Description
Delightful Cheesecake-Stuffed Caramel Apple Cookies blend classic comfort with surprising indulgence. Rich caramel, creamy cheesecake filling, and warm spices create an irresistible treat you won’t be able to resist.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookie Base:
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Mix-Ins and Toppings:
- ½ cup (75 grams) diced apple (peeled & finely chopped)
- ½ cup (85 grams) caramel bits or soft caramels (chopped)
- ¼ cup caramel sauce (for drizzling)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional, for salted caramel flavor)
Instructions
- Whip the cream cheese mixture until silky and uniform, blending powdered sugar and vanilla extract to create a delicate, sweet filling.
- Carefully portion tiny cream cheese globules onto a parchment-covered plate, ensuring consistent size and shape.
- Transfer the prepared dollops to the freezer, allowing them to solidify and maintain structural integrity for approximately half an hour.
- The chilled cream cheese centers will serve as the luxurious hidden core within each decadent cookie, creating a surprise burst of creamy texture.
Notes
- Chill the cream cheese filling beforehand to ensure clean, easy filling without messy spreading during cookie assembly.
- Opt for cold cream cheese straight from the refrigerator for firmer, more manageable dollops that hold their shape perfectly.
- Consider using green apples for a tart contrast to the sweet caramel and cream cheese, balancing the overall flavor profile of the cookies.
- Experiment with different extracts like almond or maple in the cream cheese filling to add unexpected depth and complexity to the recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg