I couldn’t be more excited to introduce the best pumpkin cheesecake cookies recipe; they are the perfect marriage between two of my favorite things, pumpkin, and cheesecake.
A tangy cream cheese filling in the middle of a fluffy pumpkin cookie.
I have to be honest. Making these cookies is a little more daunting than regular cookies, but I promise your effort will be rewarded when you bite into this ooey-gooey deliciousness.
WHY THESE ARE THE BEST PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES:
These cookies are the combination of the most delicious desserts on earth: the pumpkin dough reminds of pumpkin pie, the sugar coating is what you love about snickerdoodle cookies, and last but not least, the zesty cheesecake filling is out of this world!
These are definetely the perfect treat to start this pumpkin season on the right foot.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES:
Flour: A combination of cake and all-purpose flour gives you the most tender cookies.
Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree leads to the best results in flavor and as a binder of this recipe since we’re not using any egg yolks. I discourage you from using your own pumpkin puree because it has too much moisture, and the consistency will be affected.
Butter: Unsalted room-temperature butter.
Sugar: A combination of granulated and light brown sugar.
Baking powder & baking soda: This helps the cookies rise.
Cream cheese: This is the creamy filling of our cookie, mixed with powdered sugar and lemon zest. You can also use mascarpone instead with the same results.
Spices & flavors: I like to make my pumpkin pie spice. Mixing: Cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, and vanilla extract, but you can also get it from the store.
I encourage you to use a kitchen scale instead of a measuring cup to get more consistent results.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
For the pumpkin spice sugar coating:
Mix 50g of granulated sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the pumpkin cookies:
- Start with the wet ingredients; place 120g of softened unsalted butter, 200g of light brown sugar, 70g of pumpkin puree, and one teaspoon of vanilla paste into a stand mixer bowl (you can also use a hand mixer) equipped with the beater attachment.
- Mix at high speed until creamy; meanwhile, weigh the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, pour 100g of all-purpose flour, 100g of cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And give a quick stir.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture to the butter little by little; scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula and continue mixing until all the flour is incorporated.
- Use a large cookie scoop to make cookie balls, then place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
For the cheesecake filling:
- In a large bowl, combine 180g of cream cheese with 50g of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla paste, and a pinch of salt. Mix at medium speed until fluffy using a whisk, —-add lemon zest
- Scoop the cheesecake filling into 12 balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
ASSEMBLING THE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Get the cookie dough balls from the fridge and the frozen cheesecake balls from the freezer.
- Slightly flatten the pumpkin cookie balls on the palm of your hand and put a cheese filling in the middle.
- Cover the cheese filling with flattened cookie dough and form a ball. Be sure that the filling is completely covered.
- Roll the cookies into the cinnamon sugar and place them on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until golden on the outside; when it’s ready, let them on a wire rack.
STORAGE AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
Store the baked cookies in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container, or freeze them inside a ziplock bag for up to three months. When needed, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
I don’t recommend storing them at room temperature because of the cheese filling.
FAQS:
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
I developed this recipe using Libby pumpkin puree; homemade pumpkin puree has too much water and changes the consistency of the cookie drastically.
Can I make them gluten-free?
To make this recipe gluten-free, use bob red mill 1-1 gluten-free flour
Can I make them vegan?
You can totally make this cookie vegan. Replace the butter with Earth Balance vegan butter and the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
This recipe makes around 12 large cookies.
Can I replace pumpkin spice?
Pumpkin spice makes this cookie the perfect fall dessert, but you can feel free to try other spices you like.
PRO TIPS:
Chill the dough:
This is a pretty wet dough, and I advise handling it straight from the fridge. This dough is best to work with cooled. If you are doing these in summer, it will help to roll one cookie at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge.
Leave space between each cookie:
Don’t try to stick all the cookie balls on one tray; divide them between two trays as they spread as they cook.
Don’t overbake
One of the most common errors we usually make when baking cookies is to overbake them! After 15 minutes, when the cookie edges are firm to the touch and browned, but the center is still jiggly, remove them from the oven. Let them finish cooking on the baking sheet. You’ll see that they harden as they cool.
OTHER COOKIES RECIPE YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Brown butter pecan chocolate cookies
The best pumpkin cheesecake cookies
Equipment
- stand mixer with beater attachment
- Rubber spatula
- large bowl
- oven
Ingredients
For the sugar coating:
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the cookie dough:
- 120 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g brown sugar
- 70 g pumpkin puree Libby
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground clove
For the cheese filling:
- 180 g cream cheese
- 40 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- a pinch of salt
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
For the pumpkin spice sugar coating:
- Mix 50g of granulated sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the pumpkin cookies:
- Start with the wet ingredients; place 120g of softened unsalted butter, 200g of light brown sugar, 70g of pumpkin puree, and one teaspoon of vanilla paste into a stand mixer bowl (you can also use a hand mixer) equipped with the beater attachment. Mix at high speed until creamy; meanwhile, weigh the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, pour 100g of all-purpose flour, 100g of cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And give a quick stir. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture to the butter little by little; scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula and continue mixing until all the flour is incorporated. Use a large cookie scoop to make cookie balls, then place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
FOR THE CHEESEAKE FILLING:
- In a large bowl, combine 180g of cream cheese with 50g of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla paste, and a pinch of salt. Mix at medium speed until fluffy using a whisk, add lemon zest. Scoop the cheesecake filling into 12 balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
ASSEMBLING THE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Get the cookie dough balls from the fridge and the frozen cheesecake balls from the freezer. Slightly flatten the pumpkin cookie balls on the palm of your hand and put a cheese filling in the middle. Cover the cheese filling with flattened cookie dough and form a ball. Be sure that the filling is completely covered.Roll the cookies into the cinnamon sugar and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until golden on the outside; when it’s ready, let them on a wire rack.
Notes
STORAGE AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
Store the baked cookies in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container, or freeze them inside a ziplock bag for up to three months. When needed, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. I don’t recommend storing them at room temperature because of the cheese filling.Nutrition
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