Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites
We woke to 39 degrees, it’s much colder than the 95 degree days we had a week ago.
It’s a hot tea and cookie type of day.
With the smell of gingerbread in the oven, I think I need to start writing my Christmas list….
Have you written your list yet? Do you have a running list that starts on Jan 1st and you just keep adding to it all year long? Do you just jot down a few things it would be nice to have? Do you rely on someone selecting the perfect gift with no list at all, or do you know exactly what you’d like to receive?
Just imagine the Christmas Carols playing in the background and the aroma of gingerbread baking in the oven.
Nothing says happiness at this time of year more than great baked goods, no matter what’s on your list.
To help you get in the baking mood, I created these quick and easy cheesecake filled gingerbread cookies. In just a few simple steps your kitchen will smell like the Holidays too.
Begin with a 30 oz. roll of Pillsbury Gingerbread Cookie Dough (found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store)
Roll 2 teaspoons of Gingerbread Dough into balls and place them into a mini cupcake/muffin pan with paper liners.
Make a well or indentation in each ball to fill the cookies.
To create the indentations in the cookie dough, place the end of a mini rolling pin or back of a measuring teaspoon dipped in flour and press into the dough.
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla to create the cream cheese filling. Place filling into a piping bag, cut off the edge and fill each with a teaspoon or so of cheesecake mixture.
Do not over fill the dough, when the cookie bakes it will rise.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes, or until the cookie part comes out with a nearly clean toothpick, they will continue to bake a bit when the pan is out of the oven cooling down.
Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites Printable Recipe
4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Roll two teaspoons of cookie dough into a ball for each cookie. Place balls of dough into paper liners mini cupcake/muffin pan. Make a well/indentation into each ball of dough with a flour dipped mini rolling pin or the back of a measurement teaspoon.
Beat room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla. Place filling into a piping bag, cut off edge of bag. Place one teaspoon or so of filling into each area of cookie dough.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until cookie tested with tooth pick comes out almost clean.
Don’t over fill the cookies with filling as they will rise when baked.
Let cool before removing from cupcake pan.
General Mills invited several bloggers to create something simple and fun for the Holidays using Pillsbury Cookies Chubs (Rolls) Do you think they will like it?
Pillsbury posted my cookies along with other wonderful bloggers sweet treats, take a look here
Wonderful idea, Diane, I love how tiny they are, and the creamy cheesecake filling looks luscious inside that gingerbread. I’m filing away that idea for making the indentations in the dough!
Just made these for Christmas eve dinner/dessert! They look great and taste yummy but I had to make an extra batch. I baked the first batch too long and the cream cheese sank in too much. Overall the recipe is fun and easy.. Thanks for the great idea!
Ah, how fun are these?!
Thanks Jessica
I love minis
What lovely deliciousness! These are definitely on my to-do list
P.S. Found your lovely site while weaving my way through StumbleUpon.
Thanks so much Shawn
glad you stopped by!
These look and sounds fantastic! I just baked something with gingerbread yesterday and I am trying to resist diving completely into Christmas desserts. Must get through Thanksgiving!
yes, there are still plenty of days of pumpkin and cranberry goodness to be devoured first
Hey Diane, miss you. I love the tip for making the indentations and for filling in cookie dough. I def try that this year. Sending a hug.
Hi Cathy, I MISS you too
Yes please! I’ll take 27 of these. Thank you.
funny thing is all 48 disappeared VERY quickly
or I’d air-mail them to you. Open widow and through into the galaxy and it would snow sweet treats!
does the recipe make 48?
yes it make 48.
Ohhhh Diane, I can just tell these would be extremely dangerous for me. I’d have to make them when Lots of people were around.
Okay, I SO need to make a low carb version of these. Love them!
Fabulous Diane!!! I wouldn’t have thought they’d be that easy either. To be able to start with the gingerbread dough already made makes it super appealing!
I love these! So cute and so delicious looking.
Isn’t this weather absolutely crazy?! It’s gotten cold here too! These are so fun. I love mini desserts and these flavors are PERFECT!
Ohhhhhh, deliciousness! And so cute!
Simply delicious! Love the way they look too.
Really love this recipe! So nice to have easy to prepare things during the holidays.
So simple yet so impressive. GREG
Such a delicious idea, Diane!! So cute, too.
these look amazing! I must try them
OMGosh… I adore mini-sized food, and these are absolutely adorable! Can’t wait to make them
It’s really cute! I’m afraid I can’t stop at just one. This recipe is keeper!
Thank you for your kind comment on my blog.
Oh, you are mean! I just decided I needed to lose 2 lbs this week and you send me this. Hmmm… I could substitute these for all other food… Actually, I could do that quite happily. Maybe I will. I love, love, love gingerbread!
Come to think of it, I just realized I love ginger so much because it reminds me of the holidays! These are the cutest little bites of heaven!
Oh my!! These look so incredible. I am definitely trying these! The combination of the gingerbread with the cheesecake is great!!!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog that drew me over here. I am a happy new follower!
Yum! Just made a gingerbread cheesecake too!
Found you via twitter and I am so glad I did! These look amazing!!! I can’t wait to try them out on my friends and family!
Thanks so much Bianca!
These look heavenly and simple! Perfect for the holidays!!
Do you chill these or leave them room temp? Planning to do them
I had them at room temperature for the whole next day, beofre they were devoured. I’d estimate they’d be great at room temp. for two days, then refrigerate them. ~Diane
Diane, these are so creative!! They are so cute too!
these are just adorable :O)
Found these on Pinterest. So cute. Mine failed though. I doubled the cream cheese in the filling because 4 oz was pretty crumbly. When I pulled them out of oven, the cream cheese had melted into the cookie. Maybe doubling the cream cheese wasnt a good idea. Oh well, they were still delicious. Thank you!
if the cream cheese is at room temperature it shouldn’t be crumbly. Mine was very smooth. You don’t want the filling to be thin, but you could add a teaspoon of milk if you think it would need it.
I did not change the recipe at all, and I had the same problem.
You had the problem, that the filling was crumbly? If you beat in with a mixer it will come together. Beat on high unil it’s smooth and creamy. If it’s disappearing when baked, lower the temperature of your oven to 325 degrees.
No, the filling was AMAZING! I ate a lot of it before it ended up in the cookies.
The filling disappeared. I will try to lower the temperature next time. This recipe brings together two of my favorite things!
You could also try adding an egg to the filling as well as beating the cream cheese when it’s cold. I haven’t used the egg yet, it’s on my list to try. I did use cold cream cheese and got it to beat smooth with a flat paddle attachment. Thanks for letting me know. Happy Baking!
Hi – can you send me a quick email and let me know how many this makes? Want to make this for a cookie exchange party and want to buy enough stuff
It makes 48
This recipe makes 48
Welp, I’ve tried two times and my filling sinks to the bottom. I am making them for a cookie party so I think I’ll just cook the dough and then just frost them like cupcakes! hehe
Are you using a different gingerbread cookie dough? Email me if you’d like me to help you troubleshoot with you. [email protected]
I finally made these and just had to share them with you!! Honestly, I think I got more compliments on them than on any other christmas cookie I have made (besides oreo truffles). Thanks for sharing such a great recipe and congrats on the pick from Pillsbury!
http://allpossiblethings.typepad.com/possible_bak…
Hi Jessie,
That is so great. I LOVE easy delicious recipes. Keep an eye out I have another version I’m will be making soon.
Thanks so much for letting me know how much you like them as well as everyone else
Your recipes always make me want to run to the kitchen!
These look stunning, I wanna grab one and take a bite.
Can’t wait to try them out.
these look so yummy. So many delish treats to make and yet so little time.
I made these and they were a huge hit. I will be making them again soon. Thanks for the great recipe. Can’t wait to see what else you come up with.
I’m so glad you liked them Marlen
Miss you!!!!
I just made these. The cookie dough wasn’t cooked all the way at the 9 minute mark so I cooked it for 2 minutes longer. All the cheesecake filling disappeared.
Mine did the same as Kelly’s the cheesecake filling puffed then sank down in the cookie as it cooled. I would like to make these for my cookie exchange. Any suggestions?
I am not sure what happened, my sank a bit, as you can see in the photo. You could make the cream cheese mixture thicker. (I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese, I know others are more watery when baking-I’ve goofed before and used store brand and did not have the result I wanted in cheesecake especially) Don’t make the well in them as deep should help too. I bake on the upper 1/3 of my oven and find all my baked goods come out better. Knowing your oven is key I think with little treats, they cook fast. Don’t whip the filling too much just make sure it’s creamy, creating too much air in it will have it swell up then fall more. If you think that may have covered it great, if not please feel free to email me if you think I can give you more pointers.
I just answered this concern from someone else. knowing your oven is key to baking mini treats I think, I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese, I’ve used store brands before and find they are higher in water and therefore give a different result. Over whipping the cream cheese with cause more air and they will rise and sink more and the filling will think out when baked. Just mix until creamy, once the cream cheese is at room temperature it doesn’t need much mixing to incorporate the sugar. I hope that helps. If you have other concerns feel free to email me.I would love to see you have the same results as I did on these.
i just made these. yum! I couldn’t find the Gingerbread cookie dough, so I used Pumpkin cookie dough, found in the grocery store, made by a local baker. Yum! I cooked mine for 11 minutes – I probably made them too big.
they sound great. Yes everyone’s oven is different so baking times are based on my oven
these look delicious!
two questions:
1. How long should they be expected to hold up? a few days, a week?
2. Do they need to be refrigerated?
Can’t wait to make them!
I made them one day and they were all gone the next
so these weren’t refrigerated. If you need them past day two I’d refrigerate them when completely cooled. (moisture would be the enemy here if you cover them. I’d put them in the fridge uncovered and let them come to room temperature to serve. If you cover them, they could get moist and wouldn’t be cookie-like at all especially with this filling. You could do the balls and pressing ahead of time if you needed to be done with the work a day or so ahead and refrigerate them,before baking the filling I’d make the day you need it. Hope that helps. If you need more tips email me 
I’m obsessed with this idea for my company holiday party tomorrow! I have no time to do the whole “from scratch” nonsense tonight and these look amazing! Thank you so much for the idea!
we loved your idea too! we’ve added you to our DIY Christmas… http://tumblewee.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/diy-christmas-from-the-blog-world/?preview=true&preview_id=754&preview_nonce=051c6ccb90
wonderful food ideas! ash & meg with tumblewee
new to your blog, we were both linked on whatsheshaving’s blog and now I see these…and yum!
Has anyone tried to just roll the dough into balls, poke a hole and squirt in a dollop of filling? The cookies sound really good but I’d really rather not have to deal with mini tins and little paper cups.
Not sure how they would bane up that way, the filling may spread too thin in the center as it bakes, but it’s worth a try, let me know if you make them, and how they turn out.
Apparently, my HUGE appetite for gingerbread prevented me from reading the recipe properly. I baked these in a regular muffin pan (they took about 15 minutes in my oven), and just sampled one while it was still warm (because I am a pig like that). Delicious! Perfectly easy treats for me and my non-baking tendencies. Thanks for sharing.
Yum ! I couldn’t find the Pillsbury version of the Dough, so I bought already formed dough globs of gingerbread spice dough made by Immaculate Baking Co. They’re already portioned out just right for this recipe, AND it comes with a small packet odd coarse sugar, which I sprinkled on top before baking. Super! Thanks for the great idea!
I tried so hard to make these but they just didn’t turn out right
Im sure I did something wrong. I did use the emaculate cookie dough, but the filling just kinda dissolved right into the cookie? I am going to try again they just look too good! Thanks Diane for the recipe.
I’m not sure why the filling disappears, unless it’s too thin. I would try more filling close to 2 teaspoons. I had two batches of these, neither time did the filling do that. Try baking at a lower temperature. 325. If you are baking in dark pans.
I cant find premade gingerbread cookie dough anywhere…what store is this available in LOL
I found it in my local grocer store (Ralph’s) If you can’t locate it, you could use a package (Betty Crocker makes one) just add an additional 3/4 cup flour to thicken it up so they don’t swell too much.
you got this from pillbury
the recipe
I was asked by Pillsbury to create this recipe, if you are seeing this on Pillsbury’s Website it is my recipe.
Thanks Diane! Even though my filling melted into the cookie some too, I still won “Best Tasting Cookie” at a cookie exchange last night! There were about 25 other entries. My prize was an adorable little sparkly living tree
oh that is so exciting that you won!!!
Do these need to be served warm or room temp? I want to make these the day before Christmas and I’m struggling with how to serve them!
I’m going to make these this year for Christmas…I’m going to swich up the filling though, I’d rather have a more cheesecake filling than a cream cheese icing filling. so I’ll use my fave cheesecake recipe (adding an egg, much less sugar and a little vanilla) Can’t wait to taste them! thanks for the inspiration!
i TRIED THESE WITH MORE CREAM CHEESE AND 1 EGG AND THE MIXTURE DID NOT DISSOLVE INTO THE COOKIE. GREAT RECIPE.
That is so great, Pillsbury wanted three ingredient recipes I think 5 would have been nice. I’ve not had any filling bubble over or disappear and have made five varieties of these. After discussing it with the people who had trouble, we came to the conclusion that it’s most likely their ovens run hot, for that result to have happened. Glad you had success.
I wasn’t able to find the pillsbury gingerbread cookie dough in any of my local grocery stores including wal Mart & Safeway!!!
I still plan to bake these today with a homemade gingerbread cookie recipe but not sure what recipe I should go with or whether they will turn out the right way?? This is a recipe I found online..will it work the same?
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
Thank you!!!
The biggest problem people are emailing me about with this recipe has to do with the filling. The only conclusion I’ve come to through emailing back and forth with people is the microwaved the cream cheese to soften it and that will certainly change the consistency. I left the cream cheese on my counter for about a half hour and it beat nicely and was nice and thick when I put the cheesecake mixture into the cookie dough. The other issue was oven temperature. If your oven runs on the hot side drop the temperature 25 degrees. I baked these in the upper 1/3 of my oven. I hope these tips help. I have received emails of plenty of people having great success with the recipe as it is, and people even posting them on their website with photos and they look just as mine do. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. You can email me directly if you’d like created by diane blog at verizon.net
As far as the gingerbread recipe. Since I haven’t used that recipe I really don’t know how it will be, just be sure it’s a bit on the thick side, the gingerbread cookie dough I used was firm.
I had a problem at first. But then I figured it out. It happened by accident when I ran out of filling. I had half of a pan ready to go but the other half needed more filling. I put the pan in the fridge while I made up more cream-cheese mixture. I filled the cooled cookies and put them in the oven. One side came out perfect the other side was a mess. So my theory is COOL THE ENTIRE TRAY FOR 20 IN THE FRIDGE BEFORE BAKING THEM!!! =D
These look delicious!!! I love the mini size!!!
Just made these sweet babies!!!
I modified the recipe a bit. I added a couple of tablespoons of sour cream and a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves to the sour cream……
Absolutely Yummy!!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Just curious if the leftovers should be kept refridgerated?
should the leftovers be kept refridgerated?
Tried twice…failed twice. Cream cheese was not microwaved nor off brand so these were not factors. Since the filling is cream cheese and sugar we will make another batch of filing and pipe in the now empty cookie shells and refrigerate until serving.
I had some trouble with this recipe and I’m not sure why. The cheesecake filling came out hard and crusty on top and runny in the middle. I double and triple-checked the recipe and was following it exactly. Any idea why this may have happened?
Just received mini muffin tins for Christmas so making these.
need now
Diane, how creative, these look so good!!!!