The Best Holiday Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
Gingerbread cheesecake cookies are a festive holiday cookie made from perfectly spiced and chewy cookies and rich white chocolate cream cheese filling. Think classic gingerbread sandwich cookies but with a silky cheesecake center. Perfect for the holiday season, gifting, or adding to your favourite Christmas cookie board, they’re a festive twist on classic gingerbread.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ⅓ cup butter softened, room temperature
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- 1 medium egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- 3 ½ tablespoons butter cold
- ⅓ cup cream cheese cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and both sugars using a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and milk, then mix until fully combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix again for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours. This firms up the dough and makes it easy to shape the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough roll into balls and arrange 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres remain soft.
- If the cookies haven’t cracked, gently tap the tray on the counter or lightly press the tops with a spatula, then bake for 1 extra minute.
- Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave again in 15-second intervals. Keep repeating until fully melted. Let cool to room temperature.
- Beat the cold butter in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate, cold cream cheese, and vanilla. Mix until just combined and smooth. Add to a piping bag and use immediately for best piping consistency.
Assemble the Sandwich Cookies
- Pair cookies by size and flip half of them upside-down.
- Pipe or spread a generous layer of cheesecake filling onto the flat side of one cookie.
- Top with the second cookie and gently press to create an even sandwich cookie.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale in grams for more accuracy. The cups used for the conversion are standard US customary cups (1 cup flour = 120g). There are many different types of cups across the globe, which is why I strongly recommend using grams instead.
- Chill the cookie dough well before baking to prevent it from spreading too much in the oven.
- Use full fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia original. For US readers, use cream cheese block, not the spread.
- If your butter is really yellow, add a small drop of purple food colouring to cancel out the yellowness.
Nutrition
Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 366IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!