Irresistible Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies: Your Go-To Crumbl Copycat Recipe
Prepare to be amazed by these incredible Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies, a truly irresistible dessert that perfectly captures the magic of a classic strawberry cheesecake in a delightful cookie form. Featuring a rich, buttery graham cracker cookie base, a swirl of velvety cream cheese frosting, and a vibrant strawberry topping, these cookies are a fantastic Crumbl copycat that tastes absolutely phenomenal. Whether you’re a long-time fan of cheesecake or simply looking for your next favorite cookie, this recipe promises a symphony of flavors and textures that will leave you craving more.
If you’ve ever had our popular Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, you already know the unmatched deliciousness of a cheesecake-inspired cookie. While the cherry version is a beloved classic, we understand that not everyone’s a fan of cherry pie filling. That’s why we’ve crafted this equally spectacular strawberry iteration, bringing you the same fantastic experience with a fresh, fruity twist. The combination of the tangy cream cheese frosting and the sweet, tart strawberries atop our signature graham cracker cookie base creates a dessert that’s arguably even better than traditional cheesecake crust!
This strawberry cheesecake cookie recipe is surprisingly straightforward to make and yields approximately 12-15 generously sized cookies, mirroring the impressive scale of Crumbl’s famous treats. With just one standard can of quality strawberry pie filling, you’ll have enough to beautifully top all of your cookies. Alternatively, for a fresher, more vibrant touch, you can opt to use fresh strawberries, similar to how we feature them in our delightful Strawberries and Cream Bars, which also boast a wonderful cheesecake-like filling.
The graham cracker cookie base is truly the star of the show for many, including us – it’s so good, you might find yourself eating them plain! We particularly enjoy enhancing the strawberry version with a hint of cinnamon in the cookie dough, a subtle addition that complements the graham cracker flavor beautifully. However, this is entirely optional, allowing you to customize your cookies to your preferred taste. Get ready to bake a batch of these extraordinary cookies that promise to impress every time!
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What To Expect
Before diving into the baking process, here’s a quick overview of what you can anticipate from this delightful recipe:
- Taste: Prepare your palate for a harmonious blend of flavors. The cookie base offers a delightful crunch and a distinct graham cracker crust taste, reminiscent of a classic cheesecake base. The cream cheese frosting is perfectly sweet, yet incredibly rich and smooth, without being overly heavy. Finally, the strawberry pie filling provides that essential tartness, cutting through the sweetness of the frosting and cookie, creating a perfectly balanced and incredibly satisfying bite.
- Ease: While not a one-bowl cookie, this recipe falls into the medium difficulty category. It requires a few more steps than a basic drop cookie, as you’re creating three distinct components: the cookie base, the frosting, and preparing the topping. However, each step is manageable, and with a little focus, even intermediate bakers will find this recipe rewarding and enjoyable to execute. The effort is absolutely worth the stunning result!
- Time: Plan for approximately an hour of active and inactive time. You’ll spend about 10 minutes preparing the cookie dough, followed by 10-11 minutes of baking. While your cookies cool (around 20 minutes), you can whip up the luscious cream cheese frosting. The final assembly, including frosting and spooning the strawberry topping onto each cookie, will take another 10-15 minutes. So, from start to finish, including the crucial cooling time, you’re looking at about an hour to create these masterpieces.
🛒 Key Ingredients
Crafting the perfect Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie starts with selecting the right ingredients. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is essential for that signature flavor and texture:
- Graham Crackers: These are the secret to our phenomenal cookie base. When finely ground into a powder, they mimic the texture and distinct flavor of a graham cracker cheesecake crust. They add a wonderful subtle spice and a delightful crispness to the chewy cookie, making it truly unique.
- Cream Cheese: The star of our frosting, cream cheese provides that signature tangy, rich, and incredibly smooth texture. While you can use full-fat or fat-free, we highly recommend full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and a more stable, luxurious frosting. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature for a lump-free result.
- Strawberry Pie Filling: This provides the vibrant fruit topping and essential sweetness with a touch of tartness. You can use a high-quality store-bought filling for convenience – a 21 oz can is typically enough to top all cookies. For a homemade touch, you can easily prepare your own, or even opt for fresh sliced strawberries.
- Sugar: We use both brown sugar and powdered sugar. Brown sugar is crucial for the cookie dough, lending a deep, caramel-like flavor and contributing to the cookie’s chewy, moist texture. Powdered sugar is vital for the cream cheese frosting, ensuring a silky-smooth consistency and just the right level of sweetness.
- Butter: High-quality salted butter is used in both the cookies and the frosting. In the cookies, it creates a tender, rich crumb. In the frosting, it not only adds incredible flavor but also helps to stabilize the cream cheese, resulting in a frosting that’s easier to pipe and holds its shape beautifully at room temperature.
- Egg & Vanilla Extract: The egg binds the cookie dough, adds moisture, and helps with leavening. Vanilla extract, used in both the cookie and frosting, enhances all the other flavors, adding a warm, aromatic depth that’s essential for any great dessert.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies, providing the necessary bulk and texture.
- Baking Soda & Salt: Baking soda helps the cookies rise and spread slightly, giving them a soft, tender interior. Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the full flavor of all the ingredients.
For precise measurements and quantities, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card located at the bottom of this article.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
One of the joys of baking is the ability to customize a recipe to your preferences. Here are some ideas for substitutions and variations to make these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies uniquely yours:
- Cream Cheese: If you’re looking for a slightly different flavor or texture, mascarpone cheese can be a wonderful substitute for cream cheese in the frosting. Mascarpone is richer and less tangy, offering a velvety smooth and decadent frosting.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to use either dark or light brown sugar in your cookie dough. Dark brown sugar will lend a deeper, more molasses-rich flavor and a slightly chewier texture, while light brown sugar will result in a milder caramel note. Both work beautifully!
- Add Cinnamon: For an extra layer of warmth and spice that perfectly complements the graham cracker base, consider adding ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to your cookie dough. It’s a subtle yet delicious flavor difference that many enjoy.
- Strawberry Pie Filling Alternatives:
- Dye-Free/Preservative-Free: Many brands now offer pie fillings without artificial dyes or preservatives if you prefer a cleaner ingredient list.
- Strawberry Jam or Preserves: A good quality strawberry jam or preserves can be a fantastic substitute for pie filling. We particularly love using Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves for their excellent fruit content and vibrant flavor. Just ensure it’s a thick enough consistency to sit nicely on top of the frosting.
- Fresh Sliced Strawberries: For a truly fresh experience, thinly sliced fresh strawberries can be arranged on top of the frosting. If using fresh, we recommend adding them just before serving to prevent the cookies from becoming soggy due to the fruit’s moisture. You could even macerate them slightly with a tiny bit of sugar for extra juiciness.
- Other Fruit Toppings: Don’t limit yourself to strawberries! This recipe is incredibly versatile. Try raspberry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or even a lemon curd for a different cheesecake cookie experience.
- Add Chocolate Drizzle: For chocolate lovers, a fine drizzle of melted white chocolate or dark chocolate over the finished cookies would be a delightful addition.
- Citrus Zest: A little lemon or orange zest in the cookie dough or frosting can brighten the flavors and add a refreshing note.
⚙️ Essential Equipment
To make these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies a success, having the right tools on hand will streamline the process and ensure delicious results:
- Electric Mixer: A stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a good quality hand mixer is essential for creaming the butter and sugar for the cookies, and for whipping up the smooth cream cheese frosting.
- Blender or Food Processor: To turn graham crackers into a fine powder for the cookie base, a blender or food processor will be your best friend.
- Baking Sheets: You’ll need two large baking sheets to bake your cookies efficiently.
- Parchment Paper: Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
- Measuring Cups & Spoons: Standard kitchen measuring tools are a must.
- Kitchen Scale: For the most consistent and accurate results, especially with flour and sugar, we highly recommend weighing your ingredients.
- Large Cookie Scoop: A 3-4 Tablespoon capacity cookie scoop helps ensure uniform cookie size, which leads to even baking.
- Piping Bag & Large Round Tip: While optional, using a piping bag with a large round tip makes frosting the cookies much neater and gives them that professional, Crumbl-like finish.
- Mixing Bowls & Spatulas: Several mixing bowls for different components and rubber spatulas for scraping down bowls.
🧑🍳 Instructions
Creating these delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies is an enjoyable process that yields truly rewarding results. Follow these step-by-step instructions for perfect cookies every time!
First, ensure your oven is preheated to 350℉ (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This preparation step is crucial for even baking and easy removal of your cookies.
- Step 1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine your softened room temperature butter and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together on high speed for at least 3 minutes. This process, known as “creaming,” incorporates air into the mixture, making your cookies light and tender, and helps to dissolve the sugar, resulting in a smoother texture (refer to the above left image for visual guidance).
- Step 2. Add Egg and Vanilla: Next, add the large egg and vanilla extract to your creamed butter and sugar mixture. Continue to mix for about 1 minute on medium speed, ensuring the egg is fully incorporated and the batter becomes light and fluffy. This step adds essential moisture and flavor to your cookie dough (as shown in the above right image).
- Step 3. Prepare Graham Cracker Crumbs: Place the graham crackers into a blender or food processor. Pulse them until they are finely ground into a powder. This fine texture is key to creating a smooth, “crust-like” base for your cookies and ensuring it blends seamlessly into the dough (see above left image).
- Step 4. Combine Dry Ingredients: To your wet cookie dough mixture, add the graham cracker powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix on low speed just until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies (refer to the above right image). If using, this is also the stage to add your optional ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Step 5. Scoop and Shape Cookies: Using a large 3-4 Tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheets. For that classic Crumbl look and even baking, gently smash each cookie dough ball until it forms a disc about 2 inches (5cm) across, resembling a thick hockey puck (as shown in the above left image). This ensures a uniform thickness and helps prevent excessive spreading.
- Step 6. Bake and Cool: Bake your cookies in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are set and lightly golden, and you start to see small cracks forming around the perimeter. It’s absolutely critical to let these cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before attempting to frost them. Warm cookies will melt your beautiful cream cheese frosting! (See the baked cookie in the above right image).
- Step 7. Prepare Frosting Base: In a clean mixing bowl, combine your softened cream cheese and butter. Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together at medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and completely smooth. Ensure there are no lumps of cream cheese left (as seen in the above left image).
- Step 8. Finish the Frosting: Add the powdered sugar, cornstarch (for stability), and vanilla extract to the cream cheese and butter mixture. Mix on low speed initially to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar, then increase to medium-high and beat until the frosting is perfectly smooth, thick, and there are no remaining sugar pockets. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined (refer to the above right image for the ideal frosting consistency).
- Step 9. Frost the Cookies: Once your cookies are completely cooled to room temperature, transfer the prepared cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or simply use a spoon for a rustic look). Begin piping the frosting onto each cookie, starting from the outside edge and working your way in a spiral motion towards the center. Aim for a generous dollop that covers the top of the cookie beautifully, creating that signature cheesecake look.
- Step 10. Top with Strawberry Filling and Serve: Gently spoon a dollop of strawberry pie filling (or fresh strawberries) onto the center of the piped frosting on each cookie. For an extra touch of texture and flavor, you can optionally sprinkle a few additional graham cracker crumbs over the strawberry topping. Your magnificent Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies are now complete and ready to be enjoyed!
📌 Top Tips & Hacks for Perfect Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies is easier with these expert tips and tricks:
- Measure by Weight for Consistency: For baking, accuracy is key! Always measure your ingredients, especially flour and sugar, by weight (grams) rather than volume (cups). This eliminates discrepancies and guarantees consistent, perfect results every time. A kitchen scale is an invaluable tool for any baker.
- Perfect Cookie Shaping: While you can simply smash scooped dough balls, for smoother edges and a more professional appearance, try this: scoop the dough, then quickly roll the ball in your hands to create a smooth sphere. THEN, gently smash it flat to about a 2-inch (5cm) disc, resembling a neat hockey puck. This method helps maintain a uniform shape and prevents jagged edges.
- Frosting Stability: Our recipe uses a mix of butter and cream cheese for a stable frosting that pipes well and holds its shape. Some bakers prefer using a full 8 oz (226g) of cream cheese without butter in their frosting. While this yields a very tangy, rich frosting, it can be softer and less stable at room temperature. We recommend including butter for a frosting that’s easier to serve, share, and transport.
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Crucial: Ensure your butter and cream cheese are at proper room temperature. This allows them to cream together smoothly without lumps, resulting in a cohesive cookie dough and a silky-smooth frosting.
- Do Not Overmix the Dough: Once you add the flour and graham cracker crumbs, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, dense cookies.
- Cool Cookies Completely: This cannot be stressed enough! Applying frosting to even slightly warm cookies will result in a melted, runny mess. Patience is a virtue here.
- Piping vs. Spreading: A piping bag with a large round tip gives a beautiful, controlled swirl of frosting. If you don’t have one, simply use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread a generous layer of frosting onto each cooled cookie. It will still taste amazing!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These delightful Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies are a showstopper on their own, but here are a few ideas to elevate your serving experience:
- Coffee or Tea Pairing: These cookies pair wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee, a refreshing iced tea, or even a glass of cold milk.
- Dessert Platter: Arrange them beautifully on a platter with other small treats for a party or gathering. Their vibrant color makes them stand out.
- Garnish with Freshness: A tiny sprig of fresh mint or a few extra thinly sliced strawberries can add a touch of elegance and an extra burst of fresh flavor.
- Room Temperature Bliss: While they are stored in the refrigerator, bringing them to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving will allow the cookie base to soften slightly and the frosting to become perfectly creamy, enhancing the overall taste and texture.
❄️ Storage and Freezing Instructions
Proper storage is key to keeping your Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies fresh and delicious. Since the frosting contains cream cheese, refrigeration is a must.
- Refrigeration: Store the finished cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best taste and texture, allow them to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Preventing Soggy Cookies: If you’re making these cookies ahead of time, it’s best to wait until just before serving to add the strawberry pie filling on top. The moisture from the filling can make the cookie base soggy if left for too long.
- Freezing Raw Cookie Dough: You can freeze the raw cookie dough balls for future baking! Scoop the dough, flash freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked, unfrosted cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
- Freezing Frosting: The cream cheese frosting can also be frozen separately in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then re-whip briefly with an electric mixer before using to restore its smooth consistency.
- Freezing Frosted, Un-topped Cookies: You can freeze fully frosted cookies (without the strawberry topping) by flash freezing them first until solid, then transferring to an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then add the strawberry topping just before serving.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! For best results, we recommend freezing the raw cookie dough in individual balls or freezing the baked cookies separately from the frosting and strawberry topping. This way, they can be easily thawed and assembled fresh. The frosting can also be frozen separately. Check the “Storage and Freezing” section above for detailed instructions.
Yes, this recipe is incredibly versatile! We already have a popular cherry version on our website, found in the delicious cookies section, which is a reader favorite. You can easily swap the strawberry pie filling for raspberry, blueberry, or even a lemon curd to create different delightful flavors.
Due to the cream cheese in the frosting, these cookies must be stored in the refrigerator. Place them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you’ve used fresh strawberries or pie filling, it’s best to add these just before serving to prevent the cookie from becoming soggy. For longer storage, you can freeze the unfrosted cookies or the frosting separately for up to 3 months.
Absolutely! Freshly sliced strawberries make a beautiful and vibrant topping. If you choose to use fresh strawberries, we suggest adding them right before you plan to serve the cookies to ensure they remain fresh and prevent any excess moisture from seeping into the cookie base. Strawberry jam or preserves are also excellent alternatives.
Several factors can cause cookies to spread excessively: your butter might have been too warm, your oven temperature might be inaccurate (use an oven thermometer!), or you might have used too much baking soda. Ensuring your butter is at perfect room temperature (soft but not melted) and accurately measuring your flour by weight can help prevent this.
Yes, you can prepare the cookie dough 1-2 days in advance. Store it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to soften slightly, then scoop and bake as directed.
🍪 More Delicious Crumbl Copycat Recipes
If you’re as much in love with cheesecake-themed desserts as we are, our Strawberry Cheesecake Cinnamon Rolls are another must-try! But if you’re specifically craving more unique and delightful cookie ideas, we’ve got you covered with these fantastic Crumbl-inspired recipes:
- Raspberry Donut Cookies
- Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies
- Lemon Blackberry Cookies
- Strawberry Pop Tart Cookies
Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ star rating and a comment below the recipe card. We love hearing from you, and your feedback is incredibly helpful to other readers!
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📝 Printable Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Author: Sara Smith | Eat Dessert Snack
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies have a graham cracker cookie base, cream cheese frosting, and strawberry topping for a Crumbl style cookie that tastes AMAZING.
📌 Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature (226 g)
- 1½ cups brown sugar (290 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 graham crackers (2 cups of crumbs) (192 g)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (275 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup salted butter (113 g)
- 2½ cups powdered sugar (225 g)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ can Strawberry pie filling (or fresh sliced strawberries)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Mix on high speed for at least 3 minutes with an electric mixer to “cream” them together and begin dissolving the sugar.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute, until the egg is fully mixed in and the batter is fluffy.
- In a blender, pulse the graham crackers until they become a fine powder.
- Add the graham cracker powder, flour, baking soda, and salt (cinnamon optional) to the cookie dough and mix on low speed until everything is mixed in, about 1 minute.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets with a large 3-4 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Smash the cookies slightly so they are about 2 inches (5cm) across.
- Bake at 350℉ (175°C) for 10-11 minutes, they will be starting to crack around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting.
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Mix at medium/high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add in the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla and mix well, until there are no sugar pockets left and frosting is smooth.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto each cookie starting on the outside, frosting in a spiral to the center.
- Place strawberry pie filling on each cookie, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
- TIP: Measure (weigh) your ingredients! You will have consistent results when you weigh instead of using cup measurements.
- Note: If making ahead, try to wait to place strawberry pie filling on top until just before serving so the cookies don’t become soggy overnight from the added moisture.
- Store refrigerated for up to 3 days. Best when brought to room temperature before serving.
- Raw cookie dough, baked cookies, and frosting may all be frozen for up to 3 months separately.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 64g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 23g
Saturated Fat: 13g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 67mg
Sodium: 357mg
Potassium: 88mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 44g
Vitamin A: 685IU
Calcium: 44mg
Iron: 1mg
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Hi, I’m Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
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