These adorable and festive Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling are ideal as a special treat for Valentine's Day, but they're simple enough that you can serve them any time of the year! A sugar cookie cup with strawberry cheesecake filling and topped with a heart candy, this dessert is the perfect way to show your love to the people in your life!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
These sygar cookie cups are an adorably easy dessert to make this Valentine's Day. Using premade sugar cookie dough makes this recipe a cinch, and if you have any kind of pan for cupcakes or muffins, you can easily bake the sugar cookie cups, and then the filling is just 3 simple ingredients!
Plus, this recipe is so easy to adapt for any season, holiday, or celebration. If you're looking for a dessert that looks impressive but is actually easy to prepare, these cookie cups with strawberry cream cheese filling are the perfect recipe to add to your treat repertoire.
If you love simple and festive recipes like this one, check out my 3 Ingredient No Bake Cookies! Beyond easy to make and perfect to customize to any occasion.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- sugar cookie dough - store bought dough makes this recipe so easy, but feel free to use your favorite sugar cookie recipe if you prefer!
- strawberry cream cheese - gives the filling its creamy, cheesecake-like flavor and consistency.
- strawberry extract - increases the strawberry flavor.
- white chocolate chips - combines with the cream cheese to make a sweet and decadent filling.
🔪 Instructions
- Spray each muffin cup with cooking spray, then divide the sugar cookie dough and press into each cup. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, then set aside to cool.
- Mix the strawberry cream cheese in a large bowl for about a minute. Add the strawberry extract and mix until combined.
- Melt the white chocolate chips and add to the cream cheese mixture.
- Stir until well combined.
- Carefully remove the cookies from the pan once fully cooled.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the cups and top with optional sprinkles and candy heart.
👪 FAQs
If you don't plan to fill and serve your dessert right away, store the cups in an airtight container someplace cool and dry until it's time to prepare them for serving! If you need to store them already filled, put them in the fridge.
A strawberry cream cheese filling is the perfect topping for Valentine's Day or date night, but try filling these cups with chocolate frosting, your favorite flavor of ice cream, or even something fancy like chocolate mousse or pudding!
Absolutely! Using premade cookie dough is the perfect way to cut down on time and keep this recipe quick and simple.
If you don't have a cookie scoop, a ¼ cup will usually get you about the same amount of dough that a cookie scoop would yield.
💭 Other Helpful Tips
- Add some red or pink food coloring to the filling for an event more vibrant color.
- Melting your chocolate in a double boiler is the most foolproof way I've found to do it, and if you don't have a double boiler you can use a heat-safe bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water for the same results.
- To make these ahead of time, bake the cookie cups and allow them to cool, then store in an airtight container. You can also make the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
Strawberry Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups are an elegant but simple dessert that are sure to express your love this Valentine's Day!
📖 Variations
- Sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and other candies make the perfect garnish for this dessert.
- Other kinds of dough like chocolate chip can also be used to make your cookie cups.
- This dessert is so easy to customize! Fill with chocolate frosting, ice cream, pudding, mousse, or even crumbled cake. The possibilities are endless!
- You can also top with fruits like fresh strawberries or raspberries.
🕯 Plan Your Valentine's Day Meal
For a romantic V-Day meal, create a menu with these delicious recipes! Start off with a light and refreshing Burrata Salad with Fruit, then make Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots or Easy Roasted Veggie Pasta for an easy but flavorful side.
For your main course, go with Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes or Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with Green Beans, and of course, finish the meal with this decadent dessert!
❤️ More Valentine's Day Desserts
- Super Easy Strawberry Fudge - Easy to make and so festive!
- Strawberry Cream Truffles - Simple truffles that you can easily make in your own kitchen.
- 3 Ingredient Raspberry Fudge - Does it get any easier than 3 ingredients? This fudge is perfect for Valentine's Day but can be made any time of year!
- Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate - Beautiful green and earthy cookies will pair perfectly with any pink and red color schemes!
- Chocolate Mousse Cup Hearts - These adorable chocolate cups from Hungry Happenings are filled with a decadent chocolate mousse.
- Funfetti Cupcakes - These delicious treats make any occasion fun and extra special. Can’t decide between cookies or cupcakes? You don’t need to with this dessert that has 3 layers of deliciousness in every bite.
Sugar Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sugar cookie dough (or use your favorite sugar cookie recipe) (1 package)
- 8 ounces strawberry cream cheese (1 container)
- ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- red and white sprinkles and/or chocolate/strawberry swirl hearts for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Lightly spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick baking spray. Make sure to cover the bottoms and the sides.
- Divide cookie dough into 12 portions. Press each portion into a muffin cup, flattening it on the bottom and about ¾ of the way up the sides of the cup.16 ounces sugar cookie dough (or use your favorite sugar cookie recipe)
- Bake for about 14-15 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Do not under-bake, or the cups will not stay together when you remove them from the muffin tin. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the cream cheese in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer on high for about a minute. Add the strawberry extract and mix until thoroughly combined.8 ounces strawberry cream cheese, ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- Melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power. If you use the microwave, start with 1 minute, then stir, then microwave for an additional 15-30 seconds at a time until completely melted and smooth.12 ounces white chocolate chips
- Add the white chocolate to the cream cheese and mix until combined.
- When the cookie cups are completely cooled, carefully remove them from the muffin tin.
- Spoon in the cream cheese mixture, garnish with sprinkles and a chocolate heart and serve.red and white sprinkles and/or chocolate/strawberry swirl hearts for garnish
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For more vibrant color in the filling, add a couple of drops of red food coloring when mixing in the melted white chocolate.
- I find the double boiler method is the easiest and most fool-proof for getting smooth, melted chocolate without the risk of it seizing up. If you don't have a double boiler, find a heat-safe bowl with a lip that rests nicely on top of one of your saucepans (without the bottom of the bowl touching the bottom of the saucepan). Place about an inch of water in the saucepan and bring it to a low boil. Place the bowl on the saucepan and the white chocolate in the bowl. Stir periodically until fully melted. (Be careful of the steam!)
- To make this ahead of time, hold off on assembling the cookie cups until you want to serve them. Bake the cookie cups, cool completely and store in a container at room temperature. Make the filling as well, then store it in the refrigerator. Right before serving, spoon the filling into the cookie cups and garnish.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February 2014, but was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in January 2022.
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Happy cooking!
Andrea Howe
My kids loved these (and so did I haha), Perfect valentine's treat but also great for Easter and spring minus the hearts 😉 Super simple and delicious results. Thanks for sharing!
Kristin
So glad you and the kids liked them, Andrea! 🙂
Linda
These cookie tarts are so fun to make and they make beautiful centerpieces, too!
Liz
These little cookie cups are just darling! What a great little treat to make for Valentine's Day! I plan to make these for my kids!
Elaine
I love these tarts! Definitely the recipe to make this Valentine's Day!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love all the ingredients, can’t wait to try this! It looks so delicious and easy!