Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

If you love the combination of sweet and salty with a smooth cheesecake-like center, these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies will become your new favorite. The graham cracker base gives these cookies a slightly crunchy texture, while the cream cheese frosting adds richness. A drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt elevates them to perfection. Perfect for dessert, parties, or when you’re craving something extra special!

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies:

For the Cookies:

• Butter: Softened butter is the base for the cookie dough, giving it a tender, chewy texture.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and gives a slightly crispy edge to the cookies.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and richness to the dough, making it soft and flavorful.
• Egg: The egg binds the ingredients together and adds moisture to the dough.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
• All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for your cookies.
• Graham Crackers: Adds a slightly crunchy texture and enhances the cheesecake theme.
• Baking powder: Baking powder ensures the cookies rise evenly.
• Baking soda: Adds to the rise and texture, giving the cookies a bit more chew.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and elevates the flavor.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream cheese, softened: Forms the base of the frosting, gives the frosting its tangy, rich flavor.
• Vanilla extract: For a hint of sweetness and balance.
• Lemon zest: Adds freshness to the frosting
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting for a creamy consistency.

For the Topping:

• Caramel Sauce (homemade or store-bought): Adds a rich, sweet, and buttery topping (check out my homemade caramel sauce recipe)
• Sea Salt: Provides a contrast to the sweetness, enhancing the caramel flavor.

You’ll need the following tools for making the Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies:

• Mixing Bowls: A large bowl for combining the cookie dough ingredients and a smaller one for measuring.
• Measuring Scale: To accurately measure all your ingredients in grams.
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: For creaming the butter and sugars, and mixing the dough.
• Spatula: To fold in the dry ingredients and combine the mixtures.
• Baking Sheet: For baking the cookies.
• Parchment Paper: To line the baking sheet, preventing the cookies from sticking.
• Cookie Scoop: To evenly portion out the dough.
• Cooling Rack: For allowing the cookies to cool evenly after baking.
• Piping Bag: To add the frosting to the cookies.

Here is the full Recipe:

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

• 113g (½ cup) Butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
• 50g (¼ cup) Granulated sugar
• 50g (¼ cup) Brown sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 170g (1 & ⅓ cup) All-purpose flour
• 120g (1 cup) Graham crackers, finely crushed (about 7 sheets)
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Baking soda
• ½ tsp Baking powder
• 44g (⅓ cup) Graham crackers, finely crushed (about 2 sheets) (for rolling)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 113g (4 oz) Cream cheese, softened
• 57g (4 tbsp) Butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
• 90g (¾ cup) Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Topping:

• ¼ cup Caramel sauce
• Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

Make the Cookie Dough:

1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add Egg & Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.

Form the Cookies:

1. Scoop the Dough: Using a large cookie scoop, divide the dough into 8 equal balls.
2. Roll in Graham Crumbs: Roll each dough ball in the additional ⅓ cup graham cracker crumbs to coat the outside.
3. Shape the Cookies: Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, and gently flatten them to about ½ inch thickness.

Bake the Cookies:

1. Bake: Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
2. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Whip the Ingredients: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then whip on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
2. Prepare the Piping Bag: Fill a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the cream cheese frosting. If using a piping bag, fit it with a large round tip for a smooth swirl.

Assemble the Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies:

1. Frost the Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting onto each cookie.
2. Add Caramel and Sea Salt: Drizzle caramel sauce over the frosting. Use about ½ to 1 tsp per cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors.

Tips & Tricks:

Tips for the Cookies:

• Chilling the Dough: If you want your cookies to have a perfect shape and not spread too much, consider chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies hold their form and enhances the texture.
• Choose the Right Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter, depending on your preference. If you like a slightly saltier cookie base, opt for salted butter. For more control over the flavor, stick with unsalted butter and add a pinch of extra salt.
• Caramel Sauce: Make sure to use a thick caramel sauce to prevent it from running off the cookies. If your caramel sauce is too runny, you can thicken it slightly by simmering it on the stove for a few minutes.
• Don’t Overmix: When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ones, mix just until combined. Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies.
• Freezing Before Baking: By freezing the dough balls before baking, you ensure that the cookies will bake up thick and chewy with a perfectly soft center.
• Frosting: Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before adding the cream cheese frosting, otherwise, it will melt off. The swirl design adds a fun and professional-looking finish.
• Customizing the Flavor: Feel free to add a dash of pumpkin spice to the cream cheese frosting for a fall-inspired twist. Or, mix in some finely chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for added crunch.

General Tips:

• Piping the Frosting: For a neat finish, ensure your cream cheese frosting is firm enough to pipe smoothly. If it’s too runny, you can add a little extra powdered sugar until it reaches the right consistency.
• Storage: Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage—just make sure to freeze them unfrosted and add the frosting once thawed.

Enjoy these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies with your favorite cup of coffee or tea, or share them at your next gathering—they’re sure to be a hit!

More Baking Ideas:

• Cinnamon Roll Cookies – Soft, buttery cookies swirled with cinnamon sugar, bringing all the cozy flavors of cinnamon rolls in a delightful cookie form.
• Chai Cookies – Infused with warm chai spices and topped with a sweet spiced glaze, these Chai Cookies are the perfect cozy treat for fall!
• Pumpkin Sugar Cookies – These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are soft, spiced, and packed with the rich flavors of fall, perfect for a cozy treat any time!
• Apple Pie Cookies – Bite-sized versions of the classic dessert, these Apple Pie Cookies are filled with warm spiced apples and wrapped in a soft, chewy cookie.

Watch the recipe video here. Let’s get to baking! Here is the full recipe: