Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
These raspberry cheesecake cookies take everything we love about cheesecake and turn it into a soft, chewy cookie we can eat with our hands. We start with a brown-butter graham cracker cookie base, pile on a fluffy cream cheese frosting, and finish with a swirl of raspberry jam. They taste like a bite of cheesecake wrapped up in a cookie, and they never last long whenever we bring them somewhere.
We know the combination sounds fancy, but this recipe is actually pretty simple. It uses a one-bowl brown butter cookie dough, a quick cream cheese frosting, and store-bought jam, so there is no need for a water bath or a springform pan. If we love cheesecake but do not want to fuss with a whole cake, this cookie gives us all that flavor in about half an hour of hands-on time.
If we love raspberries and cheesecake together, there are a few more recipes we think we will enjoy. Our Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are a fun bite sized twist on this same flavor combo, our Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes bring the same fruity flavor to a fluffy cupcake, and our Raspberry Prosecco Cheesecake Cups turn it into an easy no bake dessert.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: We use pantry staples like graham crackers, cream cheese, and jam, so there is no special trip to the store.
- Big cheesecake flavor: Every bite has that classic tangy cream cheese taste, without needing a springform pan or a water bath.
- No long chill time: The dough only needs a short rest in the fridge, so we can have warm cookies in under an hour.
- Great for sharing: These cookies travel well and always disappear fast at potlucks, holidays, and bake sales.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This recipe uses two simple components: a brown butter graham cracker cookie and a quick cream cheese frosting. The cookie dough comes together with browned butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt. The frosting is just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, and we finish everything off with a swirl of raspberry jam on top.
Variations
- Swap the jam: Try strawberry, blackberry, or apricot preserves instead of raspberry if that is what we have on hand.
- Add white chocolate: Mix a handful of white chocolate chips into the dough for extra sweetness.
- Make it lemon: Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the frosting for a bright, citrusy twist.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Whisk browned butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients until just combined. Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes (this helps the cookies hold their shape).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop 3 Tbsp portions of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but centers look soft. Cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
- Frost each cooled cookie generously with cream cheese frosting. Warm jam slightly (for easier spreading) and spoon a small swirl onto the center of each cookie.
Expert Tips
- Let the browned butter cool a bit: If it is too hot when we mix it with the sugar, the dough will spread too much in the oven, so give it a few minutes first.
- Chill the dough: Resting it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes helps the cookies hold their shape instead of spreading thin.
- Cool the cookies completely before frosting: Frosting warm cookies will melt the cream cheese frosting right off, so give them time to cool on a wire rack.
- Warm the jam slightly: A few seconds in the microwave makes it easier to swirl on top without tearing the frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, we like to bake the cookies a day ahead and store them unfrosted, then add the cream cheese frosting and jam right before serving so everything looks fresh.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, we keep these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
We recommend freezing the baked cookies without frosting for up to 3 months, then thawing them and adding the frosting and jam once we are ready to serve.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! We would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW US on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more delicious recipes.
📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Electric mixer
- Baking sheets
- parchment paper
- Cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 full crackers
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2-3/4 cup raspberry jam or any flavor of your choice
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until golden brown flecks form on the bottom and it smells nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let it cool until just slightly warm.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Whisk the browned butter and brown sugar together until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes so the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop the dough into 3 tablespoon portions, roll into balls, and place on parchment lined baking sheets, flattening slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. Let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, then beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble the cookies: Frost each cooled cookie generously with the cream cheese frosting. Warm the jam slightly to make it easier to spread, then spoon a small swirl onto the center of each cookie.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
