Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies blend the rich flavors of pumpkin spice with a creamy cheesecake filling, creating a treat that is perfect for Fall, cozy gatherings or satisfying a sweet tooth.

Course baked goods, Cookie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 18

Chilling time 1

Total Time 1 58

Servings

Calories 297kcal

Author Kylee Ayotte

Equipment

Medium bowl
Stand Mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Parchment Paper
Small cutting board or baking sheet (something flat that will fit in the freezer)
Large Bowl
Whisk
Cookie Scoop
Measuring spoons

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Sugar

¼ cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Cheesecake Filling

8 ounces cream cheese softened
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cookies

½ cup pumpkin puree drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened (1.5 sticks)
1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make Pumpkin Spice Sugar

Stir ¼ cup granulated white sugar and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl, set aside.

Make the cheesecake filling

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to mix8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup white sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together until smooth.
Use a tablespoon to scoop out 16 scoops of the mixture and drop them onto a small cutting board or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They don’t have to be perfectly shaped.
Place the cream cheese scoops in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Remove moisture from pumpkin

Spread ½ cup pumpkin puree onto a paper towel lined plate and press another paper towel on top to squeeze out the moisture. Repeat this at least 2 more times or until the puree is noticeably drier and reduced to ¼ cup. Set it aside.

Make the cookie dough

Whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, and set it aside.
In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream 12 tablespoons butter and 1 ½ cups light brown sugar until fluffy.
Add 2 large egg yolks, ½ cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and continue beating until well-mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture until the dough is crumbly. It should be a little sticky.

Scoop, shape and roll

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out 16 scoops of dough (2 tablespoons of dough each), roll them into balls with your hands and place them on a small, parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board.
Flatten them out slightly, then place the frozen scoops of cream cheese onto each dough disc. Carefully wrap the cookie dough around the cream cheese and roll them into round balls with your hands. It’s okay if a little bit of the cream cheese shows through the cracks.
Roll each cookie dough ball in the pumpkin spice sugar, making sure the sugar mixture coats them completely.

Freeze

Place the dough balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 24 hours.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and place the cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on each baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes or until they have spread and start to turn brown around the edges.

Cool

Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes (the cookies will flatten out as they cool) and serve.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

The cream cheese will start to thaw and spread a little as you are wrapping the cookie dough around it. This will be fine and won’t affect the outcome of the cookies.

It’s important to make sure the cream cheese mixture is smooth and lump-free when you are mixing it with the sugar to make sure you don’t have clumps of sour cream cheese in the cookies.

Enjoy these cookies chilled or at room temperature, but don’t let them stay at room temperature for longer than 2 hours due to the cream cheese in the middle.

The pumpkin puree needs to be noticeably drier after draining it, but some moisture is fine. You’ll want it to be pliable (like playdough) and have it reduced to ¼ cup.

Nutrition