Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
These cherry cheesecake cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and filled with creamy vanilla cheesecake bark and pockets of jammy cherry compote. They bake up thick with golden edges, soft centers, and little ribbons of cherry running through each bite. They’re cozy, slightly tangy, and so good chilled—the cheesecake firms up, the cherry gets jammy, and the cookie turns extra bakery-style:
Textural Contrast: Combines soft, buttery cookie dough with frozen cheesecake shards and jammy fruit.
Gourmet Components: Features a house-made orange-infused cherry compote and a vanilla bean cheesecake bark.
Thick Profile: Specifically designed to bake up thick with set edges and soft, rich centers.
Make-Ahead Convenience: The dough can be frozen for up to 1–2 months and baked directly from the freezer.
Tips for the perfect result every time:
Temperature Control: The brown butter must be cooled before starting the dough.
Cream Cheese Readiness: Use room temperature cream cheese for the bark to ensure the white chocolate incorporates smoothly.
Patience is Key: Allow the cookie dough to chill for at least 2–3 hours, or up to overnight, to ensure the best flavor and texture.
Don't skip these steps:
The Frozen Factor: Keep the cheesecake bark frozen until the very moment you fold it into the dough to maintain creamy pockets.
Gentle Incorporation: When adding the cherry compote to the bark, only gently swirl or fold it to keep the cherry ribbons visible.
The Final Set: For the best texture, chill the baked cookies in the fridge for about 1 hour before eating so the cheesecake firms up.
Yield: Approximately 12–14 cookies (estimate based on weight)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
108 g brown butter, cooled
1 tsp honey
135 g light brown sugar
40 g granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tbsp vanilla extract
170 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100 g white chocolate, chopped
Cheesecake bark, chopped (recipe below)
Cherry Compote
305 g cherries, pitted
½ tsp orange zest
65 ml orange juice
5 g cornstarch + 15 ml water (slurry)
Pinch of salt
70 g granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
Cherry Cheesecake Bark
160 g cream cheese, room temperature
100 g white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
70 g cherry compote
Instructions
Make the Cherry Compote
In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and sugar.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes, until the cherries break down and release their juices.
Once the mixture has softened and reduced slightly, add the cornstarch slurry.
Stir and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until thick and jammy.
Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Prepare the Cherry Cheesecake Bark
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and melted white chocolate. Mix until mostly smooth.
Add the vanilla bean seeds and cherry compote.
Gently swirl or fold the compote in—don’t fully mix it in if you want visible cherry ribbons.
Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
Freeze for 1–2 hours, or until firm.
Chop into shards and keep frozen until ready to fold into the cookie dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a bowl, cream together the cooled brown butter, honey, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and slightly lightened.
Add the egg and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
Fold in the white chocolate.
Gently fold in the frozen cheesecake bark.
Scoop the dough into cookie dough balls and place onto a lined baking sheet.
Chill for at least 2–3 hours, or up to overnight.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Space the chilled cookie dough balls apart on the baking sheet.
Bake for 14–15 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
Remove from the oven and scoot the cookies while warm.
Let cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
Keep the cheesecake bark frozen until the moment you mix it in so you get those creamy pockets throughout the cookie.
For the best texture, chill the baked cookies in the fridge for about 1 hour before eating.
The cheesecake firms up, the cherry compote settles, and the cookie gets extra chewy and rich.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Can I bake these from frozen?
Yes. You can freeze the dough balls for 1–2 months. Bake directly from frozen, increasing the bake time by 1–2 minutes.
Q. Why do I need to chill the cookies after baking?
Chilling for about 1 hour allows the cheesecake to firm up and the cherry compote to settle, resulting in an extra chewy and rich texture.
Q. How do I get the perfect cookie shape?
Remove the cookies from the oven and "scoot" them while they are still warm to create a uniform round shape.
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If you loved the bakery-style results of these Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, you will find even more inspiration in my Fantastic Pastry Cookies ebook. This guide is curated specifically for the home baker who wants to master unique flavor combinations right in their own kitchen 🍰✨
Download the Fantastic Pastry Cookies Ebook Here
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Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
These cherry cheesecake cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and filled with creamy vanilla cheesecake bark and pockets of jammy cherry compote. They bake up thick with golden edges, soft centers, and little ribbons of cherry running through each bite. They’re cozy, slightly tangy, and so good chilled—the cheesecake firms up, the cherry gets jammy, and the cookie turns extra bakery-style.
Ingredients
- 108 g brown butter, cooled
- 135 g brown sugar
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 g white chocolate, chopped
- Cheesecake bark, chopped (recipe below)
- 305 g cherries, pitted
- ½ tsp orange zest
- 65 ml orange juice
- 5 g cornstarch + 15 ml water (slurry)
- Pinch of salt
- 70 g sugar (adjust to taste)
- 160 g cream cheese, room temperature
- 100 g white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
- 70 g cherry compote
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and sugar.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes, until the cherries break down and release their juices.
- Once the mixture has softened and reduced slightly, add the cornstarch slurry.
- Stir and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until thick and jammy.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and melted white chocolate. Mix until mostly smooth.
- Add the vanilla bean seeds and cherry compote.
- Gently swirl or fold the compote in—don’t fully mix it in if you want visible cherry ribbons.
- Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
- Freeze for 1–2 hours, or until firm.
- Chop into shards and keep frozen until ready to fold into the cookie dough.
- In a bowl, cream together the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and slightly lightened.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Fold in the white chocolate.
- Gently fold in the frozen cheesecake bark.
- Scoop the dough into cookie dough balls and place onto a lined baking sheet.
- Chill for at least 2–3 hours, or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Space the chilled cookie dough balls apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and scoot the cookies while warm.
- Let cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
- Keep the cheesecake bark frozen until the moment you mix it in so you get those creamy pockets throughout the cookie.
- For the best texture, chill the baked cookies in the fridge for about 1 hour before eating.
- The cheesecake firms up, the cherry compote settles, and the cookie gets extra chewy and rich.
