Lemon Cheesecake Cookies – Easy No Bake Desserts
Easy no bake desserts like these lemon cheesecake cookies will keep your sweet tooth happy with a bright burst of lemony goodness. When the heat of summer hits hard, the last thing you want to do is fire up your oven. That’s why these cookies are my easy no bake desserts hero!
The Creative Cookie Exchange theme this month is Beat the Heat with Easy No Bake Desserts in the form of cookies!
Even if we don’t want to turn on the oven, we still want cookies! If you’re a food blogger and you want to join in the fun, contact Laura via email (thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com) and she will get you added to the Facebook group where we coordinate events.
Are you hungry yet? Grab your apron and let me show you how to make these creamy no bake lemon cheesecake cookies. Just like a good cheesecake should be, these cookies are loaded with lemon, cream cheese, and graham crackers, but I couldn’t stop there.
Whenever possible, I have a need to take my dessert recipes over the top of normal, especially when they’re easy no bake desserts, so I added a super special ingredient to the inside of these cookies. Â Take a close look and see if you can guess what the magic ingredient is.
Here’s a hint: I used the special ingredient when I made these muffins, too. Â It’s creamy and tastes like a yummi cross between graham crackers and gingerbread.
Another hint:  You’ll get to take a trip to Trader Joes or make a purchase from Amazon to pick up this special ingredient.  It’s completely worth every penny that you spend on it.  You can melt it down and drizzle it over a big bowl of ice cream, put it into a smoothie or shake, or add it to your coffee.
It’s Cookie Butter, and it’s sinfully fattening, but OH SO yummi!
DISCLAIMER:IMPORTANT! Â Once you put a spoonful of this deliciousness into your mouth, you might start moaning and your eyes might roll into the back of your head. Â This is perfectly normal and no need for panic. Â Just have a couple of these no bake lemon cheesecake cookies and all of your cares will melt away.
It’s time to make some easy no bake desserts!
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounces cream cheese (I used low fat)
- 2 cups lemon cookie crumbs divided in half (I used Trader Joes Meyer Lemon Thins)
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 sheets)
- 1/2 cup Trader Joes cookie butter or almond butter
- 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in 1 cup cookie crumbs and all graham cracker crumbs and blend until mixture comes together into a fairly firm dough.
- Using a small (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Press a one teaspoon measuring spoon into each ball, or use your thumb, to make an indent.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cookie butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla. It will be fairly crumbly but should stick together if you squeeze a bit of it in your hand. (If it's too sticky, add a bit more confectioner's sugar until it is dry. If it is too crumbly and won't hold together when squeezed, add a bit more cookie butter.)
- Using your 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out 1 teaspoon of the cookie butter mixture and roll it into a ball. Place one ball into the indent of each cookie.
- Form the dough around the cookie butter center and press to seal. Gently re-roll into a ball. Repeat until all cookies are filled.
- Using the palm of your hand, GENTLY flatten each ball into a cookie shape.
- Place remaining 1 cup cookie crumbs onto a plate. Lightly press each cookie in the crumbs to coat. Flip cookie over and repeat.
- Refrigerate cookies until well chilled.
- Store in a well covered container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Want even more delicious easy no bake desserts to make? Check out what the rest of the Cookie Exchange bloggers made this month:
No Bake Cookie Butter Cookies from Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
No Bake Bourbon Pecan Cookies from Renee at Magnolia Days
Kashata Cookies from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Strawberry and Cream No Bake Cookies from Miranda at Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
No Bake Kit Kat Squares from Holly at A Baker’s House
Indoor S’mores Bars from Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Nutella Clusters from Tara at Noshing with the Nolands
Chunky Chocolate Fruit and Nut Cookie Slice from Jill of Made with Love
Love these! Can’t wait to try them! These are mouth watering!
I have never tried cookie butter so this recipe is the perfect excuse to buy some! Can’t wait to make these!
Oh my gosh these were so good, they disappeared so fast. Time to make more!
Oh, my gosh…I could pop a dozen in my mouth!! The combination is the best!! I love everything about these!
These sound amazing! I’m ready for more cookie butter in my life!
How in the WORLD did I miss these?!?! I have Cookie Butter in my pantry! YAY!! If you’ll excuse me, I have to go now. I have cookies to make. XOXOX
Oh good heavens – you’ve gone and added Speculoos to something that already sounded amazing. *swoon*
these cookies are totally calling my name, they look seriously delicious. i i definitely need to get my hands on a jar of that cookie butter!!
Thank you, Thalia!
Ohhh I have a jar of unopened cookie butter. And you said the magic word “cheesecake.” I’m in 😀
I kinda thought you’d like it. 😉
He he he 😀 I am sure my cares will melt away when I have these 🙂
Indeedy, they will, Prash! Bring over a bowl of your cucumber salad when you come, okay? We’ll need some hydration 😉
Cookie butter! YUM! These cookies look deeeelicious! Your disclaimer for the cookie butter is incredibly accurate and cute. I love it!
I’m so glad that you understand where I’m coming from with the cookie butter thing, Miranda. It’s just too sinfully delicious to ignore 🙂
Woah…how did you know that I love cheesecake? It’s like my favorite dessert ever. Well, that and cake and ice cream and sometimes a pie or two. 🙂 Love this idea!
Haha! Lucky guess, which apparently I didn’t need. You sound like me… put dessert in front of me and I’m all over it 😉
These sound so scrumptious! I love using Trader Joe’s ingredients.
Thanks, Karen! The nearest Trader Joe’s is 90 minutes away, so I don’t get there very often, but I sure do love to stock up when I get there. 😉
yum! I need to try these! They look awesome!