Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies
These Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies are soft and chewy with a cream cheese filling. They are the perfect spring and summer treat.
For months now I’ve been anxiously awaiting this time of year. The reasons are many, yet one is for the arrival of fresh and affordable berries again. It’s a time when my baking gets to freshen up too.
‘Light and refreshing’ is a good term for this time of year. Whether it be the weather, a cooling beverage, or as I’m about to prove – your next sweet treat! This cookie recipe joins our favourites for this time of year, Glazed Lemon Cookies and Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies which is one of the best cake mix cookie recipes. Combining these two into one spectacular cookie recipe was a genius idea, don’t you think?
These homemade Strawberry Lemonade Cookies Recipe from scratch combines that hint of sweet strawberry flavor with zest and tart lemon. What a perfect combination!
Just like a favourite drink for summer, the flavours in this cookie will have you reaching for more. From the texture to the taste, this treat has me celebrating summer. It’s such a delicious cookie.
Of course this recipe isn’t just the standard pink lemonade cookies that remind you of summer break and having a lemonade stand as a kid. The cream cheese filling certainly kicks it up a notch, and is one of my favorite things about this recipe.
I guess this cookie could also be called a Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie! … Now I have the attention of those in the back, right?
Infusing each of these chewy cookies with cream cheese is a step in this recipe that you don’t want to leave out, and any mess you make in forming the cookies will be well worth it – I guarantee.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Cookies:
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this easy cookie recipe which has the best flavor combinations. The detailed instructions and printable recipe card for these easy strawberry lemonade cookies are below.
- Fresh Strawberries
- Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest
- Sugar
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Cream Cheese
- Icing Sugar
Steps to Make Pink Lemonade Cookies
This recipe for the best cookies is really simple to make, I’ve divided it up into main parts for ease. The first is to toss the strawberries into the lemon juice and sugar, and allow them to sit while you make the batter.
Once you have the cookie batter mixed together in a large bowl using a hand mixer, fold in the strawberries. Make balls of dough with the cookie dough. Small balls will do just fine, I like to use a small ice cream scoop to do this.
Then you make the cream cheese balls which consist of cream cheese, icing sugar and the zest.
Stuffing each cookie is way easier than it may seem to those that haven’t done this before. Flatten two balls of the strawberry cookie dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Then put the cream cheese ball on one, then top with the second – and mould.
OR, once you have the hang of it, have two formed dough balls in each hand, and form around a cream cheese ball. Really, there is no right way to do this, make a mess, find your grove and just go with it.
Of course the last step is to bake these strawberry cookies, which should take 15-18 minutes. Of course every oven is different, so keep on eye on the right time for yours. They are done when the cookies just start to turn golden brown on the sides. Do not over-bake! Place on a wire rack to cool.
Strawberry Lemonade Cookie Tips
- Strawberries: You do have the option of using fresh or frozen strawberries for this recipe. Of course fresh will be best, yet in a pinch, frozen will work. Just make sure they are completely thawed and drained first.
- Lemon Juice: You can use store-bought lemon juice if you need to, but I personally love using zest in this recipe and you can’t do that without a fresh lemon.
- Cream Cheese: To cut the calories, you can use a light cream cheese if preferred.
- Optional Toppings: To take this cookie recipe to the next level, grate a bit of lemon zest on top of each cookie when pulled from the oven. Also, you can make a homemade icing or a pink glaze, and drizzle on each cooled cookie. I think some white chocolate chips would be a great addition to this recipe as well, for those that love a chocolate cookie.
How to Store Cream Cheese Cookies
Since these easy strawberry lemonade cookies have a cream cheese filling, store cooked cookies in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. They can be kept cold for one week, yet I doubt they will last that long.
Can I Freeze these Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze them once the dough balls are made, and before baking. Flash freeze the balls on a cookie sheet and once hard, place them in freezer bags or in an airtight container. To bake after freezing, thaw to room temperature and continue on to baking.
More Strawberry Recipes to Try:
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
- Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
- Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
- Banana Strawberry Mousse
- Strawberry Jello Pie
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies
These Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies are soft and chewy with a cream cheese filling. They are the perfect spring and summer treat.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped small
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Then spray paper with cooking spray.
- Prepare the strawberries by mixing them with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for ten minutes, then drain off the liquid.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt.
- Whisk together to combine. In a large bowl using a hand mixer: beat butter, ½ cup sugar and the brown sugar for three to five minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg until combined. Add vanilla extract and then the flour mixture. Mix until combined, without over-mixing the dough. Gently fold strawberries into the cookie dough using a wooden spoon
- Place some parchment paper on the counter near you, to put the 12 cream cheese balls on. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest. Scoop into 12 small balls about the size of a teaspoon, and place onto parchment paper.
- Separate the cookie dough in half. Take one half and using an ice cream scoop or spoon, make 12 sections/balls about the size of a tablespoon. Flatten each into circles onto the parchment paper which is on the cookie sheet. The bottom of a glass works well for this.
- Using a lightly greased small metal (if possible) spatula, lift the cream cheese balls one by one and place them on top of 12 of the dough circles.
- Make 12 dough circles from the remaining half of dough, and place on top of the cream cheese balls, forming a “sandwich”. Carefully pinching the edges together. Carefully squeeze each “sandwich” around its outer edge, to form it into a ball shape.
- Make sure cookie dough balls are at least 2" apart on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until edges just start to turn golden. Do not overbake.
- Remove from oven and carefully transfer to wire cooling rack to cool for ten minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy
Notes
To take this cookie recipe to the next level, grate more zest on top of each cookie when pulled from the oven. Also, you can make a homemade icing and drizzle on each cooled cookie as well
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
So anxious to try your sweet recipes! Chaos is so much fun; sometimes we all need it!!
READY OR NOT!!!??