16 Cream Cheese Cakes, Bars, and Cookies That Stack Well

Cream cheese works best when it’s built into the structure of a bake, not just spread on top. These recipes pull it into cookies, bars, muffins, cakes, pies, and brownies where the filling holds, the slices land clean, and nothing finishes too sweet or soft. Some swirl cream cheese into the batter, others layer it in, freeze it, or drop it into pockets that bake solid and cool without collapsing. The balance comes from contrast: lemon, strawberry, pumpkin, cherry, blueberry, red velvet—all paired with cream cheese to add weight without overload. These aren’t meant to drip, spread, or smear. They’re clean-finished, flavor-forward, and made to bake once and hold from tray to plate.

Cream Cheese Cookies

Balls of dough are arranged on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, dusted with powdered sugar. A fine mesh strainer with powdered sugar sits on the tray. — Cream Cheese Cookies. Photo credit: Downsizing Dinner.

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Cream cheese mixed into cookie dough adds density and structure without extra sweetness. The bake finishes soft in the middle, crisp at the edge. Serve cooled. These hold their shape and stack well.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Cookies

Strawberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake

A baked cobbler in a glass dish with a golden crust, topped with whipped cream, strawberry slices, and a mint leaf on a marble surface. — Strawberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake. Photo credit: Bagels and Lasagna.

Sweetened cream cheese layered with strawberry pie filling and cake mix, then baked until golden and bubbling. The cheese softens but holds shape. Serve warm or room temp. It spoons out full and cuts surprisingly clean.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies

Red velvet cookies topped with swirls of white frosting and red sprinkles on a white surface. — Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies. Photo credit: Mama’s on a Budget.

Red velvet cookie dough wrapped around or swirled with cream cheese before baking. The center lands soft and slightly tangy. Serve cooled or chilled. They cut sharp and don’t flatten out.
Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookies

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Lemon cake batter baked with cream cheese folded in or centered. The citrus balances the rich base. Serve plain or with a dusting. They hold texture and stay bright.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

Layered graham crackers, sweetened cream cheese, and strawberries chilled until firm. The cream cheese keeps the texture dense and sliceable. Serve cold. It stays sharp even after resting.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

No-bake pie with cream cheese filling and a cherry topping that sets after chilling. The base holds structure, not fluff. Serve cold. It cuts clean and stays light.
Get the Recipe: Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Cream Cheese Banana Pudding

Cream cheese blended into pudding for extra body, then layered with bananas and wafers. The result is thick but not heavy. Serve cold. It spoons easy and stacks smooth.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Banana Pudding

Lemonade Cream Cheese Pie

A slice of lemon cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and lemon glaze sits on a plate, surrounded by whole lemons and a glass of yellow drink. — Lemonade Cream Cheese Pie. Photo credit: Maria’s Mixing Bowl.

Frozen or chilled pie with cream cheese, lemonade concentrate, and a graham crust. The mix sets tight without freezing hard. Serve cold. It hits tart and sweet with a clean slice.
Get the Recipe: Lemonade Cream Cheese Pie

Old-fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream cheese folded into the batter to create a dense, moist texture without glaze or icing. The crumb stays tight. Serve toasted or plain. It slices full and keeps soft even after cooling.
Get the Recipe: Old-fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Poke Cake

A square piece of frosted cake with a creamy filling sits on a green plate; blurred flowers and more cake are in the background. — Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Poke Cake. Photo credit: Ginger Casa.

Baked carrot cake poked and filled with a cream cheese mixture that sets into the gaps. The flavor balances spice and tang. Serve cold. It cuts square and spoons full.
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Poke Cake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Three pumpkin bars with a cream cheese layer in the center are stacked on a white plate, with additional bars and a stack of plates in the background. — Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars. Photo credit: Trop Rockin.

Pumpkin batter layered or marbled with sweetened cream cheese. The bar bakes firm but soft in the center. Serve cooled. The flavor lands even without frosting.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies

Cookies and cream muffins cooling on a wire rack with Oreo cookies and two red straws in the background. — Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Crushed Oreos folded into cream cheese dough and baked into thick rounds. The cookies finish soft with crisp edges. Serve room temp. They hold shape and don’t fall apart.
Get the Recipe: Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies

Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Puff Pastries

Close-up of a pastry filled with cream and cherry topping, garnished with crumbled cookie pieces, with a golden-brown biscuit on the side. — Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Puff Pastries. Photo credit: Xoxo Bella.

Puff pastry filled with sweet cream cheese and cherry pie filling, baked until the crust turns crisp. The inside stays soft but doesn’t spill. Serve cooled or warm. It lands structured and handheld.
Get the Recipe: Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Puff Pastries

Cream Cheese Brownies

Close-up of marble cheesecake brownies showing a swirled chocolate and cream cheese pattern, with one brownie stacked on another. — Cream Cheese Brownies. Photo credit: xoxo Bella.

Classic brownie batter swirled with a cream cheese mix before baking. The two parts stay distinct. Serve room temp or chilled. It slices sharp and stacks right.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownies

Cream Cheese Berry Danish Recipe

A rectangular berry Danish pastry with icing drizzle on a white plate, surrounded by fresh strawberries, blueberries, and orange slices. — Cream Cheese Berry Danish Recipe. Photo credit: xoxo Bella.

Mixed berries layered over cream cheese in puff pastry and baked until the edges set. The filling stays centered and the crust crisps. Serve with or without icing. It holds texture and color.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Berry Danish Recipe

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Two blueberry muffins with crumb topping on a white plate, one cut in half to show a creamy filling and visible blueberry. — Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins. Photo credit: xoxo Bella.

Blueberries folded into muffin batter with cream cheese either dropped in or mixed through. The texture lands dense without turning dry. Serve warm or room temp. They stack, freeze, or travel clean.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins