Description
Delight in these Cheesecake Caramel Cookies, featuring buttery cookie cups filled with a smooth cheesecake mixture and topped with luscious caramel and sea salt flakes. Perfectly balanced between sweet and salty, these cookies are a sophisticated treat ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
Topping
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Prepare cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt, mixing gently until just combined into a soft dough. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Preheat oven and shape cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the chilled dough into 1.5-inch balls and place each ball into a muffin tin cup. Press the center of each ball down to form a small cup shape for the filling. Bake the cookie cups for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown.
- Make cheesecake filling: While the cookies are baking, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk together until smooth and creamy, ensuring no lumps remain. This mixture will be the delicious filling for the cookie cups.
- Fill and bake cookies: Remove the baked cookie cups from the oven. If the centers have puffed up, gently press them down again to create room for the filling. Spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cheesecake mixture into each cookie cup. Return the filled cookie cups to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes to set the filling.
- Cool and decorate: Let the cookies cool completely in the muffin tin to firm up. Once cooled, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Warm the caramel sauce slightly if it is too thick for piping. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the caramel sauce and pipe a decorative swirl on top of each cookie. Finish by sprinkling sea salt flakes over the caramel for a perfect sweet-salty balance.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the decorated cookies for at least 1 hour to allow the filling and caramel to set fully. For the best texture and flavor, bring cookies to room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature to achieve the smoothest, creamiest cheesecake filling.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can drizzle the caramel sauce over the cookies with a spoon for a rustic look.
- The cookies can be prepared a day in advance and stored refrigerated to save time.
- For easier removal from the muffin tin, allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before using a knife to gently loosen the edges.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookies, cheesecake filling, caramel, dessert, sweet and salty, baked cookies, caramel sauce, cream cheese, buttery cookies
