gingerbread cheesecake cookies

these gingerbread cheesecake cookies combine the warmth of spiced cookies with pillows of fluffy cream cheese frosting. each soft cookie is rolled in ginger sugar before baking, then topped with clouds of frosting and a drizzle of golden toffee sauce.

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why you will love this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe:

• perfect balance of spices and sweetness – these gingerbread cheesecake cookies aren’t overly sweet despite the frosting and toffee sauce. they’re packed with so much flavour and texture and are really nicely spiced.

• great for gifting or for adding to cookie boxes – these gingerbread cheesecake cookies would be a really unique addition to your cookie boxes! they look great + have those classic, cozy gingerbread flavours that everyone loves.

• fun to bake – these gingerbread cheesecake cookies make such a fun baking project, especially during the holiday season! baking the cookies, then making the topping and assembling the cookies together would be a great way to get kids involved or just when having a baking day with friends.

learn how to make gingerbread cheesecake cookies from scratch

to make these easy gingerbread cheesecake cookies, we’re going to start off by creaming softened unsalted butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until soft and fluffy. add molasses and mix that into the butter and sugar mixture. add a small amount of heavy cream, a splash of vanilla and a large egg and mix that in. in a another bowl, whisk together flour, some baking soda, baking powder, salt and a mix of freshly ground spices. add the dry ingredients to the wet batter, and gently fold them in until a dough is formed. let the gingerbread cheesecake cookie dough chill in the fridge until it firms up. once it’s ready, split the cookie dough into equal sections, roll each cookie dough ball in a mix of sugar and ground ginger, then bake until soft and slightly underdone. once the gingerbread cheesecake cookies are out of the oven, let them cool and make the whipped cream cheese frosting.

for the gingerbread cookies cream cheese frosting, we’re going to whip together heavy cream, icing sugar (or powdered sugar), and some vanilla extract in a large bowl. then, we’ll add cream cheese and whip again using a mixer until the mixture is thick and soft. top your gingerbread cheesecake cookies with the whipped cream cheese frosting, as well as some toffee sauce made from heavy cream, butter and brown sugar, and some crushed gingerbread men, and we’re done!

gingerbread cheesecake cookies ingredients:

• butter – we’re going to use unsalted butter here. if you would prefer to use salted butter, just skip the extra salt in the recipe. for this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe, i prefer to cream the softened butter with the sugars over using melted butter. i also use unsALTED BUTTER TO MAKE THE TOFFEE SAUCE. this is one of my favourite butters to use in cookie recipes.

• brown sugar – i’m using light brown sugar because the brown sugar gives these gingerbread cheesecake cookies more of a chewy texture and a nicer caramel-like flavour that really complements the spices in these cookies. I ALSO LIKE TO USE BROWN SUGAR TO MAKE THE TOFFEE SAUCE. this light muscovado sugar is one of my favourites.

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. the brown sugar keeps these gingerbread cheesecake cookies soft and chewy and the granulated sugar helps them spread. i also roll the gingerbread cookie dough in granulated sugar before baking in this recipe.

• molasses – adding molasses to these gingerbread cheesecake cookies helps make these cookies extra chewy and moist, and adds a deeper flavour that complements the spices. i used blackstrap molasses because the sweetness of the cookies, toffee sauce and frosting helps balance everything out. if you’re worried about using blackstrap molasses, you can also use unsulfured, or use treacle or golden syrup.

• egg – we’re just going to use one large egg in this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe. make sure it’s at room temperature so that it’s able to combine easily with the rest of the ingredients.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a splash of it will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your gingerbread cheesecake cookies. i also use vanilla when making the cream cheese topping.

• double cream/heavy cream – this is optional but i like to add a small amount of heavy cream to my gingerbread cheesecake cookie dough as it adds a lovely richness and makes these cookies extra chewy and soft. heavy cream is also used in this recipe to make the gingerbread cookies cream cheese icing, AS WELL AS THE TOFFEE SAUCE.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour/all purpose flour for this recipe.

• spices – i’m going to be using cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves in these spiced gingerbread cookies. i love using freshly ground spices, but you can use anything you like.

• baking soda and baking powder – i use just a small amount of baking soda and baking powder in these gingerbread cheesecake cookies to get a good balance of spread and thickness.

• salt – a small amount of salt in the gingerbread cheesecake cookie dough will help balance out some of the sweetness.

• icing sugar or powdered sugar – i just use a small amount of this in the cream cheese topping to whip with the heavy cream.

• cream cheese – we’re going to whip softened cream cheese with the heavy cream to make our cream cheese topping for these GINGERBREAD cheesecake cookies.

• GINGERBREAD MEN OR graham crackers – crush up ANY BISCUITS YOU LIKE or graham crackers and sprinkle over your GINGERBREAD Cheesecake cookies for some texture and crunch. I LOVE TO USE GINGERBREAD MEN FOR THIS!

tools:

• large bowls – you’ll need a large bowl for the wet ingredients, another large bowl for the dry ingredients and another one for whipping the cream.

• medium bowl – to beat the cream cheese in before adding it to the whipped cream.

• small bowl – for the sugar and ground ginger mixture.

• electric mixer – to make the whipped cream cheese frosting. you can also use this for making the cookie dough if you like, as it will make things easier.

• spoon or silicone spatula – for folding the dry ingredients in to the wet batter.

• parchment paper or baking paper – to line your baking tray.

• baking sheet or baking tray – for baking the cookies.

• a small pot – for making the toffee sauce.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in a large mixing bowl, CREAM softened, room temperature UNsalted butter UNTIL IT LOOKS SOFT AND CREAMY.

STEP TWO: add the granulated sugar and LIGHT brown sugar. CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGARS TOGETHER UNTIL COMPLETELY COMBINED AND soft.

STEP THREE: ADD THE MOLASSES, AND MIX THIS INTO THE BATTER UNTIL COMPLETELY COMBINED. THE BATTER WILL BE A DARKER COLOUR AT THIS POINT.

STEP FOUR: add the egg, heavy cream and the vanilla and mix this into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.

STEP FIVE: IN ANOTHER LARGE BOWL, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, SALT, GROUND GINGER, GROUND CINNAMON, GROUND ALLSPICE AND GROUND CLOVES. mix all of this together.

STEP SIX: ADD ALL OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS TO THE WET BATTER, AND GENTLY FOLD IT IN USING A SPOON OR SILICONE SPATULA UNTIL A DOUGH IS FORMED. THE DOUGH WILL BE QUITE STICKY.

step SEVEN: place the bowl in the fridge and let the GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKE cookie dough chill for around 1-2 hourS.

step EIGHT: preheat oven 10-15 minutes before baking, and line a cookie sheet or baking tray with parchment paper or baking paper.

step NINE: SPLIT THE COOKIE DOUGH INTO EQUAL SIZED PORTIONS. I SPLIT THESE INTO 90-100G (AROUND 3-3.5OZ) COOKIE DOUGH BALLS.

STEP TEN: IN A SMALL BOWL, MIX TOGETHER GRANULATED SUGAR AND SOME GROUND GINGER. ROLL EACH COOKIE DOUGH BALL IN THE SUGAR MIXTURE UNTIL COATED, THEN PLACE ON YOUR BAKING SHEET, MAKING SURE TO LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THEM TO SPREAD.

step ELEVEN: bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes, or until they look soft and SLIGHTLY UNDERDONE.

step TWELVE: remove the GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKE cookies from the oven, and let them cool completely on the baking sheet.

step THIRTEEN: once the cookies are completely cool, start making the cream cheese topping. in a MEDIUM bowl, add cold heavy cream, icing sugar or powdered sugar, and some vanilla extract. use aN ELECTRIC mixer to whip the cream until it looks thick and soft. do not over whip as we are going to be whipping it again.

step FOURTEEN: in another bowl, beat cream cheese until soft, and then add this to the whipped cream mixture. use a mixer to whip the cream cheese into the heavy cream until combined. I DID OVER WHIP THIS SLIGHTLY, SO MAKE SURE YOU WHIP IT JUST ENOUGH FOR IT TO HOLD ITS SHAPE, or use a spoon to fold it in if you like.

step FIFTEEN: MAKE THE TOFFEE SAUCE. IN A POT, ADD BUTTER, LIGHT BROWN SUGAR AND DOUBLE CREAM OR HEAVY CREAM. CONTINUE TO STIR THIS OVER LOW-MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL THE SUGAR DISSOLVES, then bring it to a gentle simmer or a very low boil. once sauce starts to bubble gently and thicken up, remove it from the heat. it will thicken up further as it cools.

step sixteen: add a generous amount of the cream cheese filling to the top of each cooled gingerbread cheesecake cookie and spread it out.

step seventeen: add the slightly cooled toffee sauce on top of the cream cheese filling on each cookie.

step eighteen: add crushed biscuits/graham crackers/gingerbread men and sprinkle them on top of your gingerbread cheesecake cookies.

step nineteen: serve, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• i would recommend using room temperature butter and eggs when making these gingerbread cheesecake cookies. this will just make it easier to mix the ingredients and help the ingredients incorporate better.

• use room temperature cream cheese when making the cream cheese topping – this will ensure that the frosting is smooth and help avoid any lumps.

• if you forgot to leave the butter out to let it soften, you can always put it in the microwave for about ten seconds, just so that it can soften slightly so that it’s easier to mix. make sure you don’t melt the butter completely or put it in the microwave for too long.

• if using salted butter instead of unsalted, just skip the extra 1/4 tsp of salt in the dry ingredients.

• i used blackstrap molasses for a deeper flavour, because the sweetness of the cookies, toffee sauce and frosting helps balance everything out. if you’re worried about using blackstrap molasses, you can also use unsulfured, or use treacle or golden syrup.

• i love to use freshly ground spices for the best flavour, but you can use anything that you have on hand.

• once you add the flour and dry ingredients to the cookie mixture, gently mix until just combined to avoid over mixing the dough. over mixing can make your cookies tough and less soft and chewy.

• if you have the time, i would really recommend chilling the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours before baking the gingerbread cheesecake cookies. this will help develop the flavours and reduce spread in the oven. the dough is also quite sticky so chilling it will help it firm up and make it easier to handle.

• use a cookie scoop or weigh out the cookie dough balls so that all of the cookies are equal and consistent in size. this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe makes 6 cookies, weighing about 90-100g (which would be about 3-3.5oz) each.

• if the cookie dough becomes too soft while you’re measuring it out and rolling it in sugar, just place it in the fridge for a while until it firms up again.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your gingerbread cheesecake cookies as they bake. i like to take them out of the oven when they’re slightly underdone as they will continue to cook as they cool once they’re out of the oven. over baking might make your gingerbread cheesecake cookies dry and cakey and we definitely don’t want that! i baked these cookies for 21 minutes, but keep in mind that baking times will depend on your oven, how long you’ve chilled the cookie dough and how big your cookies are, so be sure to adjust times according to that. bigger cookies will take more time to bake.

• once your gingerbread cheesecake cookies are out of the oven, the edges should be set, but they might look underdone and will be too soft to pick up. let them cool on the baking sheets for a good 10-15 minutes before trying to pick them up.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you do decide to use cups, this recipe has a slightly different than typical flour measurement since it bases flour measurements on scooping the flour (as this is what most people tend to do).

• use cold heavy cream when making the cream cheese frosting, as this will be easier to whip.

• to ensure that the cream cheese frosting is smooth, beat the cream cheese separately until soft, and then add it to the whipped heavy cream, and gently mix it in or whip it in until just combined.

• make sure the cookies are completely cool before you add the cream cheese frosting on top. if you add it while the cookies are still warm, the frosting will melt.

• i actually recommend letting the cookies cool completely, and then making the frosting instead of making it ahead of time. this way, you can add the freshly whipped cream cheese frosting straight onto your gingerbread cheesecake cookies.

• if you want your gingerbread cheesecake cookies to have a neater, more polished look, you can add the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe it on top of the cookies instead of spreading it on like i did.

• when making the toffee sauce, mix it over low-medium heat so that it doesn’t heat up too quickly, and make sure to stir constantly. let it cool slightly before adding it to your cookies so that it can thicken up. make sure that the toffee sauce isn’t too cool before you add it, as it will thicken up too much.

• storing these gingerbread cheesecake cookies will depend on whether the cookies are frosted or unfrosted. store any unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. store frosted cookies in the fridge.

• for best results, assemble the gingerbread cheesecake cookies just before serving so that everything is fresh.

• if you find that your gingerbread cheesecake cookies become too soft under the frosting, you can place them in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up a little.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use salted salted butter in this homemade gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe?

   – yes, you can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. if you do use salted butter for your gingerbread cheesecake cookies instead of unsalted, just skip the extra 1/4 tsp of salt stated in the recipe.

2. do i have to use vanilla extract in this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe?

   – the vanilla extract in this cookie recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cookie dough and the frosting, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

3. why did my gingerbread cheesecake cookies turn into a cake instead of soft and chewy?

   – the reason why your cookies turned cakey could be because of baking times. you should take your gingerbread cheesecake cookies out of the oven when the edges are set, but the middles are still slightly underdone as they will continue to cook and firm up on the tray as they cool. even if you follow the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven, as well as on the size of your cookies. i highly recommend checking on your cookies every once in a while, especially towards the end of the recommended times to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be that there was too much flour in your gingerbread cookie dough. to make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies as accurately as possible, i would really recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale.

4. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies without brown sugar?

   – the brown sugar in these gingerbread cookies gives them some extra flavour and chewiness. brown sugar adds colour, moisture and that rich molasses flavour, so i’d really recommend using it. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with the same amount of granulated sugar. keep in mind that using all granulated sugar to make this cookie might result in a cookie that is less chewy and maybe even a little drier. it will also probably spread more, but other than that, it should work just fine. for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated. you can also add an extra tablespoon of molasses for a deeper flavour if you don’t have brown sugar.

5. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies without molasses?

   – molasses is key for that classic gingerbread flavour. without it, they’d be spiced cookies rather than gingerbread.

6. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies with regular molasses rather than blackstrap?

   – yes, you can. regular molasses or something like golden syrup will give a milder, sweeter flavour. blackstrap molasses has a deeper flavour, and can be a bit bitter, but i found that it balances out nicely with the sugar and the frosting and toffee sauce in this cookie recipe. it’s completely up to you.

7. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies without heavy cream?

   – the use of heavy cream in this gingerbread cheesecake cookies recipe helps add a lovely chewiness and richness to the cookies. however, it is also completely fine to omit the heavy cream for the cookies if you don’t have it on hand or would rather not use it. these cookies will be chewy even without the cream due to the molasses and brown sugar. i also use heavy cream in the cream cheese topping as it adds some extra richness and creaminess to the frosting, and i prefer this to a butter and cream cheese frosting. if you would prefer a stronger cream cheese flavour in the frosting, you can also skip the heavy cream in this, or reduce the amount. you can also make a butter and cream cheese frosting instead if you like.

8. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies without the toffee sauce?

   – yes, you can. it’s completely optional!

9. why did my gingerbread cheesecake cookies not spread?

   – one of the reasons why your cookies didn’t spread might be due to your oven temperatures being too low. make sure to preheat your oven 10-15 minutes before adding your cookies in so that the oven is hot enough.

   – it could also be that your cookie dough is too cold. you might want to let the dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before baking it.

   – if you see that the cookies aren’t spreading in the oven, one way to help the cookies spread a little more is to remove the pan from the oven and slam the pan against the counter a couple of times before placing it back in the oven.

10. do i have to chill the dough to make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies?

    – i would highly recommend chilling the gingerbread cookie dough before baking it. the cookie dough is quite sticky when you first mix it, so it will be very difficult to shape. letting it chill in the fridge will help firm it up so that it’s easier to handle. it will also help enhance the flavours and prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. if you’re really pressed for time, or feeling impatient, try to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. i would recommend chilling it for 1-2 hours though.

11. can i make these gingerbread cheesecake cookies ahead of time?

    – you want your gingerbread cheesecake cookies to be completely cool before frosting them, so you can definitely make them ahead of time. you can make the gingerbread cookies in advance, let them cool and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. make the cream cheese frosting and toffee sauce fresh before serving and frost and assemble your gingerbread cheesecake cookies right before you serve them.

12. why did my toffee sauce split?

    – toffee sauce can usually split if the heat is too high or if the cream is too cold. i’d recommend keeping it at a low-medium heat, stirring it as you bring it to a gentle boil and using room temperature cream. if your toffee sauce does end up splitting, remove the pot from the heat, add a splash of hot cream and whisk the mixture vigorously until smooth.

13. can i make gingerbread cookie cheesecake bars instead of gingerbread cheesecake cookies?

    – if you want a quick gingerbread cookies recipe, you can definitely bake these as cookie bars instead of individual cookies. just make the gingerbread cookie dough as stated in the recipe, press the dough into a lined 8×8 inch baking dish and bake. keep in mind that baking times might differ for the cookie bars. then, top with the cream cheese frosting, toffee sauce and crushed gingerbread men, and slice them up just before serving.

14. can i make these as gingerbread cheesecake stuffed cookies instead of making them with a frosting?

    – this recipe is specifically designed for topped cookies. for stuffed cookies, you would need a firmer cheesecake filling.

15. can i make these as gingerbread cheesecake sandwich cookies?

    – these would be great as sandwich cookies! if making gingerbread cream cheese sandwich cookies, i would recommend making the cookies smaller so that they’re easier to have as cookie sandwiches.

16. how to store these gingerbread cheesecake cookies?

    – store any unfrosted gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. when it comes to storing frosted gingerbread cheesecake cookies, be sure to place these in the fridge rather than leaving them out. once frosted, they’re best consumed within 1-2 days.

17. can i freeze these gingerbread cheesecake cookies?

    – if you want to freeze these cookies after they’ve been baked, i’d recommend freezing them unfrosted. when it comes to topping them with the frosting and toffee sauce, let the cookies thaw and add any toppings fresh before eating.

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