Description
These Cheesecake-Stuffed Caramel Apple Cookies blend creamy cheesecake filling with soft, flavorful apple-spiced cookies, topped with luscious caramel sauce, chopped pecans, and fresh green apple pieces. Perfect for a festive treat or an indulgent dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp apple extract (optional)
- Green food coloring (optional, for apple-like hue)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Toppings
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Diced green apple pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Freeze Cheesecake Portions: Scoop teaspoon-sized portions of the cheesecake mixture onto a lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and optional apple extract. Add green food coloring if you want a green apple-like hue and mix until combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Mix Dry with Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until all the flour is incorporated and a dough forms.
- Form Dough Balls: Scoop small portions of dough and flatten slightly using your hands or a spatula.
- Stuff with Cheesecake: Place a frozen cheesecake portion in the center of each flattened dough circle, then carefully wrap the dough around the cheesecake and seal it completely by pinching and rolling into smooth balls.
- Arrange for Baking: Place the stuffed dough balls on a lined baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart to allow spreading.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and allow it to reach temperature.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain soft and slightly underbaked for that chewy texture.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add Toppings: Warm the caramel sauce slightly and drizzle it generously over each cooled cookie. Finish by sprinkling chopped pecans and optional diced green apple pieces over the top for added texture and freshness.
Notes
- Freezing the cheesecake filling before wrapping helps prevent leaks during baking.
- Using green food coloring is optional but adds a fun apple-inspired appearance.
- Ensure cookies cool before drizzling caramel to prevent it from melting off too much.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts if preferred for a different nutty flavor.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for extended freshness.
