Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies have a graham cracker cookie base, cream cheese frosting, and strawberry topping for a Crumbl copycat cookie that tastes AMAZING.
If you've ever had Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, you know that they're the real deal! Not everyone likes cherry pie filling though, so I made a delicious strawberry version. The cheesecake frosting on top and the graham cracker cookie base is the BEST, I like it better than cheesecake crust.
This strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe is not difficult, and it makes about 12-15 large cookies, just like Crumbl. With one can of strawberry pie filling, you should be able to top all of the cookies, or you can use fresh strawberries like I use in Strawberries and Cream Bars which have a delicious cheesecake like filling.
The graham cracker cookie base is definitely my favorite part, I could eat them plain. I like the strawberry version with a little cinnamon in the dough, but it is totally optional.
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What To Expect
- Taste: The cookie tastes like a graham cracker crust, the cream cheese frosting is sweet but not too rich, and the strawberry pie filling is the perfect tart addition to balance out the sweet.
- Ease: It's a medium level difficulty, just because it takes a few more steps than making a simple cookie.
- Time: About 10 minutes to make the cookie dough, 10 minutes to bake, and 20ish minutes to cool them while making the frosting. After that, maybe another 10-15 minutes to frost and spoon pie filling onto each cookie. About an hour total, with cooling time.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Graham Crackers - ground up into a powder, these are used in the cookie dough to make the delicious graham cracker flavored base for the cookie.
- Cream Cheese - for the frosting, you can use full fat or fat free but it may impact the flavor.
- Strawberry Pie Filling - you can use homemade or store-bought, a 21 oz can should do it.
- Sugar - Brown sugar only for the cookie dough for the flavor and texture! Powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Butter - used in the cookies and in the frosting, using butter in the frosting makes it a little more stable.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Cream Cheese - mascarpone cheese could be switched in.
- Brown Sugar - you can use dark or light brown sugar.
- Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the cookie dough for a subtle flavor difference. It's delicious!
- Strawberry Pie Filling - there are dye free and preservative free options out there, or you can use strawberry jam. I love to use the Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves, they're excellent! Another alternative is fresh sliced strawberries on top.
🧑🍳 Instructions
Make sure you preheat your oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 1. In a mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Mix on high speed for at least 3 minutes with an electric mixer to "cream" them together and begin dissolving the sugar (above left image).
- Step 2. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute, until the egg is fully mixed in and the batter is fluffy (above right image).
- Step 3. In a blender, pulse the graham crackers until they become a fine powder (above left image).
- Step 4. Add the graham cracker powder, flour, salt, and baking soda to the cookie dough and mix on low speed until everything is mixed in, about 1 minute (above right image).
- Step 5. Scoop the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets with a large 3-4 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Smash the cookies slightly so they are about 2 inches (5cm) across (above left image).
- Step 6. Bake at 350 ℉ for 10-11 minutes, they will be starting to crack around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting (above right image).
- Step 7. In a mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Mix at medium/high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute (above left image).
- Step 8. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well, until there are no sugar pockets left and frosting is smooth (above right image).
- Step 9. Once the cookies are completely cool, transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto each cookie (I use a larger round tip) starting on the outside, frosting in a spiral to the center.
- Step 10. Place strawberry pie filling on each cookie, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs (optional). Enjoy!
📌 Top Tips & Hacks
- Measure (weigh) your ingredients! You will have consistent results when you weigh instead of using cup measurements.
- You can smash the raw cookie dough balls, once scooped, but it makes smoother edges if you roll the ball in your hands and THEN smash it flat to look like a hockey puck.
- Some readers like to use a full 8 oz of cream cheese instead of half butter and half cream cheese in the frosting. That's fine! I found the frosting to be more stable with butter and easier to serve and share.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I would either freeze the raw dough in balls or freeze the baked cookies separate from the frosting. That way they would be easy to thaw and frost.
Yes! I have a cherry version on my website that is a reader favorite in the delicious cookies section.
Since the frosting has cream cheese, I would refrigerate them for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months, without the strawberry filling or frosting on top.
Yes! fresh sliced strawberries would work fine, as well as strawberry jam.
🍪 More Delicious Crumbl Copycat Recipes
Strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls are another cheesecake themed dessert we LOVE, but if you're looking for more unique cookie ideas, I have you covered!
📝 Printable Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature 226 g
- 1½ cups brown sugar 290 g
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 graham crackers (2 cups of crumbs) 192 g
- 2 cups all purpose flour 275 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup salted butter 113 g
- 2½ cups powdered sugar 225 g
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 17 g
- ½ can Strawberry pie filling
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Mix on high speed for at least 3 minutes with an electric mixer to "cream" them together and begin dissolving the sugar.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute, until the egg is fully mixed in and the batter is fluffy.
- In a blender, pulse the graham crackers until they become a fine powder.
- Add the graham cracker powder, flour, baking soda, and salt (cinnamon optional) to the cookie dough and mix on low speed until everything is mixed in, about 1 minute.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets with a large 3-4 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Smash the cookies slightly so they are about 2 inches.
- Bake at 350 ℉ for 10-11 minutes, they will be starting to crack around the edges. Let cool completely before frosting.
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Mix at medium/high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well, until there are no sugar pockets left and frosting is smooth.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto each cookie starting on the outside, frosting in a spiral to the center.
- Place strawberry pie filling on each cookie, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
We've made different versions of this cookie with the same graham cracker base for parties, Father's Day, and birthdays. Strawberry is the definite crowd favorite! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Please leave a comment here and share your feedback with a star rating. I really enjoyed creating this recipe and post for you!