Easter Cheesecake Cookies
These easter cheesecake cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolatey crunch from crushed mini eggs. But what really makes them super delicious is the white chocolate cream cheese ganache. It’s mixed into the dough in pieces, creating tangy creamy pockets in each bite.
The ganache is made ahead of time, spread out, frozen, and cut into pieces, so it folds into the cookie dough in layers rather than mixing in completely. This way, instead of small bits of cream cheese scattered throughout, you get melty pockets of cheesecake flavor in the cookies. I got this idea from The Purple Cupcake and I just love it!
Why you’ll love these
✔ Soft & chewy: crisp edges and a gooey center.
✔ Easy but impressive : the cheesecake filling takes a little chilling time, but it’s simple to make.
✔ Perfectly balanced : Sweet, creamy, tangy, and chocolatey all in one bite!
The ganache
Instead of mixing the cream cheese straight into the cookie dough, it’s first blended with melted white chocolate to make a rich, spreadable ganache.
- Mix and melt – Blend softened cream cheese with melted white chocolate.
- Spread and freeze – Spread it into a thin layer on a lined tray and freeze until firm.
- Cut into pieces – Once frozen, chop into small chunks and fold into the cookie dough.
This method keeps the cheesecake filling in layers, so every cookie has rich swirls of creamy white chocolate cheesecake rather than just a hint of it.
How to make the cookies
- Prepare the ganache – Make the white chocolate cream cheese ganache and freeze it.
- Crush the mini eggs – You want a mix of small chunks and big pieces.
- Make the cookie dough – Cream butter and sugar, mix in eggs and vanilla, then add dry ingredients.
- Fold in mix-ins – Add the chopped ganache pieces and crushed mini eggs.
- Chill the dough – Scoop the cookie balls and let them rest to help the flavors develop.
- Bake – Bake until golden.
Baking tips
✔ Don’t skip chilling the dough – It helps prevent spreading and gives the best chewy texture.
✔ Use cold ganache chunks – This keeps them from melting too fast in the oven.
✔ Press extra mini eggs on top before baking so you can see them more easily.
Storing & freezing
These cookies stay soft for days and can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. The dough also freezes well as cookie dough balls, so you can bake fresh cookies anytime.
More easter ideas
Easter Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cream cheese ganache
- 140 g white chocolate
- 60 g cream cheese room temperature
Cookies
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 113 g unsalted butter softened
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 200 g mini eggs Some roughly chopped, some whole
Instructions
Cream cheese ganache
- Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl. Gently melt it using a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each until smooth.
- Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk the cream cheese until smooth in a bowl, then whisk in the white chocolate. It might look a bit greasy. If it stiffens too much to whisk, gently warm it to loosen it up.
- Line a tray or plate with parchment paper and spread the ganache into a thin, even layer (about ¼ inch thick). Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until firm. Once fully set, remove from the freezer and slice the ganache into small squares or chunks. They will soften quite quickly out of the freezer so once cut, place them back in the freezer until needed.
Cookies
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk. Set this flour mixture aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, beat the egg and vanilla into the sugar mixture until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir them using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mainly combined, leaving a few streaks of flour. Mix in the mini eggs and cream cheese pieces.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to make around one and a half tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into a ball. Chill the cookie dough balls for 1-2 hours, or cover them and chill overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- When ready to bake, place the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced at least two inches/5 cm apart.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly golden brown but still soft. For extra round cookies, use a round cookie cutter or glass slightly larger than the cookies to swirl around the hot cookie right out of the oven, pushing them into a round shape.
- Let them cool on the cookie sheet before removing as they will be soft out of the oven.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
