Soft & Chewy Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies
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These soft sugar cookies are made with goat cheese for a uniquely tangy flavor, sweetened with maple syrup, and filled with crunchy pecans.
GOAT CHEESE IN COOKIES?
You may be side-eyeing me for adding goat cheese to cookies, but hear me out: you know the tanginess that cream cheese can bring to traditional recipes like baked ziti, red velvet cookies, and cheesecake?
Apply that idea to sugar cookies (and cheesecake!). Full of flavor, extra creamy, and a little tang to seal the deal that brings a pleasantly sharp aspect to the overall taste of whatever you put it in.
Are you on board? I think you’re going to love these cookies if you give them a chance.
What I love about these maple pecan goat cheese cookies is that they are unlike any other cookie I have ever tried. Not only do we have flavors you don’t normally find in a basic sugar cookie (maple and pecan), but these cookies also hit you with a creamy, tangy, hard-to-put-your-finger-on-exactly-what-it-is flavor that will have you wanting nibble after nibble.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE GOAT CHEESE SUGAR COOKIES
When it comes to sugar cookies, there are a couple different categories. While I have an extensive collection of cut-out sugar cookie recipes, there is also a category of drop-style sugar cookies that come along with the same pure very vanilla flavor you adore about sugar cookies paired with a soft and tender crumb.
These cookies are no different. In fact, I think these are the softest, chewiest cookies that exist on my site, even rivaling my soft & chewy snickerdoodles (made without cream of tartar!) and my vanilla sugar cookies, which have both been described as “soft as a cloud.”
This cookie is like a grown up, sophisticated sugar cookie. A sugar cookie like none you’ve ever tried before, and I can guarantee will impress all those you decide to share their goodness with.
With the extra layer of flavor from maple syrup and a little extra texture from chopped pecans, these are a cookie that disappear quickly. They aren’t an overly sweet cookie, which makes them a wonderful cookie recipe to add to a dessert spread or cookie swap. Whenever I take them somewhere, I’m always asked for the recipe.
I’m confident it will be a new favorite cookie for you, too!
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
The ingredient list for this recipe is pretty standard, but see below in the “substitutions and variations” section if you want to change up the goat cheese selection.
For these goat cheese sugar cookies, you will need:
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salt
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• goat cheese
• pure maple syrup
• egg yolk
• vanilla extract
• pecans
HOW TO MAKE GOAT CHEESE COOKIES
This is a no chill cookie recipe, so you won’t need to build in any time for chilling the dough. You will, however, need to be sure your ingredients are all at room temperature so the cookie dough comes together seamlessly.
STEP #1
Start by tossing together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2
Next, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add the goat cheese and beat again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated.
STEP #3
Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, then mix until a dough forms. Fold in the chopped pecans with a spatula.
STEP #4
Using a cookie scoop, gently roll the dough into balls and bake. You will know these cookies are done when they are just set and the tops start to crack ever so slightly. The cookies will puff up but “deflate” as they cool.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
GOAT CHEESE: over the many years of having this recipe in my baking lineup, I have used several flavors of goat cheese. I originally wrote this recipe back in 2016 with a maple pecan goat cheese, but any fresh goat cheese will work perfectly. I have most recently and frequently used plain goat cheese, which lends great flavor. If you don’t like, can’t find, or don’t want to use goat cheese, you can always substitute the goat cheese for cream cheese.
NUTS: I love the addition of nuts in these cookies, but you can absolutely omit them if you want or need to. You can also use any nut in place of the pecans. These goat cheese cookies would be just as delicious with walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, or pistachios.
MAPLE SYRUP: if you don’t want to use maple syrup, you can replace it completely with honey. This would be a great selection if you find a honey goat cheese!
If you’re looking for an easy cookie that will impress and “dress up” a cookie tray, this one is it. Bold maple syrup, classic melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookie flavor, and a little something special with that goat cheese.
Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 ounces (57g) goat cheese1 softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (30mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (30g) finely chopped pecans2
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the goat cheese and beat again until completely combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until everything is incorporated.¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, 2 ounces (57g) goat cheese1, 2 Tablespoons (30mL) pure maple syrup, 1 large egg yolk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms, then fold in the chopped pecans with a spatula.¼ cup (30g) finely chopped pecans2
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), gently roll dough into balls. Dough will be soft but still workable. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes, until cookies are just set and slightly cracked on the top. Cookies will puff up but "deflate" as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Baked cookies may be frozen, up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough can be frozen up to 2 months. Refrigerate rolled dough balls until firm then freeze. Place frozen dough balls on baking sheet and bake an additional 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- Goat cheese: I love making these with maple and/or pecan goat cheese if I can find it. You can usually find this in the fancy cheese section of larger grocery stores.
- Pecans: these are optional, but I love the texture they bring to the cookie. You can substitute any nut in place of the pecans, especially if you find a goat cheese with a different type of nut in it.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Ummm…..HELLO BEST COOKIE IDEA EVER! Lynn! These are amazing! You are so creative – I would never have thought to put goat cheese in my sugar cookies, but these sound delicious! The perfect grown up sugar cookie to nibble in a not-so-grown up way after dinner! LOVE!
THANKS, Amy! You are too kind, my friend 🙂
I love this!!! Maple Pecan and GOAT CHEESE!! This reminds me of Sour Cream cookies, but you MADE IT BETTER!!! Thank you! My family will be so happy.
Thank you, Tiffany!
I had some goat cheese I needed to use up and found your recipe. These are delicious! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them, Kay!
I found some apple and ginger goat cheese to use for these, added cinnamon and used white chocolate instead of pecans. Turned out absolutely delicious!
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
I substituted 1 tsp. lavender for the pecans, the cookies are wonderful!
I love goat cheese and was ecstatic to find a cookie using goat cheese! The texture of this cookie is like no other. And all the flavors get together and have the best party and you’re invited! You’ll want to RSVP to this scrumptious soirée!
This is my new favorite comment, haha. Thanks so much, Leah!
These. Are. So. Good.
Wait, let me repeat.
These. Are. So. Good.
This is not a drill. (Thanks, Brooke!)
Just tried my first one of these still warm from the oven. I toasted the pecans and OMG they are fantastic cookies. Will double the recipe next time.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Lizi!
I love this recipe, it’s very moreish!. It so happened I had the exact amount of leftover goats cheese. I did not have pecan so I used walnut instead.
Will make it again but not soon, because it’s nearly gone my baked cookies. I might add lavender this summer for flavour.
Thank you so much, Hetty!
I don’t know why more people have not made these and given them ALL THE STARS. This cookie is the f***ing bomb. An adult cookie in its best form! You’re a wizard, everyone should make these. The end.
Haha, thank you, Monica! You’re right– people are really sleeping on these cookies!
Trader Joe’s had an amarena cherry goat cheese and I used that. I also used their half salt roasted pecans and these were some of the best cookies I’ve ever had. I haven’t seen the cherry cheese lately but I’m going to try other flavors as they come out.
Thanks so much, Mary! That goat cheese sounds AMAZING. Maybe I need a TJ’s trip…
I bake these again and again. Great flavors! Thank you for sharing.
So glad you liked them, Britt!