A classic Christmas cookie in cheesecake form! This sugar cookie cheesecake does NOT skimp on cookie dough goodness. It has a plain sugar cookie dough crust, topped with silky cream cheese filling that's studded with more sugar cookie dough, and is all topped off with a sugar cookie dough frosting. It's the ultimate Christmas cookie lover's dessert!

sugar cookie cheesecake on parchment lined plate

what is sugar cookie cheesecake?

Sugar cookie cheesecakes have been taking over my Instagram feed for the past 2 or 3 Christmases, so it felt like the perfect recipe trend to finally hop onto! While most of the bakers I see are using Pillsbury Christmas tree sugar cookie for the crust, some have opted for making the cookie dough themselves - and this is my from scratch take on the dessert inspired by Stephanie's Sweet Treats and Butternut Bakery's versions!

This cheesecake uses one sugar cookie dough that will be used as the crust and to mix in with the filling for little chewy, doughy bites. The filling is a classic dense and creamy NY style cheesecake and then the whole thing is topped off with sugar cookie dough frosting (it is as good as it sounds!) It's really the ultimate Christmas cake!

how to make sugar cookie cheesecake

This cheesecake has 3 main components: sugar cookie dough, cheesecake filling, and cookie dough frosting. They all help pack in that classic sugar cookie flavor in every bite! Here's a quick little look at the steps (with photos), but you can find the full recipe details further down in this post.

1. Make the sugar cookie dough: This dough will be used for both the crust and to speckle the filling. Start by creaming together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in the milk and vanilla followed by the flour and salt. That'll give us the base cookie dough.

Portion out about ⅔ of this plain dough and drop it into a greased springform pan. Spread into an even layer then bake until lightly golden around the edges. Set aside to cool slightly while you prep the rest of the cheesecake components.

sugar cookie cheesecake cookie dough in bowl

sugar cookie cheesecake crust in springform pan before baking

sugar cookie cheesecake crust in springform pan after baking

To the remaining ⅓ of the sugar cookie dough, fold in jimmies sprinkles. Scoop out roughly ½ teaspoon sized portions of the sprinkle cookie dough and roll into a smooth ball. Arrange the bite sized portions of dough on a parchment lined plate or baking sheet and set aside.

sugar cookie cheesecake sprinkles mixed into half of cookie dough in bowl

sugar cookie cheesecake sprinkle dough bites on parchment lined pan

2. Make the cheesecake filling: Borrowing the filling recipe from my FAVORITE classic cheesecake, this is super easy to whip up and comes out perfect every time. Start by creaming together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in all the remaining cheesecake ingredients (minus the eggs) and mix until combined.

sugar cookie cheesecake cream cheese and sugar creamed together in bowl

sugar cookie cheesecake flour, yogurt, vanilla, and salt added to cream cheese and sugar mixture

Mix the eggs into the batter, one at a time, stopping as soon as the egg disappears. Take care not to overmix or you may work additional air into the batter. Once the batter is whipped up, it's time to layer it!

Drop about ⅓ of the cheesecake batter over the cookie crust then evenly sprinkle about half of the cookie dough bites on top. Pour another ⅓ of the batter to cover the cookie dough bites, and then drop the remaining cookie dough balls evenly on top. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top and spread into an even layer.

Bake the layered cheesecake until it's puffed up and the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool the cheesecake in the oven, then on your countertop, and finally in the fridge until it's fully set. After the cheesecake has fully cooled, it's time to make the frosting!

sugar cookie cheesecake filling and cookie dough bites layered in springform pan

3. Make the sugar cookie dough frosting: This frosting is honestly some of the best I've ever had! It tastes just like raw sugar cookie dough, but with the airiness of frosting! It features flour (to give it that cookie dough flavor) so we need to start by heat treating the flour to ensure it's safe to eat. I have more detailed instructions below on how to do this in the microwave and oven. After it's heated, set the flour aside to cool completely before using.

Add butter into a large bowl and whip until lump free. Mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until combined. Add the flour and mix that in to combine as well. Mix in the salt, milk, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, thin it out with a splash more milk. Finally, fold in the sprinkles.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cheesecake and top with more sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve right away or keep in the fridge until you're ready to dig in!

sugar cookie cheesecake sugar cookie dough frosting in bowl

baked and cooled sugar cookie cheesecake in spiniform pan

why did my cheesecake crack?

If you've made cheesecake before, you might already know that a cracked top is usually a sign of something gone wrong. (Although it will probably still taste amazing regardless!) You'll notice that no matter what, this cheesecake is going to crack and it's because of the cookie dough.

The cheesecake batter is speckled with little bites of cookie dough, and as it bakes, the dough is going to release steam. The steam will rise to the surface as the cheesecake bakes and then pop, resulting in cracks. That's totally normal and the cracks will not be noticeable once the cheesecake is topped with the cookie dough frosting.

how to heat treat flour

Like I mentioned above, we're using flour in the frosting to give it the feel of cookie dough, which means we need to first heat the flour to kill off any harmful bacteria and make it safe to eat. You can heat treat flour in your microwave or in the oven (whichever you prefer).

To heat treat flour in the microwave:

Add the flour to a microwave safe bowl.
Heat in 30 second bursts until it reaches a temperature of 160°F.*

To heat treat flour in your oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the flour into an even layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until it reaches a temperature of 160°F.*

* To test the temperature of heat treated flour, make a little pile of flour in your bowl or on your baking sheet and insert the thermometer into it. Make sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bowl or baking sheet or this can skew the results.

Once the flour is heated to a safe temperature, set it aside to cool completely to room temperature before using. It's also best to sift it after it's cooled because it does have a tendency to clump up after being heated.

other topping options

I'm personally OBESSED with the cookie dough frosting on top of this cheesecake, but it is definitely indulgent. If you want a lighter topping for your cheesecake, there's no going wrong with some freshly whipped cream! You can also top this off with a white chocolate ganache, melted white chocolate, or even serve it plain (if you don't mind letting the cracked top shine).

check out these other recipes!

• Giant Sugar Cookie Cake
• Melting Snowman Cookies
• Christmas Tree Shortbread Sticks
• White Christmas Cake

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

Sugar Cookie Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

Author: Mimi
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes + 7 hours cooling
Yield: 1 (9") cheesecake

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

For the sugar cookie dough:

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60mL) whole milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (40g) Christmas colored jimmies sprinkles

For the cheesecake filling:

(4) 8oz bricks cream cheese (32oz / 900g total), softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (33g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the sugar cookie dough frosting:

⅓ cup (45g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (260g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons Christmas colored jimmies sprinkles
assorted Christmas sprinkles (optional - for decorating)

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Instructions

Make the sugar cookie dough:

Position a rack in the center of your oven and another rack on the bottom. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon by hand, cream together until pale and fluffy.
Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add flour and salt and fold together until your have a sticky, streak free cookie dough.
Portion out about ⅔ of the cookie dough and drop it into the bottom of your prepared springform pan. Spread into an even layer.
Bake the cookie crust in the center of your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the surface is no longer shiny and the edges are lightly golden brown.
Set the crust aside to cool slightly (but keep the oven preheated to 325°F).
Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper. To the remaining ⅓ of the cookie dough, add in the sprinkles and mix to combine. Scoop out little bite sized pieces of dough that are about ½ a teaspoon and roll into balls. Place onto your parchment lined baking sheet or plate and repeat until all of the sprinkle dough is portioned into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Make the cheesecake filling:

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Using an electric or stand mixer, or wooden spoon by hand, cream together until lump free.
Scrape down the bottom and sides of your bowl, then add in the flour, yogurt, salt, and vanilla. Beat together until combined.
If using a mixer, make sure to do this next step on LOW speed to avoid incorporating too much air into the cheesecake batter. Mix the eggs into the batter, one at a time, mixing just until the egg disappears before adding in the next one. After adding 2 of the eggs, pause to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl before continuing. Take care not to overmix.
Pour about ⅓ of the cheesecake batter over the slightly cooled cookie crust (it's OK if it's still a little warm).
Drop about half of the cookie dough balls evenly on top. Layer another ⅓ of the cheesecake batter on top to cover the cookie dough then evenly drop the remaining cookie dough balls on top. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top and spread into an even layer.
Fill a separate large baking pan with about 2 inches of boiling water and carefully position it on the bottom rack of your oven. Place the cheesecake on the center rack of your oven above the pan filled with water.
Bake the cheesecake in your preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until it's puffed up and golden brown around the edges. If you gently shake the pan, the center of the cheesecake should wiggle but the edges should be firm.
Because of the moisture in the cookie dough, this cheesecake will crack - that's completely normal!
Turn the oven off and crack the door open slightly. Cool the cheesecake for about 30 minutes in the oven with the door slightly ajar. After the 30 minutes, run a pairing knife around the edges of the cheesecake to make sure it's not stuck to the sides of the pan (this helps prevent tearing as the cheesecake cools and shrinks).
Continue cooling the cheesecake for an additional 30 minutes in the oven with the door slightly ajar (for a total of 1 hour cooling in the oven). Take the cheesecake out and let it cool on your counter until it reaches room temperature, then pop it into the fridge and let it chill for at least 6 hours or until firmed up.

Make the sugar cookie dough frosting:

Heat treat the flour to make it safe to eat: You can do this step in the oven or in your microwave.
In the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the flour onto the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake in the center of your preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the flour reaches a temperature of 160°F. When testing the temperature, make sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the baking sheet or it will appear hotter than it actually is.

In the microwave: Drop the flour into a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until the flour reaches a temperature of 160°F. It usually takes about 90 seconds total. When testing the temperature, make sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bowl or it will appear hotter than it actually is.
Let the flour cool completely to room temperature then sift it to work out any clumps. Set aside.
Add butter into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon by hand, whip until lump free.
Mix powdered sugar into the butter, 1 cup at a time, until combined. Mix in the cooled flour to combine.
Add the salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk and whip until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, mix in a splash more milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Lastly, fold the jimmies sprinkles into the frosting.
Unlatch the sides of the springform pan and move the cheesecake onto your serving plate or cake stand. Spread the frosting on top and decorate with assorted sprinkles if desired. Serve right away or keep in the fridge until ready to serve!

Equipment

9" Springform Pan

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