Caramel Cheesecake Cookies That Melted My Heart (and My Baking Tray)
Okay, so these started as a total kitchen accident when I tried to make cheesecake bars but ran out of cream cheese halfway through. I was standing there with half a block of cheese, a bag of caramel bits, and a serious craving. Instead of giving up, I mixed everything into a cookie dough and hoped for the best. The smell that came out of the oven? Honestly, it stopped me in my tracks. Sweet, tangy, buttery, and that caramel swirl — it's like a hug in cookie form. These are messy, gooey, and absolutely worth every sticky finger.
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened — because salted butter makes these too salty, weirdly
- 100g caster sugar — fine sugar, not the gritty kind
- 50g brown sugar — for that caramel undertone
- 120g full-fat cream cheese — the block kind, not the spreadable tub
- 1 large egg — room temp if you remember, cold if you don't
- 1 tsp vanilla extract — the real stuff, not the fake vanilla essence
- 180g plain flour — sifted if you're feeling fancy
- 1/2 tsp baking powder — make sure it's not ancient
- 1/4 tsp salt — just a pinch to balance the sweetness
- 100g caramel bits — or chop up soft caramels if you can't find bits
- Optional: extra caramel for drizzling — because why not go overboard
Instructions
- Beat the butter and both sugars together until pale and fluffy — this takes longer than you think, so put on a song and don't rush it.
- Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth — if it looks a bit curdled, that's fine, it'll sort itself out.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla until just combined — don't overmix or the cookies get tough.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently until no dry patches remain — I use a spatula for this bit so I don't overwork it.
- Fold in the caramel bits — try not to eat half the bag like I always do.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes — I know it's annoying, but it stops the cookies from spreading into one giant pancake.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two trays with parchment paper — don't skip this unless you enjoy chiseling cookies off trays.
- Scoop heaped tablespoons of dough onto the trays, leaving space between each — they spread more than you expect.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden but the centres still look soft — they'll firm up as they cool.
- Let them sit on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack — if you try to move them too soon, they'll fall apart and you'll have to eat the evidence.
- Drizzle with extra caramel if you're feeling extra — I always am.
Notes
Don't skip chilling the dough — I learned that the hard way when my first batch turned into sad little puddles. Also, use a good quality cream cheese; the cheap stuff just weeps and ruins the texture. If your caramel bits disappear into the dough, that's fine — they'll create little pockets of gooey magic. Oh, and parchment paper is non-negotiable unless you want to chisel cookies off your tray. Trust me.