Perfect Christmas breakfast cookie.

Tender cream cheese cookies rolled in powdered sugar and filled with apricot jam. They’re simple, nostalgic, and perfect for any holiday cookie tray.

A white Christmas plate with apricot cream cheese cookies and a silver powdered sugar shaker.

Cookies or Pastries?

These Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies are a hit with every. single. family. member. Really, we’ve been told we need to figure out how to box them up and sell them in stores and we’d be millionaires. But while we figure that out, we make these every Christmas season and it continues to keep them that much more special.

They’re so tender and sweet and I think they start to cross the line into pastry territory, they’re just not quite like a cookie. They are even better.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family does. They may not be the prettiest, but they’re the tastiest.

A close up of a white Christmas plate with apricot cream cheese cookies and a silver powdered sugar shaker.

Apricot Cream Cheese Cookie Ingredients

So simple, so few ingredients. No baking soda, no vanilla, no extras. Butter, cream cheese, flour, and eggs and the cookie dough base comes together.

Dough Ingredients

cream cheese – we are a Philadelphia household, but use what you have!
unsalted butter
egg yolks – just the yolks in this recipe, save the egg whites and use them for breakfast tomorrow!
all-purpose flour

A stainless steel bowl of flour, 2 sticks of butter, a package of cream cheese, and 2 egg yolks in a glass bowl.

Finishing Ingredients

apricot jam or preserves – thicker the better, if it’s too thin, it runs out of the cookie more easily
powdered sugar – we use quite a bit but don’t fret, there’s no sugar in the dough recipe

A jar of stonewall kitchen apricot jam on a marble counter.

How to Make Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies

Mix the Dough: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the egg yolks and mix again, scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated. Slowly add the flour and mix until the dough forms.
Portion the Dough: Scoop the dough using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and round the tops to form smooth dough balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

A stainless steel bowl of mixed up cookie dough and a white bowl of cookie dough balls with a black handled cookie scoop.

Filling and Shaping Instructions

It’s a bit hard to explain in words, the below image should help you to see the start to finish from dough ball to a shaped cookie ready for baking.

Coat in Powdered Sugar: Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar.
Roll Out the Dough Balls: Working with only a few dough balls at a time (the dough softens quickly), roll each dough ball out on your powdered sugar coated board. Dust your rolling pin with powdered sugar as well to prevent sticking.
Add the Filling: Place a line of apricot jam down the center of each rolled out cookie, about ½ tablespoon.
Shape: Fold one long side of the dough over the jam, then fold the opposite long side over the top to create a log shape. Lightly press the seams to help it stay closed during baking.
Bake: Arrange the shaped cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

A small white bowl of powdered sugar, a rolled out cookie, a cookie with jam added down the center, and the cookie folded up into a log.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

You can make the dough balls in advance and refrigerate, covered for up to 48 hours before rolling and baking.

These cookies can be completely baked off, cooled, and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I bring them to room temperature several hours before I’m ready to eat or serve them.

They last on the counter for up to 3 days as long as it’s not overly warm in your home. Some of us like to heat them up in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. We even eat them for breakfast!

Looking for more cookie ideas to add in your holiday cookie boxes this year? These Reese’s Mini Trees Peanut Butter Blossoms are a fun twist on a nostalgic treat.

Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies

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Author: Aimee Iorio
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 36 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

8oz cream cheese (1 package), softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
Apricot jam or preserves
Powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the 2 sticks of softened butter and package of cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth and well combined.
Add in the 2 egg yolks, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
Slowly add the 2 cups of flour and continue mixing until a soft dough forms.
Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough, rounding the tops to create smooth dough balls.
Place the portioned dough balls in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on your clean work surface and rolling pin. It may seem like a lot of sugar but the dough contains no added sugar.
Work with only a few dough balls at a time, keeping the rest chilled so they don’t soften too quickly.
Roll out each dough ball generously in powdered sugar into a rectangle/oval shape.
Spoon about ½ tablespoon of apricot jam down the center of the rolled out dough ball, keeping it in a neat line. If you overfill the jam, it will leak out while baking. They will still taste great but won’t be as pretty.
Lift one long side of the dough and fold it over the jam, then fold the opposite side over the top to create a log shape. Lightly press the seam to help it stay closed while baking.
Place the shaped cookies on your parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes. The edges and bottoms of the cookies will be golden.
Once cool, dust with additional powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness and to hide any imperfections.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Sweet Tooth
Method: Oven

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to roll out on powdered sugar?

Yes! It adds the additional sweetness these cookies need since we don’t add any sugar into the dough. We do not use flour to roll these out.

Why apricot jam?

You can replace with a jam of your choosing! I have played around with cherry and that was delicious. But the apricot is what is traditional in my family for this recipe.

The jam is spreading out of the cookies, how do I stop it?

If your jam is thin or has more fillers, it’s more likely to seep out of your cookies. Pinching the ends can help, trying a thicker jam can also. But you can easily clean the edges and no one will ever know (it’s the tastiest part anyways). Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar once they’re cool to hide any imperfections. It’s about the taste with these!