Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups (Fruit Pizza!)

Okay, these fruit pizza cookie cups are almost too cute to eat… almost! They start with store-bought sugar cookie dough (easy peasy!) then get filled with a dreamy cheesecake filling and topped with fresh fruit. No rolling dough, no fuss —just a fun, bite-sized dessert that’s semi-homemade and perfect for kids, parties, and summer treats!

 

Why We Love Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups

• Quick and easy semi-homemade dessert– Premade dough makes these sugar cookie cups really fast to make even for a beginner baker. Just fill each tasty cookie cup with a no bake cheesecake filling, it’s the perfect recipe for a sweet tooth and will be a huge hit.
• Bite sized fruit pizza- This dessert is very similar to fruit pizza or a mini bite sized fruit tart, no cookie cutter needed!
• Great for parties– Perfect mini desserts for spring and summer parties, baby showers, Mother’s Day, Easter, cookie exchanges and more. This cookie cup recipe will be a huge hit for your next party.

Ingredients for Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups

• sugar cookie dough use premade cookie dough, mix cookie mix or your favorite cookie dough. You can also use the cookie dough recipe from my raspberry jam thumbprint cookies which have a sugar cookie base, just leave out the jam.
• cream cheese softened to room temperature. You’ll get a creamier texture with full fat cream cheese
• powdered sugar – this is also sometimes called confectioner’s sugar
• vanilla extract
• salt
• fruit – I’ve used blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi that are all fresh. I have also use canned mandarin oranges that have been drained.

How To Make Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups

For The Cookie Dough

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Mix the cookie dough according to the box directions or recipe, or remove from the package if using refrigerated sugar cookie dough.
3. Scoop and roll a ball. You need a tablespoon of dough for each dough ball. Place each dough ball into a spot in the mini muffin tin.

4. Press a dent in the center of each ball of dough creating the cup shape with a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, the end of a rolling pin, the handle of a wooden spoon or a clean wine cork. I’ve used a tool called a tart tamper that helps you even out a tart crust just because it happened to be just the right size. I used it because it’s a little shorter and was easier to show you pressing the centers while still holding the camera, but you don’t need a fancy tool you can use any of the other items I listed..

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown for a soft sugar cookie that’s cooked through. The amount of baking time can vary depending on the dough, so watch carefully. Press an indentation again in each cookie cup quickly, this time while they are warm so you have enough room for the filling.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes. Take the cookie cups out of pan and finish cooling on a wire rack a little bit.

For The Cheesecake Filling

1. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl mixing bowl. Whip with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla and salt then mix again. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, fully mixing it into the cream cheese each time.

3. Once the cookie cups are cooled completely, fill the center of each cookie cup with the cream cheese mixture. You can use a frosting piping bag, a zip-top bag with the corner cut off is the easy way. You can also spoon the filling into the center of each cup with a spoon, but this method is a little messier.

4. Slice the fruit into small pieces and place it in a small bowl. Decorate the tops of the cookie cups with the fruit. Serve immediately and enjoy!

What Types Of Fruit Should I Use As The Toppings?

There are lots of different types of fruits that work well on top of these delicious cookie cups.

• blueberries
• blackberries
• strawberries
• raspberries
• mandarin oranges- fresh or packaged in water and drained well and pat dry with a paper towel
• kiwi
• cherries – with pits removed
• peach – patted dry with a paper towel and diced small
• mango – patted dry with a paper towel and diced small
• grapes– sliced in half and patted dry with a paper towel
• banana slices- may brown if not eaten immediately

Skip fruits that are super watery like watermelon or cantaloupe. These fruits may make the cookies soggy over time on top of the cookies.

What Other Toppings Can I Use?

Fresh fruit gives these cookie cups a fruit pizza feel. If you don’t have enough fresh fruit to work with, you can use other toppings.

• sprinkles
• mini chocolate chips
• peanut butter chips
• lemon curd (drizzle just a little!)
• jam– Raspberry, strawberry, blueberry drizzle just a little!

Can I Make These Cookie Cups Ahead of Time?

If you are making this tasty dessert ahead of time store the fruit and cream cheese filling separately from the cookie cups in closed containers. Then simply fill and garnish with the fruit right before serving.

The fruit can be sliced the night before but any more than that and the fruit may become soggy. Some fruit, like raspberries and blueberries, don’t need to be sliced at all to add as a garnish.

How Long Do These Cookie Cups Last?

Store in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator. If your mini fruit pizzas still have the fruit on them they will last for 1-2 day, but are best eaten fresh.

If you make the cookie cups and cheesecake filling ahead of time, you can then fill the sugar c and garnish with fruit right before serving. These cookie cups can last 2-3 days.