These pumpkin cheesecake cookies feature a soft and chewy pumpkin cookie dough, a creamy cheesecake filling, and a spiced sugar coating. An easy yet decadent cookie recipe that’s perfect for fall!

A pumpkin cheesecake cookie, bitten to show the filling, resting atop other cookies.

Pumpkin cookies? Delicious. Pumpkin cheesecake? Also delicious. Pumpkin cheesecake cookies? The best of both worlds!

This recipe is essentially for spiced pumpkin cookies with a cream cheese filling. The trick to filling the cookies is to first freeze scoops of the cheesecake mixture, then envelope the frozen filling with the cookie dough. Easy, right?!

I specifically created this recipe to feed a crowd — 30 to 32 cookies, to be exact! If you don’t need that many cookies, simply halve the ingredients to make a more modest batch of 15 to 16.

If you adore creamy cheesecake, fall spices, and pumpkin, you’re going to love these cookies!

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make pumpkin cream cheese cookies.

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

This pumpkin cheesecake cookie recipe has three components: the cream cheese filling, the pumpkin cookie dough, and the spiced sugar coating. I won’t go into detail about every ingredient you’ll need to make this recipe, but I’ll cover the key ones below.

  • Cream cheese: For best results, you’ll want to use full-fat cream cheese that’s sold in a brick. Whipped cream cheese sold in a tub isn’t firm enough to use for the filling.
  • Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make a batch of your own.
  • Sugar: I used both brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe. Granulated sugar adds a neutral sweetness to the cheesecake filling and spiced sugar coating, while brown sugar adds moisture and flavor to the cookie dough.
  • Pumpkin puree: It’s crucial that you purchase pure pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin; there should be no spices or sweeteners added to it.
  • Egg yolks: Between the brown sugar and the pumpkin puree, there’s already plenty of moisture in the cookie dough. You only need the egg yolks to help bind everything together without adding too much additional moisture. Feel free to save the leftover egg whites to use in an omelet, or use them to make some candied almonds or angel food cake.
  • All-purpose flour: Make sure to spoon and level the flour so you avoid accidentally measuring out too much.
Scoops of cheesecake filling on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Soft, chewy, and bursting with fall flavor, these cream cheese-filled pumpkin cookies are so easy to make! There are a few extra steps in this recipe since you’ll be stuffing the cookies with a cheesecake mixture, but the overall process is straightforward.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling

  1. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together until well combined. Either a stand mixer or handheld mixer works great for this step!
  2. Scoop the cream cheese mixture into 2 teaspoon-sized balls. You’ll need roughly 30 to 32 balls of the cream cheese mixture to fill all of the cookies.
  3. Place the balls of cream cheese onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and transfer to the freezer while you move onto the rest of the recipe.
An overhead view of pumpkin cookie dough in the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment in the bowl.

Mix Together The Pumpkin Cookie Dough

  1. Add the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter just until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until well combined.
  3. To the butter mixture, add the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Once the cookie dough comes together, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. This will prevent your cookies from spreading too much in the oven and make the dough easier to work with as well.
An overhead view of flattened balls of cookie dough with scoops of cream cheese in the center.
A bowl of cinnamon sugar with a cookie dough ball resting in the middle. The bowl is on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.

Assemble & Bake The Cookies

  1. Once the cookie dough has chilled, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop it out. You should end up with 30 to 32 balls total.
  2. Remove the cream cheese balls from the freezer. Flatten one ball of cookie dough in the palm of your hand. Place the frozen cream cheese ball in the center, then fold the edges of the dough around the filling and roll into a ball.
  3. Roll the filled cookie dough ball in the spiced sugar mixture and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining cookie dough balls.
  4. Bake the pumpkin cheesecake cookies for roughly 12 minutes, then let cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
A close-up view of cream cheese-filled pumpkin cookies, next to a dish of pumpkin puree.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the cookies be made with homemade pumpkin puree?

Possibly, but I’ve only tested the cookies using canned pumpkin puree.

Homemade pumpkin puree tends to have more moisture than canned, which could negatively affect the recipe. If your homemade puree has quite a bit of moisture in it, I’d recommend blotting out some of the extra moisture with paper towels.

Can the filling be made with lite cream cheese?

Yes, so long as you use the cream cheese that’s sold in a brick and not the whipped version sold in a plastic tub. I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese.

Can the pumpkin pie spice be substituted?

If you’re out of pumpkin pie spice or can’t find it where you live, I recommend making a batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice instead.

Do cream cheese-filled cookies need to be refrigerated?

Yes, once the cookies have cooled completely, you’ll need to store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll last about five days if stored correctly.

A stack of halved pumpkin cheesecake cookies, with the filling showing.

Baking Tips

  • You must freeze the cream cheese mixture before stuffing the cookies with it! If you skip this step, the stuffing process will be very messy.
  • Likewise, you must chill the cookie dough before shaping and baking the cookies. Between the egg yolks and pumpkin puree, the dough is very moist; if you don’t chill it, the cookies may spread quite a bit in the oven.
  • Make sure that the cookie dough is completely wrapped around the cream cheese filling. This will ensure that it doesn’t ooze out while the cookies are baking.
  • I think the flavor of these cookies is perfect as is. If you prefer your cookies to be heavier on the spices, feel free to add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

More Pumpkin Recipes To Try!

Pumpkin cheesecake cookies on a gray surface. One cookie has a bite missing to show the cream cheese center.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

5 from 3 ratings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
These pumpkin cheesecake cookies feature a soft and chewy pumpkin cookie dough, a creamy cheesecake filling, and a spiced sugar coating. An easy yet decadent cookie recipe that's perfect for fall!
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Ingredients

Servings: 30 cookies

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (226 grams)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (375 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (230 grams)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree (120 grams)
  • 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice Coating

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions
 

  • To make the cream cheese filling: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract together for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined.
  • Scoop small spoonfuls (about 2 teaspoons each) of the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. This recipe will make about 30 to 32 cookies, so I recommend making that many spoonfuls of the mixture.
  • Transfer to the freezer to freeze while you make the cookie dough and let it chill.
  • To make the pumpkin cookies: In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue mixing for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined.
  • Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and vanilla extract, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
  • To make the pumpkin spice coating: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup of granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
  • To assemble the cookies and bake: Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. You should end up with 30 to 32 balls of cookie dough.
  • Remove the baking sheet with the spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture from the freezer.
  • Flatten one ball of cookie dough, gently press one of the frozen cream cheese pieces into the flattened piece of cookie dough, fold the dough over the cream cheese, secure the edges, and roll into a ball. Make sure that the cream cheese is fully covered with the cookie dough so it doesn’t accidentally melt out while baking.
  • Toss in the pumpkin spice sugar mixture and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls of cookie dough. Make sure to leave room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread some while they are baking. I prefer to only bake 9 to 10 cookies per baking sheet with this recipe.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions: Cookies will freeze well for up to 3 months. Store in a large freezer bag with parchment paper between each layer of cookies. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle Rye
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