Soft and Chewy Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
Oreo cheesecake cookies pack the tang of cream cheese and the crunch of chocolate sandwich cookies into a soft, chewy cookie. They come together without a mixer if you’re patient, and the dough takes just ten minutes of hands-on work.
If you’ve got a package of Oreos in the pantry, this is the recipe to pull out when you want something that feels a little more special than a chocolate chip cookie.
Why These Cookies Stay in the Rotation
Cream cheese does two jobs here. It keeps the cookie tender for days and gives the whole thing that unmistakable tang you taste in a slice of real cheesecake.
The cookie itself is soft and slightly puffy in the center with crisp edges. Crushed Oreo pieces stay just crunchy enough that every bite has a pop of cookie and a hit of vanilla cream.
I make them when I want the vibe of a from-scratch bakery cookie without turning on a stand mixer. The dough chills in the time it takes to clean up the bowls.
Ingredients
- 4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened: use block cream cheese, not the spreadable tub
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened: salted butter works, just reduce the added salt to a pinch
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg: at room temperature if possible
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup coarsely crushed Oreo cookies: about 10 cookies, broken into pieces no smaller than a pea
A Few Simple Swaps
- Swap the Oreos: Use Golden Oreos or mint-filled sandwich cookies for a different dessert cookie without changing anything else.
- Add white chocolate chips: Fold in ½ cup along with the Oreos for a sweeter, creamier bite.
- Make them dairy-free: Use vegan butter, dairy-free cream cheese, and dairy-free chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Go gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and confirm your sandwich cookies are gluten-free.
For another cookie that leans on cream cheese for its texture, try Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies.
How to Make Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
Step 1: Cream the Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugars
In a large bowl, beat the ½ cup softened butter and 4 oz cream cheese with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until smooth. Add the ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar, then beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
You will see the sugar start to dissolve into the fats and the whole mixture will lighten a shade. Stop once it clings to the sides of the bowl in soft ribbons.
Step 2: Beat in the Egg and Vanilla
Crack in the 1 large egg and pour in the 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat just until the egg disappears and the mixture looks glossy.
Over-beating here can make the cookies puff and fall later, so stop the moment the yellow streak is gone. The dough will look a little loose and silky, which is exactly what you want before the flour goes in.
Step 3: Stir in the Dry Ingredients
Toss in the 1½ cups flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt. Stir with a spatula until the flour is almost absorbed with a few white streaks left.
You are looking for a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. At this stage the dough is still fragile; it thickens as the flour hydrates over the next minute. Switch to a folding motion right at the end so you do not overwork the gluten.
Step 4: Fold in the Crushed Oreos and Chill
Scrape in the 1 cup coarsely crushed Oreo pieces. Fold them through the dough gently so they stay in distinct chunks rather than turning into dust. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Chilling the dough firms up the butter and cream cheese, which stops the cookies from spreading into flat discs in the oven. The cookie pieces will absorb a little moisture from the dough while it rests, which deepens the chocolate flavor.
Step 5: Scoop and Bake the Cookies
When you’re ready to bake, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded tablespoons of chilled dough onto the sheets, leaving 2 inches between each mound.
Slide the trays in and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just set and lightly golden and the centers look a little underdone. Rotate the sheets halfway through if your oven runs hot. The cookies will set up as they cool, so pulling them when the center is no longer shiny is enough.
Step 6: Cool and Serve
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they finish setting without breaking. Slide a spatula underneath and transfer them to a wire rack. Serve them warm with a cold glass of milk, or let them cool completely and stack them on a plate.
How to Get the Best Chewy Texture
- Room temperature ingredients count: Cold cream cheese and butter will not cream evenly, which leads to greasy, uneven cookies. Let them sit out for 30 to 45 minutes before you start.
- Do not skip the chill: A half hour in the fridge makes the difference between a thick, chewy cookie and one that puddles on the tray. If your kitchen is warm, aim for an hour.
- Under-bake slightly: The cookies should look just barely done in the middle when you pull them from the oven. The residual heat will finish the job on the sheet.
- Crush the Oreos by hand: A few quick pulses in a food processor is fine, but hand-crushing with a rolling pin gives you a mix of fine crumb and bigger, crunchy nuggets. That texture contrast is what makes these cookies fun.
Bake times vary with cookie size:
| Scoop size | Bake time |
|---|---|
| Level tablespoon | 9–11 mins |
| Heaping tablespoon | 11–13 mins |
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cream cheese keeps them soft the whole time.
- Freeze: Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months in a zip-top bag. Thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes. You can also freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a bag and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use low-fat cream cheese?
No, the cookies will spread too much and taste flat. Full-fat block cream cheese gives you the right structure and tang.
Why did my cookies turn out cakey?
Too much air was whipped into the butter and cream cheese. Beat them only until smooth and fluffy, not for minutes after that. Over-mixing the egg also adds air that puffs the cookie.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, the dough can chill for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it is just soft enough to scoop if it has been in the fridge overnight.
Can I freeze the baked cookies with filling?
Yes, but place parchment between layers so the filling does not stick. Thaw uncovered on a plate to keep the texture crisp.
Oreo Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla just until combined.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in crushed Oreos, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are just set and centers look slightly underdone.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and serve.
