Vanilla Cheesecake Cookie Recipe

Creamy, tangy, sweet, rich and decadent - all adjectives associated with delicious cheesecake. Vanilla cookie cheesecake is the epitome of all these. The tangy cream cheese blends perfectly with a buttery and crunchy graham cracker crust, while a swirl of sweet and spicy Biscoff cookie spread adds a delicious sweetness to the cake.

Biscoff cookie spread is a popular sweet spread made from Biscoff biscuits. The taste of the spread seemed very familiar. After licking a few spoonfuls clean, I realized what that familiar taste was! Growing up in West Michigan in a Dutch community and family, that familiar flavor came rushing back to me. As a young child my grandparents always had Dutch treats in the pantry; spritz cookies, almond banquet and my favorite, windmill cookies! Biscoff spread tastes just like a classic windmill cookie ground into a smooth and creamy spread. Absolutely delicious! If you have not had the pleasure of a crunchy windmill cookie, the flavor of Biscoff spread is sweet and creamy with a hint of spicy nutmeg and cinnamon. Vanilla cookie cheesecake has swirls of Biscoff through the cake, but what really sets this cheesecake apart is the addition of Ugandan vanilla bean caviar.

Vanilla produced in Uganda is incredible. The aroma is earthy with tones of milk-chocolate. The flavor is very bold as these vanilla beans produce a very high amount of vanillin making them perfect for rich desserts and chocolates. The combination of the tangy cream cheese in the cake and the sweet spice of the Biscoff cookie spread mingles with the deep chocolate undertones of the Ugandan vanilla to create a spectacular dessert! Add a handful of fresh berries to the top to balance out the sweetness of the cake and, voilà, you have the perfect dessert to share or to simply indulge in on your own. We won’t judge!

Cheesecake Recipe

Vanilla Cheesecake Cookie Recipe

Yields 1- 9 inch cake

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 package graham crackers (finely crushed)
  • 4 tbsp. butter (melted)
  • 2 tsp. sugar

Filling:

  • 20 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Ugandan Vanilla Bean (split and scraped)
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 tsp. Biscoff cookie spread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:

Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, pour into a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle on the melted butter and the sugar. Stir to combine together, the mixture should look like wet sand. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside.

Filling:

Place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla bean scrapings and lemon zest, beat on high speed until all the cream cheese is incorporated into the batter. The batter should look light, creamy and smooth. 3 - 4 minutes. Pour into pan and smooth the top. Spoon small amounts of Biscoff cookie spread onto the top of the cake. Using the tip of a steak knife, pull the Biscoff into streaks throughout the top of the cake.

Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Place in a larger pan, fill the pan halfway up the side of the spring form pan with water (this will help the cheesecake to not crack on the top).

Place in oven and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until the center of the cheesecake is set. Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Serve with fresh berries.