Description
Delight in these decadent Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies, featuring soft and rich red velvet cookie dough generously filled with a creamy cheesecake center. Perfectly baked to achieve a tender texture with a slight underbaked center, these cookies combine the luscious flavors of cocoa, cream cheese, and white chocolate chips into an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cookies:
- 1 cup Butter (barely softened)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Red Food Coloring or Gel
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 3/4 to 2 cups White Chocolate Chips
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese (barely softened)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
Instructions
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Scoop the mixture into 16 small portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm to the touch.
- Make Red Velvet Cookie Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and red food coloring.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Assemble Cookies: Divide the cookie dough into 16 equal balls and flatten each into a disc using your hands. Place one frozen cheesecake portion in the center of each disc, ensuring the cheesecake is cold to prevent stickiness. Carefully wrap the dough around the cheesecake, pinching seams and rolling gently into a smooth ball to fully encase the filling and avoid leaks.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the assembled cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-13 minutes until the edges are set but centers still look soft — it’s important to underbake slightly so they remain tender after cooling.
- Shape and Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and immediately press down gently with a round spatula, the rim of a glass, or a spoon to shape them into perfect circles. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Decoration: For a gourmet touch, drizzle melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies or sprinkle with festive sprinkles. To melt white chocolate, place chips in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Notes
- For thinner cookies, flatten dough balls more or reduce flour to 2 3/4 cups. For thicker cookies, roll dough into larger balls and use the full 3 cups of flour.
- You may add only 1 cup of white chocolate chips into the dough and reserve the other cup for drizzling after baking.
- Ensure the cheesecake filling is sufficiently frozen before wrapping in cookie dough to prevent leaks during baking.
- Use parchment-lined baking sheets to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Underbaking is key to achieving a soft, creamy center; cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
