What To Expect From This Recipe

• Taste: Prepare for a delightful symphony of flavors. The cookie itself delivers a rich, buttery taste reminiscent of a perfectly baked graham cracker crust. The cream cheese frosting adds a sweet, tangy richness that’s incredibly smooth but never overpowering. Finally, the vibrant raspberry pie filling provides the ideal tart counterpoint, cutting through the sweetness and bringing a refreshing fruity note that completes this delectable dessert.
• Ease: This recipe falls into a medium difficulty level, primarily because it involves a few more steps than a basic drop cookie, such as preparing a separate frosting. However, these additional steps are straightforward and well-explained, making the entire process manageable for most home bakers. The results – a batch of gourmet-quality cookies – are absolutely worth the effort and time invested.
• Time: From start to finish, you can expect to spend approximately one hour creating these cookies, including all necessary cooling time. The cookie dough comes together quickly in about 10 minutes. Baking takes a mere 10-12 minutes. The longest portion of the active time is dedicated to cooling the cookies while simultaneously preparing the luscious cream cheese frosting, which takes around 20 minutes. Finally, frosting and spooning the raspberry filling onto each cookie will add another 10-15 minutes, resulting in a perfectly timed baking project.

1. Step 1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened salted butter and light brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes. This crucial “creaming” process incorporates air into the mixture, lightens its color, and begins to dissolve the sugar, resulting in a lighter, chewier cookie texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Step 2. Add Wet Ingredients: Crack in the large egg and pour in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium speed for about 1 minute until the egg is fully incorporated and the mixture appears fluffy and well-combined. Ensure there are no streaks of egg yolk remaining.

3. Step 3. Prepare Graham Cracker Crumbs: Transform your graham crackers into a fine powder. The easiest method is to pulse them in a blender or food processor until no large pieces remain and the texture resembles fine sand. Alternatively, you can place them in a gallon-sized resealable bag and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin. The finer the crumbs, the smoother and more uniform your cookie base will be.
4. Step 4. Combine Dry Ingredients: To the wet mixture from Step 2, add the graham cracker powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. If you’re adding cinnamon for a subtle flavor difference, this is the time to include it. Mix on low speed, just until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the dough, typically about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.

5. Step 5. Scoop and Shape Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop (yielding about 3-4 Tablespoons of dough per cookie), drop uniform balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. Gently flatten each cookie ball slightly with the palm of your hand or the back of a spoon to form discs about 2 inches in diameter. This ensures even baking and provides a good surface for the frosting.
6. Step 6. Bake Cookies and Cool: Preheat your oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃). Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges are lightly golden and just beginning to show small cracks. The centers may still look slightly soft, but they will set as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before attempting to frost them; warm cookies will melt the frosting.

7. Step 7. Prepare Frosting Base: While the cookies are cooling, begin preparing the cream cheese frosting. In a clean mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and softened salted butter. Mix at medium-high speed with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until the mixture is light, fluffy, and completely smooth, with no lumps of cream cheese remaining. (Refer to the above left image for desired consistency).
8. Step 8. Finish Frosting: Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese and butter mixture. Start mixing on low speed to prevent the powdered sugar from flying out of the bowl, then increase to medium-high. Continue mixing until all the sugar is fully incorporated, and the frosting is incredibly smooth, creamy, and free of any sugar pockets (refer to the above right image).

9. Step 9. Frost the Cooled Cookies: Once your cookies are completely cool to the touch, transfer the prepared cream cheese frosting into a piping bag. For a professional and attractive finish, we recommend using a large round piping tip. Begin piping the frosting onto each cookie, starting from the outside edge and working your way in with a spiral motion towards the center. This creates a beautiful, even layer of frosting.

10. Step 10. Add Raspberry Topping and Serve: Carefully spoon a generous dollop of raspberry pie filling (or jam, if using) onto the center of the frosting on each cookie. For an extra touch of flavor and visual appeal, you can optionally sprinkle a few graham cracker crumbs over the top. Your delicious Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies are now ready to be enjoyed!

📌 Top Tips & Baking Hacks for Perfect Cookies

• Mind Your Cookie Size and Bake Time: Large cookies (made with 3-4 Tablespoon scoops) naturally require longer baking times than smaller ones. This recipe yields 12-13 generously sized cookies that bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. If you opt for smaller, regular-sized cookies using a 1.5-2 Tablespoon scoop, reduce the baking time to 8-10 minutes. Always look for slightly golden edges and slight cracking as a doneness indicator.
• Frosting Application Made Easy: While spreading the frosting with a knife is always an option, using a large round frosting tip with a piping bag creates a beautifully uniform and professional look. For convenience and easy cleanup, disposable pastry bags are excellent. If you’re conscious about waste, consider investing in reusable pastry bags.
• Planning Ahead for Freshness: If you plan to make these cookies in advance, it’s highly recommended to wait and add the raspberry pie filling until just before serving. This prevents the cookies from becoming soggy due to the moisture from the filling. You can refrigerate the frosted cookies overnight and simply bring them to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving to ensure the cookie base is soft and delicious, not hard from the cold.
• Ensure Room Temperature Ingredients: For both the cookie dough and the frosting, having your butter and cream cheese at true room temperature is vital. This ensures they cream together smoothly and evenly, preventing lumps in your frosting and promoting a consistent texture in your cookies.
• Weigh Your Dry Ingredients: For baking, precision is key. While cup measurements are provided, weighing your flour and graham cracker crumbs (as noted in the ingredients) offers the most accurate results, leading to consistent cookie texture batch after batch.

Absolutely! You have a couple of excellent options for freezing these cookies. You can either freeze the raw cookie dough formed into balls, which makes for easy baking at a later date. Alternatively, you can freeze the baked cookies and the cream cheese frosting separately. Freezing them in components like this ensures they thaw beautifully and remain fresh. Always allow them to thaw completely before frosting and adding the raspberry filling.

Yes, absolutely! This recipe is incredibly versatile and serves as a fantastic base for various flavor combinations. On my website, you’ll find popular reader favorites such as blueberry, cherry, and strawberry cheesecake cookie versions, all located in our delicious cookies section. Feel free to swap out the raspberry pie filling for your fruit of choice.

Due to the cream cheese in the frosting, it’s essential to refrigerate these cookies. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies (without the frosting or raspberry filling) for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, always bring them out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes to allow them to come closer to room temperature. This softens the cookie and frosting, making them much more enjoyable and preventing them from being too hard.

Definitely! Fresh raspberries make a wonderful and beautiful topping for these cookies, offering a bright, natural flavor and an elegant presentation. You can use them instead of, or in addition to, the raspberry pie filling. If using fresh raspberries, consider a light dusting of powdered sugar over them for an extra touch of sweetness and visual appeal. Raspberry jam is also another fantastic alternative.

Cookie spreading can be affected by several factors. If your cookies spread too much, your butter might have been too warm, or you might have too little flour (ensure you weigh it!). Chilling the dough for 30 minutes can also help. If they didn’t spread enough, your butter might have been too cold, or you might have too much flour. Also, ensure your baking soda is fresh and active for proper leavening.

Using a cookie scoop is the absolute best way to ensure all your cookies are the same size. This not only makes them look more professional but also ensures they bake evenly. Consistency in size means consistency in doneness.

Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ star rating and a comment below the recipe card, I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers. Your feedback helps us improve and inspires new recipes!

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Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

Hi, I’m Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. A passionate tester of perfect dips and a dedicated quester of delicious snacks. I find joy in short, peaceful walks on the beach and indulging in long, restorative naps. My mission is to share my love for food, one delightful bite at a time.