Chocolate Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

Cookies and cream – a classic combo! An all-time favorite! How could we possibly make it any better?

Vertical image of a stack of cookies and piles of raspberries, with text on the top and bottom of the image.

Not to play devil’s hungry advocate, but…

I could think of one way.

It might upset the stark traditionalists out there. The devout followers may guffaw and turn up their noses. But I’m willing to stand my ground for a taste of something new.

Vertical image of a row of sandwich cookies in a pan next to raspberries.

Summer is my inspiration. Summer has me dreaming about my old childhood home, and my dad’s garden in the backyard.

Despite how methodically and tactfully he planned his garden every year, knowing exactly what he would plant and exactly where each thing would grow, there was still a hint of natural, feral mischief that found its way over to the other side of the fence he built.

Wild raspberry bushes!

Vertical close-up image of a stack of cookies with a light pink creamy filling next to fresh fruit.

Those fresh berries, at first unwelcome guests in our backyard, became a source of excited anticipation for my whole family.

We would follow my dad outside to the garden every morning, run over to the fence, and find those bright bursts of red among the green leaves.

It took sooooo much personal discipline (likely brought on by my mom’s repeat yells that we needed to wash them in the kitchen sink first) for us to not pluck them right from the bush and eat them all outside among the tomato plants and fresh herbs.

Sweet, ripe, juicy – a flawless bite of serendipitous nature.

Vertical top-down image of scattered cocoa sandwich cookies and fresh raspberries.

So, you cold-hearted purists (you know I love you all), can you really be angry with us at Foodal for wanting to add raspberries to our recipes with every chance we get?

How could you be mad, with all of the baked goods we’ve made for you? Our vibrant raspberry recipes like sweet layer cakes, overnight French toast, and fluffy muffins must have brought smiles to your faces!

Vertical image of one cookie with a creamy filling on top of raspberries.

And you’ll be sure to enjoy these raspberry cream chocolate sandwiches, a subtle update to the classic cookies and cream recipe.

The thin and chewy chocolate cookies have a slight crunch to them. And between those perfect cocoa rounds? A sweetened cream cheese filling mixed with fresh raspberries.

Vertical image of a tall stack of cocoa sandwich cookies on a metal stand with fresh raspberries.

Loosen those harsh culinary standards, and try a fresh and fruity new recipe. You might actually enjoy it…

Print
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Horizontal image of a stack of cookies, and one other cookie resting on the stack, surrounded by raspberries.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies


  • Author: Nikki Cervone
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Yield: 20 small cookie sandwiches 1x

Description

If you love cookies and cream, try our homemade chocolate cookie sandwiches with raspberry cream, a fruity update to the classic.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookies:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the Filling:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries, or 12 tablespoons raspberry jam

Instructions

For the Cookies:

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vegetable oil until combined.
  4. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Mix with a sturdy spoon until all ingredients are combined and a thick, slightly crumbly dough forms.
  5. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half and set one half aside. Lightly flour the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter (2 inches in diameter to get small sandwiches) to cut into desired shapes. Place shapes onto baking sheets, leaving some space between each. Repeat with the other dough half. Discard the scraps, or save for another use.
  6. Chill the shaped dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  7. While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.
  8. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly puffed. They will still be very soft to the touch.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Filling:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. Add the fruit or jam and mix again to combine.
  2. Evenly divide the filling among half of the cookies, using a spatula or a piping bag. Add the other cookies on top and push down gently to spread the filling close to the edges. Serve and enjoy!
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let the cookies come to room temperature before serving again.
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: cookie, sandwich, chocolate, raspberry, cream cheese

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Make the Dough

Horizontal image of a white bowl with a crumbly dark brown dough.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Why the bread flour? Since bread flour has a high protein content, it will increase the gluten’s strength and help the treats keep their shapes. Just be careful to not overmix the dough – there’s more of a chance it will be tough after baking!

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vegetable oil until combined.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Mix with a sturdy spoon until all ingredients are combined and a thick and crumbly dough forms. It won’t be too sticky.

Step 2 – Divide and Roll

Horizontal image of a wooden cutting board with a dark brown crumbly dough divided in half.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half and set one half aside. Lightly flour the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a 1/4-inch thickness, using more flour to dust as necessary.

Horizontal image of a wooden cutting with a flattened dark brown dough next to a marble rolling pin and brown towel.

If the dough is too crumbly to roll and keeps sticking to the rolling pin, use a piece of parchment paper to cover the dough and continue rolling – the parchment will keep the dough intact and prevent any sticking.

Step 3 – Shape

Horizontal image of flattened dark brown dough with rows of a circular cut-outs, and a white bowl with a red pastry cutter.

Use a circle-shaped cutter to cut into desired shapes. I made mini sandwiches, using a cutter that was 2 inches in diameter. Place shapes onto one of the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each one.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the other dough half.

I recommend only rolling the dough once, and saving the scraps to prevent waste. Rolling a second time will cause the dough to become tough and chewy once baked.

You can use the scraps for other tasty purposes! Here are a couple ideas:

  • Bake the scraps and pulverize into small crumbs to use as a chocolate crust for cheesecakes and cream pies.
  • Bake the scraps and break into large chunks. Use as crunchy layers in a cookie parfait.

Step 4 – Chill and Bake

Horizontal image of a silicone mat on a sheet pan with unbaked cocoa dessert circles.

Don’t toss them in the oven just yet! Chill the shaped forms in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, until cold and solid. This will help them keep their shape.

While they are chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Horizontal image of a cooling rack with baked cocoa cookies on top.

Once they have chilled, bake for 5-7 minutes, or until they are slightly puffed. Yup, they only take just a few minutes to bake. They will still be very soft to the touch, but will continue to cook and harden once they are out of the oven.

They can overbake very quickly, so make sure you are careful with your timing.

Step 5 – Make the Filling

Horizontal image of a white plate with a piping bag and half of a filled sandwich cookie..

Here’s one question before mixing the filling ingredients: are your cream cheese and butter at room temperature? Don’t forget! Room temperature ingredients will help you whip up this filling in no time at all, without any lumps!

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat together the (room temp!) cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.

Slowly add confectioners’ sugar about 1/2 cup at a time.

Add the fresh fruit or jam and mix again to combine. If using fresh fruit, thoroughly mix into the filling with the paddle attachment to break up the raspberries and evenly distribute them into the filling.

Horizontal image of three dark brown sandwich cookies with a light pink filling on top of fresh fruit.

Evenly divide all of the filling among half of the cookies, using a spatula or a piping bag. Add the other half on top and push down gently to spread the filling close to the edges.

Serve immediately, or store the sandwiches in the refrigerator. Let them come to room temperature before serving – they will be too hard and crunchy to serve cold.

No Raspberries? We Have Other Ideas!

While I had bountiful raspberries in the garden of my childhood home, you may have other offerings to consider using in this recipe.

Swap the raspberries for another soft berry: blackberries will work perfectly. Strawberries and blueberries might be a little hard to thoroughly mix into the filling, but if you try it with delicious success, let us know!

Horizontal image of a stack of cookies, and one other cookie resting on the stack, surrounded by raspberries.

And once summer ends, replace the fresh fruit for a tablespoon or two of your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves, especially if you have a homemade recipe you want to use.

As long as you are happy with this fruit-filled sweet sandwich, I’m happy.

Let the happiness continue with even more cookie recipes. Here are a few more chocolate ones to try:

Do you have any favorite memories of your summer garden? How do you like to use fresh fruit in desserts? Share your story, and let’s talk in the comment section below.

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on February 8, 2012. Last updated: September 20, 2019 at 19:09 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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