Description
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies combine a buttery graham‑cracker‑infused cookie with a creamy cheesecake center and gooey caramel pockets, all finished with a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a perfectly balanced, irresistible treat.
Ingredients
- Cookie Base: all‑purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter (softened), brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract
- Cheesecake Filling: cream cheese (softened), powdered sugar, vanilla extract
- Caramel Components: caramel sauce (for filling), extra caramel for drizzling, sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter with both sugars until fluffy (~3 minutes), then mix in egg and vanilla. Gradually combine the dry mix, being careful not to overmix.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar and vanilla to make the cheesecake filling.
- Scoop out 2 Tbsp of cookie dough, flatten it, top with 1 tsp cheesecake filling and ½ tsp caramel, then top with another 1 Tbsp of dough and seal the edges. Arrange on baking sheet with space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look just set. Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- While still warm, drizzle with extra caramel and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Notes
- Add 2 Tbsp cocoa powder and use chocolate graham crackers for a chocolate version.
- Season with pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for holiday flair.
- Stir in dried cranberries or strawberries into the cheesecake filling for a fruity twist.
- Use a 1:1 gluten‑free flour blend for a gluten‑free version (expect slightly softer texture).
- Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch.
- Swap brown sugar for coconut sugar to deepen the caramel flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus optional 30‑minute chill for firmer dough)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
