Introduction

These Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies combine the warm spices of gingerbread with a creamy cheesecake filling, making them a festive treat perfect for the holiday season. Soft cookie cups are filled with smooth, spiced cheesecake frosting and topped with colorful sprinkles for a fun finish.

A stack of four soft, round cookies with a brown sugar and cinnamon coating sits in the center, each cookie showing a slightly cracked and grainy texture with sugar crystals on the surface. The top cookie has a bite taken out revealing a creamy white filling inside. Around the stack, more cookies with the same textured surface are scattered on a white marbled texture. In the background, festive red and green ribbons and blurred gingerbread men cookies decorated with white icing add a holiday feel. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

3/4 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg
3 tablespoons molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Christmas sprinkles (for fun!)
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Step 2: Add the egg and molasses to the butter mixture and beat until smooth and combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and cornstarch.
Step 4: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until a dough forms. Avoid over-mixing. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two regular muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. Press about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into the bottom of each cup, then press halfway up the sides to form a cup shape.
Step 6: Bake the cookie cups for 12 minutes, then let them cool for 10 minutes. To deepen the cup shape, gently press the back of a tablespoon or the top of a round spice jar into each cookie while still warm. Allow the cookie cups to cool completely.
Step 7: While the cookies cool, prepare the cheesecake frosting by beating together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and vanilla extract until smooth using a mixer.
Step 8: Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and swirl it into each cooled cookie cup. Alternatively, you can spoon the frosting in. Top with Christmas sprinkles if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

For a stronger ginger flavor, increase the ground ginger in both the dough and frosting by 1/2 teaspoon.
Use festive colored sprinkles or crushed candy canes for a holiday twist.
If you don’t have a piping bag, a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off works well for frosting.
Chill the cookie dough longer if it feels too soft to shape easily.

Storage

Store the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. These cookies can be frozen unfilled; thaw and then add frosting before serving.

How to Serve

A stack of five soft, round brown cookies coated with sugar and cinnamon is shown on a white marbled texture. The top cookie has a bite taken out, revealing a creamy white filling in the center. Around the cookie stack, more similar cookies lay flat, while red and gold glitter balls and a gingerbread cookie with white icing decorate the background. A piece of plaid ribbon with red, green, and gold stripes lies near the bottom edge. The cookies have a slightly crackled surface texture. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the cookie cups ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake the cookie cups up to two days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Add the frosting just before serving to keep it fresh.

What can I substitute for molasses?

If you don’t have molasses, you can use dark corn syrup or a combination of honey and brown sugar, but molasses provides the signature rich flavor essential to gingerbread.