Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

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Festive Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies are fun and so easy to make for the holiday season! Gingerbread cookie cups are filled with warm spices, a no-bake cheesecake filling and topped with festive sprinkles. 

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Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies

Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies are a fun twist on Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies and makes a festive dessert for Christmas, cookie exchanges, and cookie platters. Warm gingerbread cookie cups are filled with plenty of gingerbread spice and a creamy cheesecake filling that’s the perfect sized treat. 

I love all things gingerbread this time of year and these cookie cups are the cutest little treats. The cookies cups have a sweet gingerbread exterior that’s loaded with cozy warm flavors and the cheesecake frosting makes this an extra delicious dessert. 

If you love this gingerbread recipe, try these Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies, Gingerbread Sugar Cookies, and Gingerbread Cookie Bars. 

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key ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much. 
• Baking soda: Used as a leavening agent.
• Butter: I used salted butter so you don’t have to add salt but you can also use unsalted butter, just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the recipe. It’s best if the butter is at room temperature and slightly softened.
• Molasses: Adds moisture and sweet and warm flavors of gingerbread. 
• Sugar: We use light or dark brown sugar to add the perfect amount of sweetness and chewy texture. Brown sugar will make extra chewy gingerbread cookies which is what we want for this recipe.
• Egg: You’ll need one large egg at room temperature.
• Spices: We use ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to give spiced gingerbread flavors.
• Cheesecake frosting: Cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.

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how to make gingerbread cheesecake cookies

Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy for a few minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in egg and molasses and beat again until smooth.

Whisk dry ingredients together: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and cornstarch.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture: Mix until dough has formed. Be sure not to over-mix. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Prep gingerbread cookie dough: Preheat oven to 350 degree F and grease 2 regular muffin pans or cupcake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Press 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into the bottom of the cupcake pan and press half way up the sides.

Bake cookie cups and form shape: Bake cookie cups for 12 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown and then let cool for 10 minutes. Press the back of a tablespoon or the top of a round spice jar down the center to form the cup shape. Let cool completely.

Make cheesecake frosting and assemble: In the meantime, in a medium bowl beat together the cheesecake frosting ingredients with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. Add cream cheese frosting to a piping bag with a star tip and swirl into each cookie cup. Top with sprinkles (optional). Enjoy!

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recipe tips

• Gluten-Free cookies: Use gluten-free flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
• Room temperature ingredients: It’s always important that all of your ingredients such as butter and egg are at room temperature. This will help the cookie mixture combine together more smoothly.
• Add crunch: Add a handful of your favorite chopped nuts to the top. Chopped walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts work well with this recipe.
• Add cupcake wrappers: Make these extra festive and colorful by placing a Christmas cupcake wrapper to bake the cookie cups in. Kids will love this idea! 
• Make ahead: Bake cookie cups a day or two ahead if you want to save some time. All you have to do is fill with cookie cups with cheesecake frosting the day you want to serve them. 
• For best results, let the cookie cups cool completely before adding the cheesecake mixture otherwise it can melt. 

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variations

• Frosting: Instead of using a cheesecake frosting, swap it for a butter cream frosting, chocolate frosting, coffee frosting or peanut butter frosting.
• Toppings: I love using Christmas sprinkles for a festive twist but other options are gingerbread cookies, crusted graham crackers, chopped ginger snaps, chopped nuts, a caramel drizzle, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, or white sugar for a sparkle. 
• Make into Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars: Press dough into a 13×19 prepare cookie dough batter according to the directions. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is very lightly browned and set. Cool fully before adding frosting then cut into bars.
• Make into regular cookies: Instead of adding dough balls to a muffin pan, bake them on a baking sheet to make regular shaped cookies.

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leftovers & storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter in a cool area or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Freezing Cookie Dough: This cookie dough freezes well so this is a great recipe to make ahead. To freeze unbaked dough, wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and then place the large ball of dough in a freezer bag. Or you can place the dough in an air-tight container to freeze. Thaw completely before scooping into cookie dough balls. 

To Freeze Cookie Dough Balls: Freeze cookie dough balls by placing the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large ziplock bag or airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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