Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Made with Cake Mix

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies feature a bright, fruity cookie exterior with a creamy, tangy cream cheese center. They’re made from boxed cake mix and a few simple ingredients for an easy, impressive treat.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You get the sweet tang of strawberry in the cookie with a rich, creamy cheesecake-like filling — together they taste like a bite of strawberry cheesecake.
• These stuffed cookies are surprisingly easy to make. Freezing the cream cheese filling before baking keeps the center creamy while preventing leaks.
• Using cake mix is a convenient shortcut that yields bakery-style cookies with minimal effort.

Ingredients & Variations

Strawberry Cookies

• 15.25 ounce box strawberry cake mix — gives a pretty pink color and strawberry flavor. A standard box works; a minor variation in weight won’t affect the recipe.
• 2 large eggs
• 1 stick salted butter — room temperature for easy blending.
• ½ cup white chocolate chips — optional.
• 1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries — fresh strawberries provide the best flavor; pat dry to remove excess moisture. Freeze-dried strawberries can add crunch.

Cheesecake Filling

• 6 ounces cream cheese — softened to room temperature for easier blending; light cream cheese works too.
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Not a cheesecake fan? Make plain strawberry cookies by preparing the cake mix dough and skipping the cheesecake filling.

How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

1. Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, beat together 1 box strawberry cake mix, 2 large eggs, and 1 stick softened butter until smooth. Fold in ½ cup white chocolate chips (if using) and 1 cup diced strawberries. Pat strawberries dry first to reduce moisture. Cover and refrigerate the dough until assembly.
2. Prepare the cream cheese filling: Beat 6 ounces softened cream cheese with ½ cup powdered sugar until smooth. Portion the filling into tablespoon-sized scoops on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Freezing prevents the filling from leaking during baking.
3. Assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F. Portion cookie dough into 2–3 tablespoon balls, placing about six per parchment-lined sheet. Press a shallow indent into each dough ball and place a frozen cream cheese scoop inside. Carefully wrap the dough around the filling, sealing seams so no cream cheese is exposed. If the dough becomes sticky, chill the assembled balls 15–30 minutes.
4. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 13–16 minutes, until tops and edges just begin to brown. For rounder cookies, gently nudge the edges with a round cutter while still warm. Let cookies cool on the pan at least 15 minutes to allow the filling to set before transferring to a rack.

Step-by-Step Video

FAQs

Helpful Tips and Tricks

• Freeze the cream cheese filling solid so it holds its shape while you transfer and bake; it will soften during baking for a gooey center.
• This recipe yields about a dozen large cookies. Bake in two batches of six for even results.
• These cookies are cake-like. For thicker, chewier cookies, use one egg and melted butter instead of two eggs and softened butter.
• Enjoy these cookies warm or cold.
• Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days because of the cream cheese filling.
• Freezing: Freeze cookies flat on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours before serving.