies and freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
• Storage: Due to the cream cheese filling, these cookies are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 4 days. You can enjoy them chilled or let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften slightly.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Large baking trays
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack
• Small ice cream scoop (optional, for even portioning)

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, it’s fun to play around with different flavours. These cheesecake cookies are a brilliant canvas for your creativity.

• Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add 100g of chocolate chips to the cookie dough and replace the salted caramel with a dollop of smooth peanut butter melted with a little chocolate.
• Lemon and White Chocolate: Add the zest of one lemon to the cookie dough and 100g of white chocolate chips. Fill the indent with lemon curd instead of caramel for a zesty alternative, similar to these lovely Lemon Crumb Bars.
• Biscoff Cheesecake Cookies: Crush 5-6 Biscoff biscuits and mix them into the cookie dough. Use melted Biscoff spread in place of the caramel for an extra layer of spiced flavour.

What to Serve With Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

These are a complete dessert in themselves, but if you want to make them part of a larger spread, here are a few ideas.

• A Glass of Cold Milk: The classic pairing for any cookie. The simple, creamy milk perfectly complements the rich flavours.
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Serve a cookie slightly warm with a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream on the side for a truly decadent dessert.
• A Hot Cup of Coffee: A freshly brewed Americano or a flat white provides a lovely bitter contrast to the sweetness of the caramel and cookie dough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

Decadent brown sugar cookies stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling, then topped with rich caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 16 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 340

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 120 g full-fat cream cheese softened
• 30 g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp plain flour

For the Cookie Dough

• 225 g unsalted butter softened
• 200 g light brown soft sugar
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350 g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Topping

• 150 g soft caramel sweets or a thick, store-bought caramel sauce
• 1 tbsp double cream or milk
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt like Maldon, for sprinkling

Method

 

1. Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a small bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a spatula to beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the caster sugar, vanilla extract, and plain flour, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
2. Chill the Filling: Line a small tray or plate with parchment paper. Scoop out level teaspoon-sized portions of the cheesecake mixture and roll them into small balls (you should get about 16-18). Place them on the prepared tray and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm. This step is crucial to prevent the filling from melting out during baking.
3. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter with the light brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You can learn more about the importance of the creaming method for light baked goods. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on a low speed until just combined. Do not overwork the dough.
5. Chill the Cookie Dough: Cover the bowl of cookie dough with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This makes the dough easier to handle and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
6. Assemble the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Take a scoop of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons) and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Place one of the frozen cheesecake balls in the centre. Carefully wrap the dough around the filling, sealing the edges completely to form a smooth ball. What works best for me is rolling it gently between my palms to ensure there are no gaps.
7. Bake the Cookies: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of space between them as they will spread. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centres are just set. They might look slightly underdone in the middle, but they will continue to cook on the hot tray.
8. Add the Caramel: Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately use the back of a teaspoon to gently press an indent into the centre of each warm cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
9. Melt the Caramel and Finish: While the cookies are cooling, place the caramel sweets and double cream in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth and melted. Spoon the warm caramel into the indents of each cookie. For another delicious treat, check out this Stuffed Cookies Recipe With Gooey Center.
10. Final Touch: Sprinkle each caramel-filled cookie with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Allow the caramel to set for about 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They are best enjoyed on the day they are made for the optimal texture.

I really hope you give these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies a try. They are a little bit of a project, but the payoff is immense, and they always get compliments. There’s nothing better than watching someone take their first bite and see their eyes light up. Let me know how you get on in the comments below – I’d love to hear about your baking adventures!

Happy Baking,
Marcus Bennett