Marbled Ube Cheesecake Cookies

square crop looking down on a plate of cookies.

5 from 1 vote

Marbled Ube Cheesecake Cookies

Marbled Ube Cheesecake Cookies or soft and buttery purple yam cookies are delicious with a nice tang from the cream cheese, marbled with naturally vibrant ube (purple yam) for a lightly sweet, tender cookie with a beautiful swirl that’s perfect for holidays, cookie boxes, and special occasions.

Course cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American, Filipino

Keyword cheesecake, cream cheese, purple yam, ube

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 9

Resting time 10

Total Time 34

Servings cookies

Calories 135kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter cut into pieces, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tbsp ube purple yam powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting optional

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, 20–30 seconds. Do not overmix.
Divide the dough in half evenly. Leave one half in the mixer bowl and add the ube powder. Mix on low speed just until evenly combined and a solid purple color.
Cover and refrigerate both doughs for 30 minutes. Arrange oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of plain dough and 1 tablespoon of ube dough (a #60 cookie scoop works well). Gently twist and roll the doughs together between your palms to create a marbled effect. Use lightly floured or slightly damp hands if the dough is sticky.
Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the bottoms are pale golden brown. Do not overbake.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack with a flat spatula to cool completely. Lightly dust the cookies with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Notes

Storage & make ahead:

These cookies are easy to make ahead and freeze, either as dough before being baked, or as cookies after being baked.

If you’re not planning to bake these soft cheesecake cookies today, you can chill the cookie dough overnight and bake them tomorrow.

To freeze dough: form the dough into little balls, twist to marble, then freeze on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. They can be baked straight from the freezer with an extra minute or two added to the bake time.

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Baked ube cookies will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. You can serve them chilled or room temperature. They also freeze well, up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Additional notes:

• Use room-temperature butter, cream cheese, and egg for the smoothest dough.
• Brands of ube powder will vary with different intensities, color, and flavor.
• Dough texture may vary slightly based on cream cheese moisture. I always recommend Philadelphia brand for quality.
• Chilling the dough helps control spread and helps keep the marbled pattern defined. If cookies spread too much, chilling for 45 minutes works well.
• Do not overbake: cookies should stay pale with lightly golden edges.

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