Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
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These pumpkin cheesecake cookies are the perfect cookie for pumpkin season. Soft and chewy pumpkin cookies stuffed with a dollop of tangy cream cheese filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Table of Contents
A Note from Fiona
Here’s Why I think You’ll Love these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies!
Every fall, my recipe for pumpkin spice cookies becomes one of the most popular recipes on my blog. The cookies are soft and chewy, with the perfect pumpkin spice flavor and cinnamon sugar coating.
These pumpkin cheesecake cookies combine the dough recipe from my favorite pumpkin cookies, and add a delicious dollop of cheesecake filling in the middle. The cheesecake filling really takes these cookies to the next level, and is the best surprise when you first bite into a cookie.
The recipe does require a little extra time and effort because you need to freeze the cheesecake filling, and forming the cookie dough balls does take a little more busy work. I promise the effort is definitely worth it though!
Ingredients Needed
This recipe does have a few key ingredients to ensure success.
For the pumpkin cookie dough, you’ll need:
- Pumpkin Puree – I always buy canned (just be sure not to buy pumpkin pie filling), but you could also make your own by boiling pumpkin and then pureeing in a food processor
- Flour – be sure to measure carefully
- Baking Soda & Salt – for the perfect rise
- Pumpkin Spices – I use a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves, but I’ve included the option to use pre-prepared pumpkin pie spice
- Unsalted Butter – it should be softened, but not starting to melt
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar – the combo of both has the best results for flavorful, chewy cookies
- Egg Yolk – just the egg yolk! Do not add the whole egg or the cookies will be too cakey in texture
- Vanilla – to round out the flavor
For the Cheesecake Filling, you’ll need:
- Cream Cheese – be sure to use full, fat brick style
- Powdered Sugar
- Flour – just a touch to thicken the filling, this is so the cream cheese mixture doesn’t melt into the dough as the cookies bake
- Vanilla
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating, you’ll need:
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon
Method – with Photos
As mentioned, these cookies do require a little extra extra effort.
Start by making the cheesecake filling:
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour and vanilla and smooth and creamy.
- Drop into dollops on a lined cookie sheet – each with about 1 teaspoon of filling – lightly cover and freeze.
Then it’s time for the pumpkin cookie dough:
- First, blot/squeeze the pumpkin puree to remove any excess moisture. This helps give the cookies the proper cookie texture
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Beat the butter and sugars until creamed. Do this in a separate large bowl.
- Mix in the egg yolk, blotted pumpkin, and vanilla. Be sure to only add in the egg yolk.
- Beat in the dry ingredients.
- Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Once the dough is chilled and the cheesecake dollops are frozen, it’s time to assemble the cookies. I typically do this the next day, but as long as the dollops are frozen and the dough isn’t too sticky, you can assemble the dough balls.
- Scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and flatten into a disc shape.
- Place a frozen dollop of cream cheese in the middle.
- Scoop out another tablespoon of dough (or slightly less) and place on top of the cream cheese dollop. Pinch the edges of the dough around the cream cheese dollop so that it’s fully covered. Then roll into a ball.
- Roll the dough ball in cinnamon sugar.
Recipe Tip
To keep the cream cheese dollops frozen, keep them in the freezer as you assemble the dough balls. Just take one out at a time as you assemble the cookie dough balls.
You’ll then pop the dough balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months or whenever you’re ready to bake.
Recipe Tip
These cookies aren’t too difficult to make, but they do require time. Be sure to allocate enough time for the cream cheese dollops to freeze and the dough to chill. If the dough is too warm, it will become sticky and difficult to work with. If the cream cheese dollops start to melt, assembling the cookies becomes very difficult.
You’ll love these pumpkin cheesecake cookies because of their delicious fall flavor and the creamy cheesecake filling. They’re a little extra special, thanks to the cream cheese centers, so they’re sure to impress. If you love pumpkin treats, you’ll definitely love these cookies.
More Pumpkin Favorites to Try
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- The Best Pumpkin Cake – with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (112 grams), brick style
- ½ cup powdered sugar (55 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cornstach, or sub with all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (312 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (168 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (158 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cornstarch (or flour) and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Line a baking sheet or plate with wax paper. Drop spoonfulls of the cream cheese filling onto the lined plate/cookie sheet. Lightly cover and place in the freezer.
Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- Blot the pumpkin with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamed. There should be no lumps of butter.
- Beat the egg, pumpkin and vanilla into the butter mixture until combined.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until smooth.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
Assembling and Baking
- On a small plate, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Keep the frozen cream cheese dollops in the freezer as you go. Ensure the cookie dough has chilled – otherwise it can be too sticky to work with.
- Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of dough and flatten slightly. Then place a dollop of frozen cream cheese in the middle. Scoop out another tablespoon or so of dough. Place on top of the frozen cream cheese dollop. Pinch the dough around the cream cheese so that it's entirely covered. Then roll into a ball shape.
- Roll the dough ball in the cinnamon sugar coating.
- As you make the dough balls, place each in the freezer so that they don't warm up too much.
- Freeze dough balls for at least 30 minutes, or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (be sure not to use wax paper). Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes, or until the tops look set. Cool the cookies fully on the cookie sheet. If you try to move the cookies off the cookie sheet while they're still warm – the cookies will fall apart.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat, brick style cream cheese.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use pumpkin puree (canned or homemade) and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe makes 16 uniform cookies.
Pumpkin isn’t listed in the ingredients. How much do I use?
Thank you so much for catching that! You’ll use 1/2 cup. I’ve just updated the recipe