1. Prep the cheesecake filling

Mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Scoop out teaspoon-sized balls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. This makes stuffing the cookies much easier!

2. Toss the strawberries

Dice your strawberries and toss them with cornstarch. This helps absorb any excess moisture so your cookies don’t turn into a mushy mess.

3. Make the dough

In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until just combined.

4. Fold in the strawberries

Gently stir the strawberries into the dough. If the dough feels too soft, don’t panic—that’s why we’re chilling it next!

5. Chill the dough

Pop the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes (or the fridge for an hour). This step makes shaping the cookies so much easier.

6. Shape and fill the cookies

Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Make a small well in the center, place a frozen cream cheese ball inside, and cover it with the extra dough. Pinch the edges to seal. If the dough gets too soft, pop it back in the freezer.

7. Bake!

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, leaving 2-3 inches between them. Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft. Let them cool completely before devouring!