Description
Delicious caramel apple cheesecake stuffed cookies that combine the flavors of cheesecake, caramel, and apple in a soft cookie.
Ingredients
- Cheesecake filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Apple filling:
- 1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Cookie dough:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- For finishing:
- ½ cup soft caramel sauce
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Scoop teaspoon-sized portions onto a parchment-lined plate and freeze for 30–45 minutes, or until firm.
- Cook the apple filling: Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool completely.
- Make the cookie dough: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the cooled apple mixture.
- Stuff the cookies: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten it in your palm. Place one frozen cheesecake portion in the center. Cover with another small piece of dough and seal the edges completely. Roll gently into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Chill the stuffed cookie balls for 15–20 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the cookie balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack.
- Add the caramel: Warm the caramel sauce slightly until pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Add a little cinnamon or flaky sea salt if desired.
Notes
- Keep the cheesecake filling frozen to prevent it from melting into the cookie dough while baking.
- Remove excess apple moisture to avoid sticky dough and spreading cookies.
- Seal the dough well to ensure no cheesecake filling is exposed.
- Don’t overbake; the cookies will continue to set as they cool.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg