Description
Irresistible caramel cheesecake cookies blend creamy cheesecake richness with buttery cookie texture. Warm spices and sweet caramel notes create a luxurious dessert experience you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- ½ cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sea salt (optional, for a salted caramel touch)
Instructions
- Creaming: Whip butter and sugar in a large bowl until light, fluffy, and pale, creating an airy foundation for the cookie dough.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Gently fold in egg and vanilla extract, blending thoroughly to establish a smooth, uniform mixture with a glossy sheen.
- Dry Ingredient Preparation: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl, ensuring even distribution and eliminating potential clumps.
- Dough Formation: Gradually combine dry ingredients with the butter mixture, using delicate folding techniques to create a cohesive, tender dough without overworking.
- Caramel Infusion: Delicately fold caramel pieces throughout the dough, distributing them evenly to guarantee a consistent sweet surprise in every bite.
- Chilling Stage: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to enhance flavor development and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Portioning and Shaping: Scoop uniform rounds onto a lined baking sheet, gently pressing to create slight disk shapes that will transform during baking.
- Baking Process: Position the cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350°F, baking for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden and centers appear slightly soft.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling and setting of the delicate caramel-studded texture.
Notes
- Butter Softening Technique: Allow butter to reach room temperature naturally for 30-45 minutes, ensuring smooth blending without melting, which creates perfect cookie texture.
- Minimal Dough Handling: Gently mix ingredients to prevent overworking, keeping cookies tender and preventing tough, dense results that compromise delicate cheesecake cookie structure.
- Precise Ingredient Incorporation: Sift dry ingredients thoroughly to eliminate lumps, guaranteeing even distribution and consistent cookie quality throughout the batch.
- Caramel Variation Option: Drizzle caramel sauce or fold caramel bits into dough for enhanced flavor complexity, creating a more decadent dessert experience with minimal extra effort.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 158
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg