This sugar cookie cheesecake dip is a sweet, fluffy spread made from cream cheese, butter and two kinds of sugar, folded with crumbled soft sugar cookies and finished with red and green sprinkles. It takes 10 minutes, needs no oven and serves 10, so it fits a holiday party, a cookie swap or a movie night with the family.
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Scoop it up with graham crackers and the first bite tastes a lot like eating sugar cookie dough straight from the bowl.
What goes into sugar cookie cheesecake dip
- 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup whipped topping, thawed
- 4 soft sugar cookies, crumbled
- 2 tbsp red and green sprinkles
- Graham crackers, for serving
Start with properly soft cream cheese and butter
The most common problem with any cream cheese dip is little white lumps that never go away. They come from cream cheese that was still cold in the middle when the mixer started. Once the sugar goes in, those flecks are very hard to beat out, and they feel grainy on a cracker.
Both the cream cheese and the butter should be soft enough that a finger presses into them with no push back. Butter that has gone shiny or half melted is too far, because it makes the dip slick and heavy instead of light. Room temperature, soft but still holding its shape, is what you want for both.
Why the dip uses two sugars and two extracts
The 1 cup of powdered sugar dissolves into the cream cheese and gives the dip its smooth body. The 1/4 cup of granulated sugar stays a little crystalline, and that faint sandy texture is a big part of why the dip reminds people of raw cookie dough.
The flavor works the same way. One teaspoon of vanilla gives the warm, familiar base, while the 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract adds the bakery note you taste in a frosted sugar cookie. Almond extract is strong, so measure it level and resist the urge to add an extra splash.
How to make it
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice so no streaks of plain butter hide at the bottom.
- Add the powdered sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until the mixture looks fluffy and a shade lighter. Start on low so the powdered sugar does not cloud up out of the bowl.
- Fold in the thawed whipped topping by hand with a spatula, using slow strokes from the bottom of the bowl up. Then fold in most of the cookie crumbs, keeping a small handful back for the top. Folding keeps the air from the whipped topping in the dip.
- Spoon the dip into a clear bowl. Top with the remaining cookie crumbs and the red and green sprinkles.
- Serve with graham crackers.
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Keeping the sprinkles bright on the Christmas table
Red and green sprinkles start to bleed color as soon as they sit on something moist, and on a white dip that shows fast. Pink and gray streaks spread out from each sprinkle. The fix from the recipe is simple: add the sprinkles just before serving. If you are carrying the dip to someone else’s house, pack the 2 tablespoons of sprinkles in a small container and scatter them on when you arrive.
A clear bowl helps too. Guests can see the cookie crumbs speckled through the dip, and it looks festive without any extra decorating. Set the graham crackers around the bowl or on a board next to it so people can dig straight in.
Because the dip is made with cream cheese and whipped topping, keep any leftovers covered in the fridge. The crumbs on top soften as they sit against the dip, so the first round of scooping is when they are at their best.
If you want more sugar cookie flavor on your holiday spread, try our baked sugar cookie cheesecake or a pan of Christmas sugar cookie bars . For the grown-up side of the party, our Christmas sugar cookie shots and sugared champagne grapes sit nicely next to this dip.
Sugar cookie dip questions
Does it really taste like cookie dough?
Pretty close. The butter, vanilla, almond and that bit of granulated sugar give it the rich, slightly sandy taste of raw sugar cookie dough, and the crumbled cookies add the soft baked bits.
Why soft sugar cookies instead of crisp ones?
Soft cookies break into tender crumbs that blend into the creamy dip. Crisp cookies shatter into hard shards that can snap a graham cracker when someone scoops.
Can I use a hand mixer?
Yes. The recipe only needs the cream cheese, butter and sugars beaten until smooth and fluffy, which a hand mixer handles easily. The whipped topping and cookie crumbs are folded in by hand anyway.
How many people does one bowl serve?
The recipe makes 10 servings, enough for a dessert table at a small to medium gathering.
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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team
The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Dip
Ingredients
Instructions
Beat the cream cheese and butter until very smooth.
Beat in both sugars, the vanilla and the almond extract until fluffy.
Fold in the whipped topping, then most of the cookie crumbs.
Spoon into a clear bowl and top with the rest of the crumbs and the sprinkles.
Serve with graham crackers.
Notes
Add the sprinkles just before serving so the colors do not bleed into the white dip.
Keep a small handful of cookie crumbs back to scatter over the top.