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Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Cookies

Lemon coconut cheesecake cookies are soft, pillowy cream cheese cookies with golden toasted coconut pressed on top and a bright lemon glaze drizzle. The dough is chilled for a tender, slightly underdone center that sets as the cookies cool.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling dough 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 235
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookies
  • 1 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup butter softened (1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted, for rolling
Lemon glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cheesecake cookie dough
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and granulated sugar until very fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer. The mixture should look lighter in color and hold soft peaks.
  2. Add egg, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and coconut extract, then mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl once so no streaks remain.
  3. Stir in all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt just until the dough comes together. Mix only until you no longer see dry flour.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm it up for rolling. Chill until the dough is cold and scoopable.
Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line sheet pans with parchment paper. Keep parchment ready so the dough goes on immediately.
  2. Roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls, then roll each ball in toasted sweetened shredded coconut and place on the prepared sheets. Press lightly so the coconut adheres to the tops.
  3. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone. Look for a pale golden rim while the middle remains soft.
  4. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets or a rack before glazing. The cookies must be cool so the lemon glaze doesn’t melt away.
Glaze and finish
  1. Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth, adding more lemon juice by the teaspoon if needed for drizzle consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable.
  2. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cookies in an even, artful pattern. Let it coat lightly rather than pooling.
  3. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before serving. Wait until the drizzle looks dry and slightly set on top.

Notes

Pro tip: toast the sweetened shredded coconut until golden before rolling so it adds nutty flavor and texture on every bite. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze baked, unglazed cookies for up to 2 months and glaze after thawing. For a dairy-light swap, use lactose-free cream cheese and lactose-free butter to keep the cheesecake-style texture.