Lemon blueberry cheesecake cookies are soft, chewy treats with tangy lemon flavor and sweet bursts of blueberries. Each bite has a creamy cheesecake swirl that makes them extra indulgent. They’re the perfect mix of fresh, fruity, and rich flavors in one cookie.
Love More Blueberry Cookies ? Try My Chewy Blueberry Cookies or this Blueberry Cheesecake Swirl Cookies next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These cookies have a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s fluffy, buttery, and perfectly chewy all at once. The creamy cheesecake center pairs beautifully with the bright lemon and sweet blueberry flavors. Every bite delivers the perfect balance of richness and freshness, making them irresistible.
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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 18 cookies
Description
Soft, chewy cookies featuring homemade blueberry jam swirls, hidden cream cheese centers, and bright lemon zest, rolled in sparkling sugar for the perfect finish.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese (cold – this is important!)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry Jam
- 12 oz fresh blueberries (frozen works too if that’s what you have)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Cookie Dough
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled – no packing!)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (very softened – leave it out for 2–3 hours)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
Beat cold cream cheese with sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scoop mixture into 18 portions using about 2 teaspoons each portion. Flatten each portion into small discs on parchment paper. Freeze until completely solid, roughly 30 minutes.
Combine fresh blueberries with sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until berries start bubbling and softening. Mash half the berries with a fork, leaving some whole for texture. Continue cooking and stirring 10-15 minutes until mixture becomes thick and jammy. Cool completely while preparing cookie dough.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Rub lemon zest into sugar using your fingers until fragrant. Add softened butter and cream mixture 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
Gently fold cooled blueberry jam into dough in quarters – add one portion, fold briefly, repeat until all jam is added without fully mixing. Scoop dough into 18 balls using 2 tablespoons each. Flatten each ball in your palm, place one frozen cheesecake disc in center, wrap dough around filling and seal edges. Shape into slightly flattened discs. Roll each cookie in remaining sugar.
Bake 6 cookies at a time, spacing them apart on prepared sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers may appear slightly underdone. Rest cookies on baking sheet 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Don’t mix the jam all the way in – those purple swirls look cool and give you jam pockets. Make all your cookies the same size so they bake evenly. Rolling them in sugar makes them sparkly and adds crunch. Take them out when they look almost done because they keep cooking on the hot pan.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese (cold – this is important!)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry Jam
- 12 oz fresh blueberries (frozen works too if that’s what you have)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Cookie Dough
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled – no packing!)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (very softened – leave it out for 2-3 hours)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Why These Ingredients Work
Cold cream cheese stays put when frozen instead of melting everywhere. I rub lemon zest into the sugar first because it breaks open the oils. Really soft butter mixes easier and makes tender cookies. Homemade jam tastes better than store stuff and you control how sweet it gets.
Essential Tools and Equipment
- Electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer works great)
- Two mixing bowls
- Medium saucepan for the jam
- Cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size is perfect)
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Wire cooling racks
- Small ice cream scoop or spoon for portioning cheesecake filling
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Make the Cheesecake Filling
Beat cold cream cheese with sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scoop mixture into 18 portions using about 2 teaspoons each portion. Flatten each portion into small discs on parchment paper. Freeze until completely solid, roughly 30 minutes.
Create Your Blueberry Jam Magic
Combine fresh blueberries with sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until berries start bubbling and softening. Mash half the berries with a fork, leaving some whole for texture. Continue cooking and stirring 10-15 minutes until mixture becomes thick and jammy. Cool completely while preparing cookie dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Rub lemon zest into sugar using your fingers until fragrant. Add softened butter and cream mixture 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
The Assembly Magic
Gently fold cooled blueberry jam into dough in quarters – add one portion, fold briefly, repeat until all jam is added without fully mixing. Scoop dough into 18 balls using 2 tablespoons each. Flatten each ball in your palm, place one frozen cheesecake disc in center, wrap dough around filling and seal edges. Shape into slightly flattened discs. Roll each cookie in remaining sugar.
Bake to Perfection
Bake 6 cookies at a time, spacing them apart on prepared sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers may appear slightly underdone. Rest cookies on baking sheet 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
You Must Know
Cream cheese filling must be frozen solid before assembly or it will melt into the dough during baking. Butter should be properly softened – too cold prevents proper creaming, too warm causes excessive spreading during baking.
Personal Secret: When rubbing lemon zest into sugar, spend extra time with this step. The oils from the zest transform regular sugar into aromatic, flavorful lemon sugar that elevates the entire cookie.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
Avoid fully incorporating the blueberry jam – beautiful purple-blue swirls throughout the dough create visual appeal and flavor bursts. Keep cookies uniform in size for even baking. The final sugar roll creates textural contrast beyond appearance. Slightly underdone cookies are perfect since they continue cooking on the hot pan after removal from oven.
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Raspberry jam creates a more tart flavor profile than blueberries. White chocolate chips added to the dough provide extra indulgence. Adding one teaspoon lemon extract along with vanilla intensifies the citrus notes. Lime zest paired with strawberry jam creates an interesting tropical variation.
Make-Ahead Options
Cheesecake filling can be made and frozen up to one week ahead – store frozen discs in a freezer bag. Blueberry jam keeps refrigerated for up to one week. Finished cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld together.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
Rustic appearance is part of these cookies’ charm – jam creates irregular patterns that make each cookie unique. If having trouble sealing cheesecake filling inside dough, ensure hands are cool and work quickly with the dough.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies pair beautifully with cold milk or morning coffee. They work for both elegant dinner party desserts and casual weekend treats. Serve on a white platter to showcase the purple jam swirls.
These cookies have become my go-to when I need something special. Every batch reminds me that the best recipes come from experimenting with flavors you love and having fun in the kitchen.
Sending warm cookies and sweet memories from mine to yours!
How to Store Your Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to one week due to the cream cheese filling. They taste incredible straight from the fridge – almost like cheesecake bites. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. No need to thaw – they’re delicious eaten frozen.
Allergy Information
These cookies contain dairy (cream cheese and butter), eggs, and gluten. For dairy-free version, substitute vegan cream cheese and butter, though texture will differ slightly. For gluten-free option, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend which works well in this recipe.
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?
Yes! Use them frozen without thawing first – they won’t release as much liquid into your jam.
My cream cheese filling melted into the dough. What went wrong?
The filling wasn’t frozen solid enough. Make sure those discs are completely hard before wrapping in dough.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! Store dough in refrigerator up to 2 days ahead. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
Why do I only bake 6 cookies at a time?
These cookies need room to spread. Overcrowding leads to uneven baking and cookies that might run together.
💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Share your baking adventures and any creative variations you tried!
