These mini sugar cookie cups with no-bake cheesecake filling disappear fast at holiday parties. Topped with a festive garnish of sugared cranberries and rosemary that look like they've been dusted with sparkling snow, they look stunning on a Christmas cookie plate, yet they're surprisingly simple to make!
I first made these festive holiday sugar cookie cups several years ago to bring to a Christmas brunch. I simply made my popular no-bake cheesecake-filled sugar cookie cups and swapped the fresh berries and herbs out for sugared cranberries and rosemary.
The festive holiday version received rave reviews, and I've made them many more times since. So it's about time that these holiday-themed bite-sized treats get their own recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These bite-sized treats are the perfect size for sharing, which makes them ideal for a cookie exchange, holiday party, or Christmas cookie plate!
Here's what you'll love about these holiday sugar cookie cups:
- Simple to Make - There's no rolling, no cutting, and no complicated decorating. We'll simply press the dough into a mini muffin pan, bake, fill with a no-bake cheesecake filling, and top with sugared cranberries.
- Make-Ahead Friendly - You can bake the cookie cups a day or two ahead, prep the cheesecake filling and let it chill overnight, and make the sugared cranberries a few hours before you need them. When it's time to serve, all you have to do is fill and top the cookie cups.
- No-Bake Cheesecake Filling - This no-bake cheesecake filling is creamy, lightly sweet, and has just a hint of lemon. It's just as impressive and delicious as classic cheesecake, but it's SO much easier to make!
- Crowd-Pleasing - The combination of buttery cookie, creamy cheesecake filling, and tart cranberry hits every flavor note. Plus they're just so pretty! These always disappear fast at parties!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Unsalted Butter - Butter provides both fat and flavor for the sugar cookie dough. Be sure that your butter is a cool room temperature so that you can properly cream the butter with the sugar.
Egg Yolks - Egg yolks, rather than whole eggs, help to create an extra chewy cookie. This recipe uses two yolks.
Cream Cheese - Cream cheese is of course the key ingredient in the no-bake cheesecake filling. I recommend full fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. Make sure that the cream cheese is room temperature (along with the sour cream) so that you don't end up with a lumpy filling.
Heavy Cream - Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) helps to lighten the filling. The cream will be whipped into stiff peaks and then folded into the cream cheese mixture.
Sour Cream - Just a little bit adds a subtle tang that makes the cheesecake filling taste like actual cheesecake and not just cream cheese. Let the sour cream come to room temperature along with the cream cheese.
Cranberries - Fresh cranberries are best for the sugared garnish. I do not recommend using frozen berries, which will give off liquid and ruin the sugar coating. Choose berries that are pump and firm and deep red in color.
Big fan of cranberries? You'll LOVE my easy cranberry shortbread crumble bars!
Rosemary - Rosemary's pine-like appearance makes these treats extra festive. We'll cut the rosemary into small pieces so each cup gets a little sprig. Look for rosemary that's vibrant green with flexible (not brittle) sprigs.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- An electric hand mixer or stand mixer for mixing the sugar cookie dough and cheesecake filling.
- A mini muffin pan for baking the sugar cookie cups.
- A piping pag and large round piping tip are optional, but they're ideal for easily filling the cookie cups with the cheesecake filling.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1 - Make the sugar cookie cups. Whisk to combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat to combine.
Step 3: Gently stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Once the cookie dough has chilled, scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball using your hands, and place a cookie dough ball into each well of a greased mini muffin pan.
Step 5: Bake the cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately press down the centers of each cookie, forming a cup. Remove the cookie cups from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6: Make the no-bake cheesecake filling. Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Step 7: Beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined.
Step 8: Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Chill the cheesecake filling in the fridge for at least one hour.
Step 9: Prep the sugared cranberries and rosemary. In a saucepan, dissolve sugar in water to create a simple syrup. Add cranberries and rosemary to the syrup a few at a time, stirring to coat. Let dry slightly on a sheet of parchment.
Step 10: When the berries and rosemary are tacky but not sticky, roll them in the sugar a few at a time until coated. Let dry.
Step 11: Assemble the cookie cups. Pipe or scoop 1 teaspoon of chilled cheesecake filling into each cooled sugar cookie cup.
Step 12: Top each cookie cup with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
Allison's Top Tips
Be sure to spray the mini muffin pan well with cooking spray. These cookie cups are delicate when they're warm, and a well-greased pan makes them much easier to remove without breaking.
To easily remove the cookie cups from the muffin pan, slide a cake tester or small knife between the edge of the cookie and the side of the pan and lift gently upward. The cookie cup should pop right up out of the pan.
For the no-bake cheesecake filling, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture gently. A heavy hand will deflate the whipped cream and you'll lose that light, airy texture that makes the filling so good. My guide to mixing methods is a great reference if you need some help folding.
Storage Instructions
It's best to enjoy these cookie cups shortly after assembling them. If you want, you can make the components ahead of time and store them separately.
Unfilled Cookie Cups: The sugar cookie cups can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Cheesecake Filling: Store the no-bake cheesecake filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary: The sugared cranberries and rosemary can be made up to one day ahead, and I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature (I find that the sugar dissolves more quickly if you store them in the fridge).
Assembled Cookie Cups: If you end up with leftover assembled cookie cups, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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Recipe
Mini Holiday Sugar Cookie Cups with Cheesecake Filling
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Piping bag (optional)
- Large round piping tip (Ateco #809) (optional)
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Cups:
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅝ cup (124 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
No-Bake Cheesecake Filling:
- ¼ cup (57 grams) heavy cream chilled
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup (28 grams) confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- tiny pinch of salt
Garnish:
- 24 cranberries
- rosemary sprigs cut into 24 pieces
- ¼ cup (57 grams) water
- ½ cup (99 grams) sugar divided
Instructions
Make the sugar cookie cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and cream the sugar with the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, ⅝ cup (124 grams) granulated sugar
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat to combine.2 large egg yolks, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, being careful not to over mix. The dough should be moistened throughout but still a bit crumbly.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball using your hands, and place a cookie dough ball into each greased well of the mini muffin pan. You should have 24 balls of dough.
Bake the cookie cups.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until lightly golden.
- Immediately upon removing the muffin pan from the oven, use the back side of a teaspoon measuring spoon to press down the centers of each cookie, forming a cup. Let the cookie cups cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the no-bake cheesecake filling.
- In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.¼ cup (57 grams) heavy cream
- In large bowl using the electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) sour cream
- Add confectioners sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined.¼ cup (28 grams) confectioners' sugar, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract, tiny pinch of salt
- Add the whipped cream to bowl with the cream cheese mixture and fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cheesecake filling for at least 1 hour (or up to 12 hours).
Prep the sugared cranberries and rosemary.
- In a small saucepan, combine water and ¼ cup sugar. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved to create a simple syrup. Let the syrup cool slightly (2-5 minutes).
- Add cranberries and rosemary to the syrup a few at a time, stirring to coat. Transfer the syrup-coated berries and sprigs to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to dry slightly, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the remaining ¼ cup sugar to a small bowl.
- When the syrup has dried slightly so that the berries feel tacky, roll the berries and rosemary sprigs in the sugar a few at a time until coated. Place them on a dry piece of parchment to dry.
Assemble the cookie cups.
- Pipe or scoop 1 teaspoon of chilled no-bake cheesecake filling into each cooled sugar cookie cup.
- Top each dessert with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Enjoy immediately.
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