Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Soft pumpkin cookies stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Tested with all-purpose, white whole wheat and King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour.
Servings 18 cookies
Calories 182kcal
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup 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 flour see notes
Cheesecake filling:
- 6 ounces 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 unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup light brown sugar
- Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and pumpkin puree just until combined.1 large egg yolk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 cup 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 spice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 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 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 cream cheese, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch 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 sugar, 1 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 829IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg