These soft and chewy blueberry cheesecake cookies have a swirled, molten cheesecake filling. The cookie itself is buttery with crisp edges, and is swirled with graham cracker crumbs. They're very easy to make and the cookie dough comes together without an electric mixer. Why choose between a cookie and a cheesecake when you could have both?
Jump to:
- 🍪 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- 📝 Key ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to make blueberry cheesecake cookies
- Blueberry swirl step by step
- Cookie dough step by step
- Cheesecake filling & assembly step by step
- 📝 Expert cookie tips
- 🥄 Make ahead and storage
- ❔ Why use melted butter
- ✔️ Flavor variations
- 📖 Recipe FAQs
- 🍪 More related recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🍪 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Molten cheesecake: The cheesecake filling is gooey and creamy, and has a gorgeous blueberry swirl.
- Blueberry sauce: There’s homemade blueberry sauce swirled into the cheesecake filling. It's full of blueberry flavor.
- Graham cracker swirl: The cookie dough is swirled with graham crumbs and they’re topped with graham pieces after baking. It's like a buttery cheesecake crust cookie.
📝 Key ingredients
I've divided the ingredients into two steps: the filling and the graham cracker swirled cookie dough.
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Blueberry cheesecake filling
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries work great. I used frozen wild blueberries. You don’t need to defrost the frozen blueberries before using them.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice will give the blueberry sauce a bit of extra tang and complexity.
- Cornstarch: You only need a small amount to thicken the blueberry sauce. You can add some all purpose flour instead, if you prefer not to use cornstarch.
- Cream cheese: Use a full fat cream cheese for a thick and creamy filling. Low fat cream cheese will end up very watery.
Cookie dough ingredients
- Butter: Use a good quality real butter for the best flavor and texture. It needs to be melted (in a microwave or on the stovetop). You can use it when it’s still pretty warm. Don't substitute with oil.
- Graham crackers: The cookie dough has graham cracker crumbs folded into it at the end to make a graham swirl. I topped the cookies with some broken graham cracker pieces as soon as they came out of the oven for some extra texture.
- Brown & granulated sugar: The brown sugar gives the cookie its deep flavor and chewy texture. The granulated sugar gives the cookie perfectly crispy edges.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour for the best and most consistent results. If you don’t have a scale, use a measuring cup properly: mix the flour with a spoon to fluff it up and carefully spoon it into the measuring cup. Scrape the rest off without packing in the flour.
- Cinnamon: It helps add warmth and depth of flavor into the cookie dough. There's only a tiny amount, you don't really taste it.
👩🍳 How to make blueberry cheesecake cookies
To make the cookies, start off with cooking the blueberry sauce to give it enough time to chill in the fridge. Then make the cookie dough, and as it chills work on the cream cheese filling.
Blueberry swirl step by step
Step 1: To make the blueberry sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Step 2: Simmer, stirring frequently, until thick and immediately transfer to a non-metal heat safe container to cool and refrigerate until cookie assembly.
Cookie dough step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl combine brown and granulated sugars, salt, and egg. Whisk with a wire whisk until thickened and lightened in color.
Step 2: Add melted room temperature butter and vanilla. Whisk to combine until smooth.
Step 3: Sift the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon right into the bowl. Fold just until there are no dry streaks. Add the graham crumbs and fold a few times to form ribbons. If needed, pop the cookie dough in the fridge for a few minutes to solidify enough for scooping.
Step 4: Scoop or roll into 12 large even balls onto a sheet lined in parchment paper. Use the back of the scoop or your fingers to press an indent into the middle of each dough ball.
Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling.
Cheesecake filling & assembly step by step
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together one whole egg until smooth. Set aside for later.
Step 2: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt together until completely smooth.
Step 3: Add vanilla and only HALF of the previously whisked egg, beating until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Step 4: Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
To assemble the cookies, lay the chilled cookie dough balls out on parchment lined or greased baking sheets, leaving a few inches space in between. Drop cheesecake mixture into the middle of each cookie, fill them all the way to the top.
Step 5: Add ½ teaspoon of blueberry sauce into the cheesecake mixture and swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown. You don’t want to overbake because you want them to stay soft inside.
Step 6: Let the blueberry cheesecake cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
They are very gooey and fragile right out of the oven. Break the graham crackers over the top while still warm so they stick to the tops. Enjoy!
📝 Expert cookie tips
- Weigh the flour: This will give you consistent results and create the perfect texture. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix: Overmixing the cookie dough after the flour is added causes a dense, tough texture.
- Don't overbake: For the perfect chewy texture, the edges should be golden brown and set. The cookies will continue to bake out of the oven.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a bowl that’s larger than the cookie to gently shake the cookie around inside the bowl. This will push in all the irregular edges. Do this as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Store baked blueberry cheesecake cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper in between layers of cookies in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The cookies need to be refrigerated because of the cheesecake filling.
The blueberry sauce can be made up to a few days ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
The cheesecake filling and cookie dough can be made a day ahead of time - store in the fridge. Make sure to shape the cookie dough before chilling because it will become very hard after refrigerating.
❔ Why use melted butter
The best part is that the cookie dough is a one bowl recipe made with melted butter. You only need a wire whisk. This gives the cookies super crisp buttery edges and soft chewy centers. The blueberry cheesecake cookies are swirled with some graham cracker crumbs to make it taste like a cheesecake crust.
I like to scoop the blueberry cheesecake cookie dough before I put them into the fridge to chill completely. It’s so much easier to scoop the dough while it’s still soft.
✔️ Flavor variations
Strawberries: Make these strawberry cheesecake cookies which are the strawberry version of these cookies.
Lemon blueberry: Add the zest of half a lemon into the cheesecake filling.
Raspberry: Substitute the blueberries with raspberries.
📖 Recipe FAQs
I let the dough sit for a few minutes as soon as I mix it together because it thickens up quite a bit as it sits. You can also place the dough into the fridge to firm up for a minute before scooping and shaping. Don't put it in the fridge for too long or it will be too hard to scoop.
You make an indent in the middle of the cookie with the back of your cookie scoop or fingers for the cream cheese mixture. If some pours out while adding in the blueberry that’s ok! Most of the filling will stay in the center of the blueberry cream cheese cookies.
Do not skip this step! You need the gluten to relax and the butter in the cookie to firm up again. That way you get the best chewy texture in your cookie. Your cookie will look and taste completely different if you don’t chill! Chill for longer than 30 minutes or overnight for even better flavor and texture. Make these lemon white chocolate cookies for a no chill cookie recipe.
You can use crushed biscoff cookies, digestive biscuits or any other similar crushed cookie of your choice. Crush or blend them into crumbs and use as graham cracker crumbs in the cookie dough.
🍪 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- 1 cookie tray
- 1 parchment paper sheets
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- ½ cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ⅛ cup all purpose flour 260g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs 60g
Filling and Assembly
- 1 large egg beaten lightly with a fork
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 graham crackers to crush on top
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce
- To make the blueberry sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.½ cup blueberries, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Simmer, stirring frequently, until thick and immediately transfer to a non-metal heat safe container to cool and refrigerate until cookie assembly.
Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl combine brown and granulated sugars, salt, and egg. Whisk with a wire whisk until thickened and lightened in color.¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 large egg
- Add melted room temperature butter and vanilla. Whisk to combine until smooth.1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon right into the bowl. Fold just until there are no dry streaks.2 ⅛ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the graham crumbs and fold a few times to form ribbons. If needed, pop the cookie dough in the fridge for a few minutes to solidify enough for scooping.½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- Scoop or roll into 12 large even balls onto a sheet lined in parchment paper. Use the back of the scoop or your fingers to press an indent into the middle of each dough ball.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling.
Filling and Assembly
- In a small bowl, whisk together one whole egg until smooth. Set aside for later.1 large egg
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt together until completely smooth.6 oz cream cheese, 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Add vanilla and only HALF of the previously whisked egg, beating until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
- To assemble the cookies, lay the chilled cookie dough balls out on parchment lined or greased baking sheets, leaving a few inches space in between. Drop cheesecake mixture into the middle of each cookie, fill them all the way to the top.
- Add ½ teaspoon of blueberry sauce into the cheesecake mixture and swirl with a toothpick.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown. You don’t want to overbake because you want them to stay soft inside
- Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They are very gooey and fragile right out of the oven. Break the graham crackers over the top while still warm so they stick to the tops. Enjoy!2 graham crackers
Notes
- Weigh the flour: This will give you consistent results and create the perfect texture. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix: Overmixing the cookie dough after the flour is added causes a dense, tough texture.
- Don't overbake: For the perfect chewy texture, the edges should be golden brown and set. The cookies will continue to bake out of the oven.
- For perfectly round cookies, use a bowl that’s larger than the cookie to gently shake the cookie around inside the bowl. This will push in all the irregular edges. Do this as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
Sally
Was going to a family dinner so I decided to make these and everyone loved them! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Bob
Why would you use a room temperature egg for the cream cheese, it's going back into the refrigerator?
Mary
It helps it mix in and create a smoother filling!
Kimlin
Everyone loved these cookies, i used vegetable oil instead of butter and they were exceptional....... This is now my go to recipe whenever I want to give gifts. I am new to baking.
Mary
That's so good to know they work with vegetable oil too! So happy you liked them 😀
Emily and Tiara
These cookies were so good!! It was like eating a cheesecake with extra biscuit base - yum! We don't have graham crackers in Australia so used Marie biscuits instead and they turned out great. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe Mary!
Mary
I'm so glad you loved it! That's really good to know about substituting the graham crackers, thank you! And thank you so much for making the recipe and leaving a review 😀