Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites
Want an amazingly delicious bite size dessert that is a crowd pleaser…. these Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites are a true winner!
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 d
o 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.
This recipe combines two great holiday favorite flavors, gingerbread and cheesecake, and a winning duo it is!
One bite in and you’ll know exactly why these are so popular, the cookies has a nice spicy crunch while the cheesecake filling is creamy and rich and oh so delicious.
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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 or USE MY GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE if you want it all to be homemade or you can’t find the Pillsbury dough.
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 overfill the dough, when the cookie bakes it will rise.
Take a look at the photos above and the final photos to see the difference.
See the dough puffs up!
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.
*****Substituting the gingerbread cookie dough has been a problem for many who couldn’t find the Pillsbury Dough, some gingerbread cookie doughs are soft and then when they are baked the filling absorbs into the dough as it bakes.
I have made these many times with my own gingerbread cookie dough recipe, it takes minimal ingredients and turns out great. So no need to hunt around for the cookie dough, you can make it.
CLICK HERE for the GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE
These were baked with my gingerbread cookie recipe.
But don’t forget to put the paper liners in the pans. I tried them without liners and they were hard to get out of the pan.
Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
- 1 batch of gingerbread cookie dough my homemade recipe is linked in the post, you'll need to print it separately or use a (30 oz) package of Pillsbury Gingerbread Cookie Dough (refrigerated section)
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- 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 the edge of the 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 a toothpick comes out almost clean.
- Don't overfill the cookies with filling as they will rise when baked.
- Let cool before removing it from the cupcake pan.
Notes
The cookie dough is firm.
If you use another cookie dough and it is on the soft side, add 1/2-1 cup flour. The cookie dough should be on the FIRM side so the filling does not get absorbed by the cookie dough as they are baking.
***update*** there is a bit of rise and fall when baking the gingerbread pre-made cookie dough. Add 1/4 cup flour to the cookie mixture and the dough will be a little firmer and will bake up with less puff, then there will be less collapsing of the dough when cooling. The gingerbread cookie and filling can be refrigerated to get them back to a cool temperature before baking and that too will help if the filling is melting or the cookie dough is rising too much. You can also bake the cookie cups empty and add the cheesecake filling when the cookie cups are cooled.
Take a look at this, make these Cookies all with ONE dough.
If you like PUMPKIN then you will LOVE these Pumpkin Spice Bites
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.
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.
new to your blog, we were both linked on whatsheshaving’s blog and now I see these…and yum!
we loved your idea too! we’ve added you to our DIY Christmas… https://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
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!
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 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 🙂
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 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!!!!
these look so yummy. So many delish treats to make and yet so little time.
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.
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!
https://allpossiblethings.typepad.com/possible_bak…
Hi Jessie,
Thanks so much for letting me know how much you like them as well as everyone else 🙂 That is so great. I LOVE easy delicious recipes. Keep an eye out I have another version I’m will be making soon.
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]
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!
Mine did the same thing:(
these are just adorable :O)
Diane, these are so creative!! They are so cute too!
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