These Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies are what you get when you combine cheesecake and blueberry crumble into cookie form. A soft and chewy cookie base is loaded with creamy dairy free cheesecake pieces and homemade blueberry paste in every bite, then topped with a golden crumble to really elevate these cookies. Completely dairy free, refined sugar free, and allergy friendly.
I mean why not just combine all the best desserts into one for the ultimate summer cookie? It sounded delicious in my head when I thought of these cookies and it came out just as good! There are four main components to this blueberry cookie recipe, but they are simple steps and each component can be prepped ahead so that when you are ready to bake, you just have to combine everything and pop them in the oven.
Why You'll Love These Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Allergy friendly: these stunning cookies are gluten free, dairy free, nut free (depending on the cream cheese you use), soy free, and corn free!
- Refined sugar free: like most of my recipes, this one is no different and can be made completely refined sugar free.
- Four components, one cookie: we start with a soft cookie base made from simple ingredients then add creamy cheesecake pieces for some tangy flavor and a thick homemade blueberry compote then top it all off with a golden crumble.
- The crumble topping: because I'm the crumble queen and a plain cookie is just plain boring, I HAD to add a crumble topping. It is optional, but truly takes these cookies to the next level visually and taste wise.
- Homemade blueberry paste: since fruit adds a lot of moisture to cookies (and we are already doing that with the cheesecake pieces), we cook the blueberries down to have minimal to no liquid so we get straight blueberry flavor without puffy, muffin like cookies. It's more of a blueberry paste than blueberry compote or jam.
- Better for you than they look: refined sugar free and packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries. Dessert that does something good for you!
- Summer showstopper: the swirls of blue and pockets of tangy cheesecake pieces make these cookies the most impressive dessert you'll bring to the summer BBQ.
Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookie Ingredients
- Cookie Base
- Gluten-free flour: use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend with xanthan gum for best results.
- Tapioca starch: a little bit of starch helps us achieve super chewy cookies.
- Coconut oil or dairy free butter: either will work.
- Coconut sugar: the unrefined sweetener for the cookie base
- Eggs: 1 large egg to bind the cookie dough together.
- Baking soda, salt, vanilla extract
- Dairy Free Cheesecake Pieces
- Dairy free cream cheese: any dairy free or dairy full cream cheese will work. Whichever one you like best that fits your allergies!
- Powdered sugar: you can make a refined sugar free powdered sugar by blending 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch.
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberry Paste
- Frozen wild blueberries: frozen wild blueberries work best because they are small and hold their shape well when we cook them down. You can use fresh blueberries, but may get a bit mushy and result in puffier cookies.
- Coconut sugar
- Crumble Topping
- Gluten free flour
- Tigernut flour: almond flour also works. This provides some natural sweetness without extra added sugar.
- Coconut oil or dairy free butter: either will work for binding the crumble topping together.
- Maple syrup: the unrefined sweetener used to sweeten and hold the crumble together.
How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Make the Cheesecake Pieces first as they need time to freeze
- Beat together cream cheese and sweetener until smooth.
- Spread into a thin layer on a parchment lined tray or baking sheet and freeze until completely solid. At least 1 hour.
- Make the Blueberry Paste
- Combine the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer on low, stirring frequently, until the blueberries have cooked down and the liquid has evaporated. This takes about 20 minutes. You will know they are done when there is not more liquid in the pot and the blueberries are almost like little chocolate chips.
- Let cool completely.
- Make the Crumble Topping
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add fat and maple syrup and mix to combine until the dough holds together when pinched. Add more liquid if needed.
- Set aside until ready to use. I suggest making this while the cookie dough sets.
- Make the Cookie Dough and Assemble
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat together the fat and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer then add in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until a few flour streaks remain.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Break up the cheesecake layer into pieces (they don't need to be small like chocolate chips, but little ½inch squares. It doesn't need to be precise). Fold them into the batter, it doesn't need to be perfect or even. Just a few folds to get them mixed in a little bit.
- Dollop small amounts of the blueberry paste over the top of the batter then use a knife to swirl it into the dough. Again, this will be messy and imperfect. That is okay. The goal is to swirl the blueberries in to the dough a bit without completely mixing them in so that they get squished or the entire bowl of dough turns blue.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop all the dough balls onto one large cookie sheet. Sprinkle the crumble over the top of each cookie, pressing down gently as needed so it sticks.
- Place some of the cookies onto the other baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes on the center rack, until edges are set, the crumble is more golden, and centers are still soft. Let cool for at least 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Keep the other cookies in the fridge until ready to bake.
Substitutions and Variations
- Coconut oil: you can used softened butter or dairy free butter instead.
- Coconut sugar: for the cookie base, you can use ½ cup white sugar and ¼ brown sugar but the cookies will no longer be refined sugar free.
- Blueberries: you can also use a store-bought blueberry jam, but it will release more liquid into the cookies, resulting in puffier cookies.
- Berry variations: you can substitute the blueberries for any berry you like. These would be great with strawberries or raspberries!
- Crumble topping: you can opt for gluten free graham cracker crumbs instead. Just break up some graham crackers and top the cookies with those!
- Cheesecake pieces: not into cheesecake? Opt for a broken up bar of white chocolate instead.
- Variations: Add white chocolate chips instead of or along with the cheesecake pieces to the cookie dough for a blueberry white chocolate cookie version. Add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and some lemon zest to the blueberry paste if you want that lemon blueberry flavor.
Tips for the Best Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Freeze the cheesecake pieces firm: they need to be solid before going into the dough or they'll melt into the batter right away instead of staying as more distinct creamy pieces
- Cool the compote completely: warm compote makes the dough wet and sticky and the cookies will spread too much.
- Don't over-swirl the blueberry paste: a few gentle folds create beautiful blueberry ribbons. Over-mixing turns the entire dough blue and you lose the visual effect.
- Don't over-bake: the cookies should look barely done at 10-12 minutes. The cheesecake filling means they'll seem underdone but they firm up as they cool.
- Cookie cutter hack for round cookies: use a round cookie cutter, or glass, to swirl around the cookies right when they come out of the oven in order to shape them. this gives them that perfect round shape if they spread unevenly during baking.
- Let cool completely before eating: the cheesecake pieces need time to set up properly after baking. Eating them warm will be a bit of a gooey mess (and not in the good way).
Fresh vs Frozen Blueberries
Frozen wild blueberries work best because they are small and hold their shape well when cooked down. You can use fresh blueberries, but may get a bit mushy and result in puffier cookies. Don't fold fresh blueberries into the dough directly as that will release too much moisture, resulting in more of a blueberry muffin top cookie.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Store leftover cookies in airtight container in fridge up to 5 days. They do need to be kept in the fridge since they contain the cheesecake pieces. You can bring to room temperature before serving. You can freeze baked cookies up to 2 months in a freezer bag or container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Make-ahead timeline:
- Cheesecake pieces: you can make these up to 1 week ahead, just keep them frozen.
- Blueberry paste: you can make this up to 3 days ahead, just keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Crumble topping: you can make this up to 3 days ahead and keep in the fridge and bring to room temperature before using. This takes about 1 minute to prep, so I suggest doing it as the cookie dough sets in the fridge.
- Assembled cookie dough balls: bake day of for best results.
FAQ
Yes, they are gluten free as written.
Yes, they are dairy free as written. Just be sure to use dairy free cream cheese and a dairy free fat.
Yes, I actually suggest frozen blueberries over fresh berries for this recipe!
You can, the cookies may come out puffier or more spread out due to the extra moisture.
If they spread too much, it could be that you didn't cook the blueberries down enough or let the dough set in the fridge long enough. Always do a test batch with 1-2 cookies and see how they come out. If they are spreading too much, let the dough set longer.
That happens! As the cookies cool, the cheesecake pieces will set again.
I have not tested a vegan version, but if you try an egg substitute, let us know in the comments how it went!
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also keep baked cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can, it is not necessary, but it does add an extra layer of elegance and fun for both taste and looks. You can also use crumbled graham cracker pieces instead.
Honestly, your favorite brand works best! It does not matter. Dairy full cream cheese also works. Just bring to room temperature before beating with the powdered sugar.
More Delicious Blueberry Recipes
Loved these cookies? Then you have to try my Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake
Want more cookies? Bake my Gluten Free Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cookies or Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Cookies
My other favorite blueberry crumble recipes include my Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Pie or Gluten Free Blueberry Mint Cobbler or Gluten Free Blueberry Streusel Bread
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating and review below! Drop any questions in the comments.
Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cheesecake pieces
- 4 oz dairy free cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar*
Blueberry paste
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries**
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
Crumble
- ¼ cup gluten free flour
- ¼ cup tigernut flour or almond flour
- 1-2 tablespoon melted coconut oil or dairy free butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Cookies base
- 1 ½ cups 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup softened coconut oil or dairy free butter
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cheesecake pieces
- Make the Cheesecake Pieces first as they need time to freeze
- Beat together cream cheese and sweetener until smooth.
- Spread into a thin layer on a parchment lined tray or baking sheet and freeze until completely solid. At least 1 hour.
Blueberry paste
- Combine the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer on low, stirring frequently, until the blueberries have cooked down and the liquid has evaporated. This takes about 20 minutes. You will know they are done when there is not more liquid in the pot and the blueberries are almost like little chocolate chips.
- Let cool completely.
Crumble
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add fat and maple syrup and mix to combine until the dough holds together when pinched. Add more liquid if needed.
- Set aside until ready to use. I suggest making this while the cookie dough sets.
Cookies
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat together the fat and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer then add in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until a few flour streaks remain.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Assembly
- When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Break up the cheesecake layer into pieces (they don't need to be small like chocolate chips, but little ½inch squares. It doesn't need to be precise). Fold them into the batter, it doesn't need to be perfect or even. Just a few folds to get them mixed in a little bit.
- Dollop small amounts of the blueberry paste over the top of the batter then use a knife to swirl it into the dough. Again, this will be messy and imperfect. That is okay. The goal is to swirl the blueberries in to the dough a bit without completely mixing them in so that they get squished or the entire bowl of dough turns blue.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop all the dough balls onto one large cookie sheet. Sprinkle the crumble over the top of each cookie, pressing down gently as needed so it sticks.
- Place some of the cookies onto the other baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes on the center rack, until edges are set, the crumble is more golden, and centers are still soft. Let cool for at least 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Keep the other cookies in the fridge until ready to bake.
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