These pumpkin cheesecake cookies are soft pumpkin cookies with a creamy cheesecake center and a cinnamon-sugar coating. The warm pumpkin spices, brown sugar and tangy cream cheese make them such a good fall cookie.
They take a little more time than basic drop cookies because both the cookie dough and cheesecake filling need to freeze before assembly, but the hands-on work is simple. Freezing both parts makes the soft pumpkin dough much easier to wrap around the creamy filling.
You can make these cookies with all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour, and there’s also a tested gluten-free option using King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour.
What’s To Love
- Soft pumpkin spice cookies with creamy cheesecake centers.
- A cinnamon-sugar coating for extra flavor and texture.
- All-purpose, white whole wheat and tested gluten-free options.
- Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Ingredients
Please scroll down for the full recipe. These are just notes on select ingredients.
- Pumpkin puree – canned pumpkin puree is my first choice because it always has a consistent texture. Homemade pumpkin puree can contain considerably more moisture, which can make this already-soft dough too wet. If you use homemade pumpkin puree, place it in a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel, squeeze out the excess liquid and let it drip before measuring. The varying moisture level in homemade puree can make a big difference in baked goods, including this Pumpkin Loaf Cake.
- Flour – use all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. For gluten-free cookies, use King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour, which is the gluten-free flour tested in this recipe.
- Cream cheese – bring it to room temperature before making the filling so it combines smoothly with the sugar, vanilla and salt.
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon – these give the pumpkin cookie dough its warm fall flavor. Additional cinnamon is mixed with sugar for the coating.
- Coarse or raw sugar – this is mixed with cinnamon and used to coat the stuffed cookies before baking.
How to make pumpkin cheesecake cookies
- Mix the wet ingredients until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop the dough into evenly sized portions.
- Portion the cream cheese filling into small mounds.
- Flatten each piece of dough, place the filling in the center and wrap the dough around it so the filling is completely enclosed.
- Roll each dough ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until set around the edges but still soft in the center, then cool as directed in the recipe card.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip freezing the cookie dough or cheesecake filling. Both need to be firm enough to assemble the cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop or kitchen scale to keep the dough and filling portions evenly sized.
- Keep the cheesecake filling in small mounds rather than flattening it before freezing.
- If your hands are warm, flatten the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper to make assembly less messy.
- A little cheesecake filling peeking through a tiny crack is fine.
- Don’t flatten the stuffed cookies before baking.
- Don’t overbake them. They don’t need to become very brown, and they’ll continue to bake on the hot baking sheet after they come out of the oven.
Storage and freezing
Because these cookies have a cream cheese filling, don’t store them on the counter. Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the baked cookies in a sealed airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
If you want the cheesecake filling gooey again, microwave an individual cookie for about 10-15 seconds before serving.
Make ahead
If you want to make these pumpkin cheesecake cookies ahead, start with the cookie dough. Portion it into balls and freeze them. The night before you plan to bake the cookies, transfer the frozen dough balls to the refrigerator to thaw.
The next day, make and freeze the cheesecake filling, then stuff and bake the cookies as directed.
You could possibly freeze the fully assembled unbaked cookies and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before baking, but I haven’t tested this. Cream cheese can sometimes suffer texturally after freezing, so I can’t say for sure how well that method would work.
For more pumpkin desserts you can make ahead, try these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies or this Pumpkin Pound Cake.
More pumpkin recipes
If you have extra pumpkin puree, this Pumpkin Pudding is an easy 15-minute dessert with dairy-free and paleo options. These Pumpkin Spice Macarons are another fun fall cookie and are naturally gluten-free.
I hope you enjoy these pumpkin cheesecake cookies! If you make them, please leave a rating and comment below. I’d love to hear how they turned out.
❤️ Have you tried these pumpkin cheesecake cookies? ❤️
Please leave a ✍️ review and ⭐ rating below! I’d love to hear how they turned out.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) flour see notes
Cheesecake filling:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese room temp
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Cinnamon sugar:
- 2 tablespoons coarse/raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Line a small cutting board or tray that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on high speed until well combined and light.1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin puree just until combined.1 large egg yolk1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract1/4 cup (60 grams) canned pumpkin puree
- Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and salt over the mixture and beat for a few seconds, just until combined.1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add the flour. Use a silicone spatula to partially incorporate it, then mix on low speed just until combined.1 1/2 cups (188 grams) flour
- Divide the dough into eighteen 33-gram balls. Place them on the prepared board or tray and freeze for 1 hour. If you freeze them longer, let them sit at room temperature just until they are soft enough to flatten.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt.6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese3 tablespoons granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractPinch of salt
- Line another small board or tray with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Portion the filling into eighteen 11-gram (about 2-teaspoon) mounds. A small cookie scoop works well for this. Don’t flatten the filling into discs because you’ll be wrapping the dough around the frozen portions. Freeze for 1 hour, or until firm.
- Toward the end of the freezing time, preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Stir together the coarse/raw sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.2 tablespoons coarse/raw sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Flatten one firm cookie dough ball in the palm of your hand and place a frozen cheesecake filling portion in the center. Bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling to form a ball, making sure the cheesecake is covered. You can also flatten the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Roll each filled cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar and place about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Do not flatten them.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the cookies have cracked and feel firm on top.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For the flour, you can use all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour - or for gluten-free, use King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-free Flour.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They don’t need to be super brown. Keep an eye on them, and if they seem too soft out of the oven, remember that they’ll continue to bake on the tray out of the oven.
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
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