Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
These Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies are a fun twist on my Grandma’s Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies! They’re delicious lemon cream cheese cookies with a thumbprint filled with strawberries. These cookies are not only a feast for the taste buds but also a treat for the eyes, with their vibrant colors and irresistible aroma.
Jump to Recipe
The base of this cookie is a favorite on its own for our family, but adding the strawberry just makes it the perfect cookie to enjoy during the Spring and Summer seasons.
Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- butter
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon zest
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- strawberry jam
Making Strawberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
You start with softened cream cheese and butter plus sugar and give it a good mixing in a stand mixer or with an electric handheld mixer.
After creaming, you’ll add the egg and vanilla. Then you’ll add the lemon juice and lemon zest.
In a separate medium bowl, you’ll combine your dry ingredients and then slowly add the flour mixture to the batter in the mixing bowl. Then it’s time to refrigerate the dough for a least 4 hours.
After the dough is chilled, you’ll roll the dough into small balls. You can use a small ice cream scoop to help keep all of your strawberry cream cheese cookies the same size.
Time for that thumbprint! You can either use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create that indentation.
To fill the center of the cookie, you microwave your strawberry jam and then spoon it into the center.
Then it’s time to bake! Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
After baking, you’ll make the drizzle to finish off your delicious strawberry lemon cream cheese cookies after cooling on a cooling rack!
You can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days, but they never last that long in our home.
Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup strawberry jam
Drizzle
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Cream the softened butter and cream cheese with the sugar in a mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Start at a low speed and gradually increase to medium-high speed.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix on low until combined.
- Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until combined at low speed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the mixer on low speed until combined.
- Place the cookie dough covered in plastic wrap, in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- After 4 hours in the refrigerator, remove your dough. Preheat your oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a teaspoon to scoop out some dough. You want about a heaping teaspoon size. Then roll the dough into a ball shape and place on the parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Then use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create indents in each of the dough balls.
- Take the 1/2 cup of strawberry jam and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the jam for about 20-30 seconds on 50% power. You are just wanting to loosen up the jam, not heat it up.
- Use a teaspoon to spoon a little of the strawberry jam into each of the thumbprints you made in each dough ball.
- Place in your preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes.
Drizzle
- While the cookies are cooling, make your quick drizzle.
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and water until it combined to a drizzle consistency.
- After the cookies are cooled at least 20 minutes, use a fork to drizzle the icing on top of the cookies.
Notes
Tips and Tricks:
- For a twist on the classic recipe, try using different flavors of jam or preserves in the center, such as raspberry or blueberry (both go great paired with lemon).
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature for easy mixing and a smooth filling.
These are a new family favorite!
The cookies turned out so soft, and creating the divet with the back of a teaspoon worked great after dipping the spoon in ice water.
Thank you!