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A stack of three freshly baked Surprise Inside Cookies on a wire rack, with the top cookie broken open to reveal a melted, gooey marshmallow center pulling apart.

Surprise Inside Cookies: Red Velvet Cheesecake

These incredible surprise inside cookies feature a soft, chewy red velvet exterior that hides a luscious, rich cream cheese center. A bakery-quality gourmet treat that is surprisingly easy to make at home.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheesecake Center
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese Full-fat block, slightly softened
  • 0.25 cup Powdered Sugar Sifted
  • 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Pure extract
Red Velvet Dough
  • 1.5 cups All-Purpose Flour Spooned and leveled
  • 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Dutch-processed preferred
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon Salt
  • 0.5 cup Unsalted Butter 1 stick, softened to room temperature
  • 0.5 cup Brown Sugar Firmly packed
  • 0.25 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 large Egg Room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Milk Whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tablespoon Red Food Coloring Liquid or 1 tsp gel
  • 0.5 cup White Chocolate Chips Optional

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth. Drop 12 teaspoon-sized dollops onto a parchment-lined plate.
  2. Freeze the cream cheese dollops for at least 1 hour until completely solid. This is crucial to prevent leaking.
  3. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
  4. In a mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add egg, milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and red food coloring; mix until combined.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.
  6. Flatten 1.5 tablespoons of dough in your hand. Place a frozen cream cheese dollop in the center and fold the dough around it, sealing completely.
  7. Chill the stuffed dough balls on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Bake the chilled cookies for 11-13 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Ensure you seal the dough completely around the frozen filling to prevent it from leaking during baking. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.