Description
Ready to brighten your dessert game? These Lemon Cheesecake Cookies combine the sunny zing of fresh lemon with a dreamy, creamy cheesecake center. With their golden sugar crust, soft-baked dough, and luscious filling, they deliver a flavor explosion that’s both refreshing and indulgent. Perfect for anyone seeking easy dessert ideas, a quick sweet snack, or impressive yet simple baking recipes, these cookies bring bakery-level results to your own kitchen. Whether for brunch, picnics, or cozy nights in, this is the easy recipe you’ll crave again and again. Sweet, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth magic — in cookie form.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Coating:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Filling: In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Scoop teaspoon-sized balls and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Make Dough: In one bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
- Assemble Cookies: Flatten a tablespoon of dough, add frozen filling ball, and wrap dough around to seal. Roll into a smooth ball and coat with sugar (optional).
- Chill Dough Balls: Place on tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cookies 11–13 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Let cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes