Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
This sugar cookie cheesecake is THE cheesecake to bake for the holidays! A creamy vanilla cheesecake batter is baked on a buttery shortbread crust and swirled with homemade sugar cookie dough bites. Topped with a sour cream frosting and festive sprinkles, this cheesecake is a MUST this holiday season.
The BEST Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
After my cookie dough cheesecake went viral, I knew it was only right to make a holiday version…but with even more cookie dough!
This sugar cookie cheesecake is made up of four main parts:
- Shortbread Cheesecake Crust – A buttery shortbread crust makes up the base of this cheesecake.
- Sweet Vanilla Cheesecake – The batter is flavored with both vanilla and a hint of almond extract to really bring home that sugar cookie flavor.
- Sugar Cookie Dough – Bits of homemade sugar cookie dough are mixed with sprinkles and stirred into the cheesecake batter.
- Sour Cream Frosting – No cookie is complete with out a little frosting and this cheesecake is no exception. Sweet and tart sour cream frosting is spread on top and covered in sprinkles.
Cheesecake Shortbread Crust
After experimenting with a few different crust options, this shortbread is definitely the best! It’s buttery but not too sweet and accents the cookie dough flavor so well.
To make this shortbread, you will need:
- Flour
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Milk
The butter is mashed into the dry ingredients to form a very crumbly and dry dough. A bit of milk is mixed in to help bring the shortbread together (final dough in the first picture above).
This crumbly dough is pressed into the bottom of a cheesecake pan and baked for about 20 minutes. It’s baked all the way through to prevent the crust from oozing butter once it’s baked with the batter.
Sugar Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Using the same bowl as the shortbread (since the ingredients are very similar), the sugar cookie dough is mixed.
Made with basic cookie ingredients, this sugar cookie dough is eggless and very easy to whip up by hand. It’s just important to start with room temperature butter, otherwise the dough will turn lumpy.
Once mixed, roll tiny bite-sized pieces and place onto a plate. The dough will be a bit soft, so this process shouldn’t take long. The bites are then set aside while we make the batter.
Tips for Baking Perfect Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
Cheesecake can definitely be tricky so I have an entire post dedicated to all of my tip and tricks for baking perfect cheesecake.
I highly recommend reading it through as there as I packed it FULL with tons of helpful cheesecake baking info, but to summarize the most important tips:
- Parchment Paper – Before adding the crust, line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper. This will make the cheesecake easy to transfer out of the pan once baked and cooled.
- The Cream Cheese – If you can, always try to use Philadelphia Full Fat Cream Cheese. It provides the BEST flavor and texture. And this is not sponsored, it’s just the only cream cheese I’ll ever use.
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Before you start ANYTHING, make sure all of your refrigerated ingredients are at room temperature, especially the cream cheese. This prevents lumps and over mixing.
- Low and Slow – Always keep your mixer on LOW speed, whether you’re using a hand or a stand mixer. This means the mixing process will take a little bit longer, but it also ensures your cheesecake turns out smooth and creamy.
- Easy Water Bath – Place a roast pan on the bottom rack of your oven and start a pot of boiling water on the stove top. When you’re ready to bake the cheesecake, pour the boiling water into the roast pan and then place the cheesecake on the middle rack above. Baking in a moist environment prevents the cheesecake from drying out.
- Jiggle Test – To make sure your cheesecake is done, crack open the door and nudge the pan. If the center wobbles like a bowl of milk, it’s not done. If it jiggles like jello, it’s ready.
- Gradual Cooling – When the cheesecake is done, the oven is turned off and cracked open to allow the cheesecake to slowly come back to room temperature.
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Cracks
The above tips will help to create an incredibly smooth cheesecake but unfortunately for this recipe, cracks are inevitable.
Due to the amount of cookie dough bites in the batter, the bites closest to the surface will cause some cracks in the cheesecake. When the bites heat up, steam is released as well as little air pockets. Since they’re so close to the surface, that steam will break through the surface and cause cracks.
Don’t worry! The cracks are just a byproduct of the cookie dough and has nothing to do with the overall texture of this cheesecake. It will still remain super soft and creamy – just with a few hidden cracks under the frosting.
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake FAQs
I haven’t tested it, but I think it could work! Substitute the flour in the crust and the cookie dough with an all purpose gluten free baking flour and substitute the flour in the batter with cornstarch.
After the initial overnight chill and the frosting is applied, cover the pan or store the cheesecake in an air tight container. It will then keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Yes, I suggest baking this cheesecake the day before you would like to serve it. The day off, apply the frosting and chill again before serving.
Use my cookie dough cheesecake recipe instead!
For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- Classic Cheesecake
- New York Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Brown Butter Maple Cheesecake
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
- Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake
- Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
- Basque Cheesecake
- Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make this sugar cookie cheesecake. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make this sugar cookie cheesecake:
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes + overnight chill
- Yield: 10-12 slices
Description
This sugar cookie cheesecake is baked with a creamy vanilla filling loaded with homemade sugar cookie dough bites. It’s all baked on top of a buttery shortbread crust and topped with sour cream frosting and festive sprinkles! It’s the perfect dessert for any holiday party.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/4 cup (160g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 2 tbsp milk
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp jimmies sprinkles
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
- 4 8oz blocks full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 3/4 cup (185g) sour cream, room temp
- 4 large eggs, room temp
Sour Cream Frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups (165g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles, for topping
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease and line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Drop in the butter and use your hands to thoroughly smush the butter into the flour.
- Once the butter is fully worked in, mix in the milk. The dough should be moist but crumbly.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the cheesecake pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Keep the oven at 325F after the crust is done.
Sugar Cookie Dough
- In the same bowl used to make the crust (no need to clean it out), add the butter and sugar.
- Using an electric mixer or a fork, mix the two together until smooth.
- Then mix in the milk and vanilla, followed by the flour and salt.
- When the dough is almost fully combined, add in the sprinkles and mix to bring the dough together.
- Pinch off tiny bite-sized chunks and roll into little cookie dough balls. Place the balls on a plate and set aside.
Sugar Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- First, place a roast pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Then, fill a medium pot with water and place over high heat to bring to a boil.
- While that heats up, make the batter.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and flour to a large bowl of a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth.
- Scrape down the bowl and mix in the extracts and sour cream on low speed.
- Scrape down the bowl again and mix in the eggs one at a time on low speed.
- Drop in the cookie dough bites and use a rubber spatula to gently fold them into the batter by hand.
- Butter the sides of the cheesecake pan and pour in the batter.
- At this point the water on the stovetop should be boiling. Carefully pour the hot water into the roast pan inside the oven and quickly place the cheesecake in the oven on the middle rack, just above the roast pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center has a slight jiggle when nudged.
- Shut off the oven and crack open the door. Allow the cheesecake to remain inside for 45 minutes.
- Then remove the cheesecake and let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the refrigerate to chill overnight. NOTE – due to the amount of cookie dough bites in the batter, the surface will likely crack. You can spread the cracks back together with a small a palette knife or leave it as is since the surface will be covered in frosting after the cheesecake has chilled.
Sour Cream Frosting
- After the cheesecake has chilled overnight, make the sour cream frosting.
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter until smooth.
- Then mix in the sour cream, followed by the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Spread the frosting over the cheesecake and top with sprinkles. Enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chill Time: Overnight
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
This was the most fabulous cheesecake I’ve ever made! I mean my entire family said by far better than the famous cheesecake place many of us have come to know and love. It was beautiful and creamy and just amazing!
I make a cheesecake every year for my daughter’s bestie. Sent her a link for your cheesecake recipes and she chose the sugar cookie dough one. It turned out super cute and bet it will be delicious ☺️ easy to follow recipe, no cracks!
the perfect xmas cheesecake.
So excited to make this for Christmas! How long will it last in the refrigerator? Can it be made two days ahead? Thank you!
Used this recipe to make my first ever cheesecake and it turned out amazing! I will definitely be making this for Christmas. Thank you!!
This cheesecake is delicious, thank you for sharing! I am making it for my second time because my family loved it so much they requested one for our family Christmas.
Wow! Jenna thank you! This cheesecake was definitely a crowd pleaser! It turned out perfect!
Turned out beautifully and no cracking! I always bake mine in the water bath, the pan covered with a few layers of foil to prevent water from getting in, and keep the oven door closed for an hour while cooling then cool for an hour at room temp. Made some miniature sugar cookies and stabilized whipped cream for the top, it’s perfect!
THIS is the Christmas dessert that I’ve been looking for! This is so creative, Jenna. Thank you for sharing. I love love love your website. <3