These Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies taste like a no-bake raspberry cheesecake! The cheesecake cookie base is creamy and soft with a little tang. They're then topped with a luscious raspberry cream cheese frosting and a raspberry icing! Add a fresh raspberry if desired and voilà... the most gorgeous and delicious dye-free cookies you've ever seen! But don't let their beauty fool you, they're so simple to make! No mixer is needed for the cookie dough so clean-up is a breeze! Best yet, these cheesecake cookies are gluten free, egg free, nut free and can easily be made vegan!
I love making gorgeous and original looking cookies and these Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies check both those boxes! The cheesecake cookie base uses melted butter, cream cheese and zero mixer, so clean up is a breeze! And it takes no time at all to make the raspberry syrup that gets mixed into the frosting and icing; just a few minutes in a microwave! The stunning raspberry icing's dark pink color is all natural as is the raspberry cream cheese frosting's flamingo pink hue! They're the perfect spring dessert, Mother's Day Cookies, Valentine's Day Cookies, Easter Cookies and the perfect addition to your summertime dessert recipes!
For more raspberry recipes, try my Raspberry Cookies, my Lemon Raspberry Cookies, my Raspberry Lemonade Cookies, my Raspberry Frosting and my Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!
Reasons to Love These Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Cheesecake in 2 Ways- The cookie base is a fluffy and soft cheesecake cookie and the buttercream is a raspberry cream cheese frosting!
- Easy to Make- You don't need a mixer of any kind to make the cookie base! All you need is a whisk and a spatula to create this fast cookie recipe just like my Crispy Sugar Cookies!
- Their Gorgeous Colors- Like in my Raspberry Curd, the beautiful pink colors of the frosting and the icing are all natural!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Baking Powder- Helps the cookies be nice and fluffy.
- Koser Salt- Draws out all the flavors.
- Butter/Vegan Baking Stick- For the cookie dough, we are actually using melted butter. Make sure to cool it so it's creamy in texture. For the frosting, only use room temperature. Even softened will make the frosting super runny and it won’t be fixed by putting it in the fridge. If using vegan butter, make sure it's on the cold side versus room temperature.
- Cream Cheese- Wouldn't be a cheesecake cookie without this key ingredient. Please only use full fat block cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub and if vegan, only use vegan block "cream cheese" and have it be on the colder side vs room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar- We use granulated instead of light brown or dark brown to keep the cookies nice and light. Cream cheese in cookies tends to make cookies slightly more dense so we want to offset that with the sugar.
- Cornstarch and Water- This is an egg free cookie recipe so this mixture is needed to help bind everything together.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cookies can have a chemical flavor.
- Raspberries- Like in my Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream, I like to use frozen raspberries in this recipe as they tend to have more liquid when they cook down. You can use fresh but you made need more than 1 cup of raspberries to get the 4 tablespoons of strained raspberry syrup. But if topping the cookies with raspberries, please only use fresh as frozen would make the cookies a slimy mess.
- Confectioners' Sugar- Essential in frosting recipes, this gives the frosting its fluffy texture and sweetness!
- Water- You may or may not need 1 tablespoon for the frosting depending on its consistency and we use 1 teaspoon for the raspberry icing.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these into Vegan Cookies
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Buy a vegan cream cheese.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ¾ cups packed AP flour (294 grams).
- Use 3 tablespoons milk.
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
For Smaller Cookies
- Use a small cookie scoop or roll the dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into discs.
- Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for 12 minutes. Reshape as needed. Should make 24 cookies.
Cookies without Cream Cheese
- Replace the cream cheese in the recipe with an additional ¼ cup unsalted butter.
- In the frosting, replace the cream cheese with an additional ¼ cup of butter so the total butter amount will be ½ cup. At the end slowly beat in 1 tablespoon water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need to use all the water.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions for how to make these cheesecake cookies!
Step 1: Melt the Butter and Cream Cheese for the Dough
Microwave the butter and cream cheese in 11 second increments until halfway melted. Whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Mix in the Sugar, Cornstarch Water and Vanilla
Into the cooled and creamy melted butter, whisk in the granulated sugar, the cornstarch water and the pure vanilla extract until fully emulsified.
Step 5: Add in the Flour Mixture, Milk and Chill
Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour into the melted butter mixture. Add the milk and whisk until combined.
Using a spatula, gently fold in the rest of the flour until combined. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 min.
Step 6: Scoop into Balls and Flatten into Discs
After 30 min, using a large cookie scoop, make 12 scoops with the dough.
If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
Flatten each scoop into a thick disc versus a ball.
You must flatten or the cookies will remain in the ball shape when baked.
Step 7: Bake the Cookies and Cool
Place the discs about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step 8: Make the Raspberry Syrup
In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat the 1 cup frozen raspberries and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar together, smashing the raspberries with the back of a fork, until they are broken down and liquidy.
Strain through a mesh colander or sieve; you don't want any seeds.
You should have at least 4 tablespoons of raspberry syrup. It will thicken as it cools and become closer to 3 tablespoons. We only need 3.
Step 9: Make the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth; about 2 minutes.
Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons raspberry syrup and pure vanilla extract; beat until combined and smooth.
Step 10: Frost the Cookies
Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the completely cooled cookies. Don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie. Make sure you can see the cookie on the edges.
Step 11: Make The Raspberry Icing
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon of the raspberry syrup and the water until combined and smooth.
Step 12: Add the Raspberry Icing and a Fresh Raspberry if Desired
Spoon the icing on top of each cookie. Make sure you leave the raspberry frosting visible. Immediately press a washed fresh raspberry into the wet icing.
Expert Baking Tips
For the Cheesecake Cookies
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe make sure to use packed cups or please read the gram amount.
- Use Cooled Melted Butter and Cream Cheese- The butter and cream cheese cannot be bubbling/browned or the cookies will be very thin, spread out and oily. Microwave until the butter and cream cheese are melted about halfway, then whisk until the residual heat melts the rest. Then set aside to cool as you prep the rest of the recipe. When it is time to use this mixture it should be cool and thick/creamy. Whisk it again to make it smooth. You can see in my video.
- Add the Flour then Milk then More Flour- Do not add the milk with the wet ingredients. The batter will be too wet and shiny and the cookies will be very buttery and flakey. You must add half the flour, then the milk and then the rest of the flour.
- Freezing the Dough- If you don’t freeze the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes, the dough will be too sticky to form into scoops and discs.
- Wash the Cookie Scoop- If you notice the dough getting stuck in the cookie scoop, wash and dry your scoop halfway through making the dough balls.
- Flatten Dough Balls into Thick Discs- This step is important. If you don't do this, the cookies will remain in a ball shape while baking.
- Wet Your Hands- The cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough discs need some reshaping, simply use your slightly wet hands to make the dough discs tops smooth.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape. Work quickly because they harden pretty fast. If they puffed up, gently pat them down with the spatula so the top is flat for the frosting.
For the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese- You could technically put all the ingredients in the bowl together and beat them at the same time. However, this can leave chunks of butter and cream cheese throughout the frosting. Your best bet is to beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese first until it is smooth for about two minutes. Then beat in all the other ingredients.
- Use Room Temperature Butter and Cream Cheese- Do not use softened ingredients. If using vegan ingredients, make sure they're more cold than room temperature. Vegan baking sticks are different than butter in the sense that if they are too soft in your frosting, they will create a liquid mess and your frosting will be sliding all over your cookies, cakes and cupcakes. At that point, even putting the frosting in the fridge would not help. If you are using butter, popping the frosting in the fridge will sometimes help resolidify and make the frosting thicker and firmer but not always.
- Only Use Block Cream Cheese- Do not use spreadable cream cheese. It is way too soft and your frosting will be a runny mess. Even putting it in the fridge will not fix it. If using vegan cream cheese, use it on the cooler side rather than actual room temperature.
- Making The Frosting and Icing- If the frosting or icing is too liquidy, add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If the frosting or icing appears too thick, add a little water ¼ teaspoon at a time or ¼ teaspoon raspberry syrup until you reach the desired consistency.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the cookie dough the day before. Keep the dough in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to freeze the dough prior to baking.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into the discs. Place dough discs (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until hard. Once frozen, store the dough discs in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 17 minutes instead of 15.
I think they are best fresh but if making them ahead of time I recommend not adding the icing and fresh raspberries until serving.
Store the frosted cookies in a single layer in an air tight container in the fridge and then ice and top with a raspberry before serving.
Yes. You may make this raspberry frosting the night before. Store it in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge.
When ready to frost the cookies, let the frosting come to room temperature and rewhip to regain a creamy consistency.
I would not. I tried making the frosting this way and you would need a lot more raspberries, sugar and the addition of water to get the same amount of raspberry syrup. In addition the flavor on the frosting was not as strong due to the addition of water.
Storing: Store the frosted cookies in a single layer, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not stack. Do not leave the cookies at room temperature due to the cream cheese.
They're still soft when in the fridge but you can let them come to room temperature before eating if desired.
Freezing Baked Cookies: To freeze already baked cookies, place cookies without the raspberry icing and without the fresh raspberry (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are completely frozen. Once frozen, you can store them in a zip top bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, take the container out and leave at room temperature until soft. 1-2 hours. Then top with the icing and fresh raspberry.
You can freeze frosted cookies but do not freeze with the icing. The icing gets very wet when defrosting.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into the discs. Place dough discs (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until hard. Once frozen, store the dough discs in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 17 minutes instead of 15.
More Frosted Cookies You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Cookies
- ¼ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
- 2 ounces cream cheese , full fat
- 1 ¾ cups multi purpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
For the Raspberry Syrup
- 1 cup frozen raspberries 4.58 ounces or 130 grams
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
For the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
- 2 ounces cream cheese , full fat
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Raspberry Icing
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon raspberry syrup
- 1 teaspoon water , room temperature
Instructions
Make the Cheesecake Cookies
- Place the ¼ cup unsalted butter and 2 ounces cream cheese in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter.Microwave in 11 second increments until halfway melted. Then whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest. Set aside to cool. Do not microwave until it bubbles or browns.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch (26 grams) and the 3 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- Whisk the cooled butter and cream cheese until a creamy liquid. It may be thick from sitting out.
- Into the cooled and creamy melted butter and cream cheese, whisk in the 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, the cornstarch water and the 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract until fully emulsified.
- Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour mixture into the melted butter mixture. Then add the ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk and whisk to combine.Add in the second half of the flour mixture gently with a spatula. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
- The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the freezer for 30 min. When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.
- After 30 min, using a large cookie scoop, make 12 scoops with the dough. (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop).If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
- Flatten each scoop into a thick disc versus a ball. If you don't do this step, the cookies will remain in the ball shape when baking.
- Place the discs about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.I only bake 6 at a time. Pop the rest of the dough discs in the fridge while the first batch is baking.
- Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If any cookies have puffed up, gently push them down with the back of a cookie spatula.If you don't let them cool on the pan, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess when you try to lift them up.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the buttercream, otherwise the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.Repeat this with the remaining dough discs.
Make the Raspberry Syrup
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat 1 cup of raspberries and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in 20 second increments, stirring after each time, smashing with the back of a fork, until they are broken apart and liquidy. This took me about a minute.Strain through a mesh colander or sieve. You should end up with 4 tablespoons of raspberry syrup.
Make the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the ¼ unsalted butter and 2 ounces cream cheese until smooth; about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add in the 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons raspberry syrup and the ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract.Beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the completely cooled cookies. Don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie. Make sure you can see the cookie on the edges.
Make the Raspberry Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon of the raspberry syrup and the 1 teaspoon water until combined and smooth.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon icing on top of each cookie. Make sure you leave the raspberry frosting visible. Immediately press a washed raspberry into the wet icing. Enjoy!Let the icing harden prior to eating or it will have a strong confectioners' super flavor.
Tess says
So pretty
Ginny says
Cannot get over the gorgeous, vibrant color!!! I can’t wait to make these!
Hadassah says
Could I substitute superfine Almond Flour?
Lee says
Hi there! I am a nut free flood blogger and cannot have nuts in my household due to my son's severe allergies. Sadly almond flour is not a 1 to 1 replacement for gluten free multipurpose flour. It is a high fat flour and can make baked goods greasy due to the added moisture. You'd also have to adjust the liquid amounts in the recipe for the best results. King Arthur says to replace 1/4 of the flour in a recipe with almond flour. So if a recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, then use 3/4 cup gf multipurpose flour and 1/4 cup almond flour. Sorry I can't be of more help!
Donna Dipaola says
I haven’t made these yet, but can’t wait to try. They look delicious and I love a little tang. They also look so pretty. Thanks for this detailed and easy to follow recipe!
Nancy DiPaola says
This recipe was easy to follow, the raspcerry cheesecake cookie is perfect for me beside having a rasberry flavor it taste like chesscake you can not get more perfect than that and my family loved it.
john says
These cookies came out amazing! thanks so much!