Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

If you love my viral Chewy Pumpkin Cookies, then wait until you try these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies that combine the delicious flavor of creamy pumpkin cheesecake with chewy, brown sugar pumpkin cookie dough and fragrant spice. Each dough ball has a rich cheesecake filling and then rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. Often times pumpkin cookies can be cake due to the added moisture from pumpkin puree, but not these! I guarantee these cookies are so soft and chewy and they are just as delicious with that chewy texture when you enjoy them straight from the fridge. If you love making pumpkin cookies, I highly recommend you also try my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies if you love baking with pumpkin. These Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are also a huge hit during the Fall.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Brown butter cookies - the addition of brown butter really makes these pumpkin cookies stand out with that rich and nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, it's easy! Check out these instructions for how to brown butter here.
• Soft and chewy texture - these cookies are nice and chewy! They are not cakey like a lot of pumpkin cookies can be.
• Pumpkin spice cookies - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg adds warm cozy flavor to these cookies.
• Cinnamon sugar - these cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunchy spicy coating which helps keep them chewy and also makes them extra delicious.
• Concentrated pumpkin flavor - these cookies pack plenty of pumpkin flavor by simply drying the pumpkin with paper towels before using it in the cookie dough. This enables us to get more pumpkin into these cookies without adding too much moisture.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES

• Butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half. You don't need to wait for it to come to room temperature because you'll need to melt it to make the cookie dough.
• Brown sugar - this recipe uses all brown sugar. The molasses in brown sugar gives them a toffee-like flavor and also gives them a chewy texture! I prefer light brown sugar, but this recipe also works with dark brown sugar.
• Egg - you'll just need one egg yolk to make this cookie dough. The moisture from the pumpkin will make up for the moisture omitted with the egg white so that the cookie texture remains dense and chewy instead of cakey.

• Pure pumpkin puree - you'll need canned pumpkin for the cookie dough and you'll use some for the cheesecake filling. It is easily accessible and inexpensive. I recommend using store-bought pumpkin since it is more consistent. If you make your own, it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. For this recipe you will need to dry out the pumpkin puree as shown above using paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
• Pure vanilla extract - snickerdoodle cookie dough is based on a vanilla sugar cookie, so the vanilla quality is important. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove and allspice with 2 parts ginger and 3 parts cinnamon.
• Cinnamon sugar - the cinnamon sugar coating gives these cookies a nice crackled top and adds slight crunch with more cinnamon flavor. It's kind of like a pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie!
• Cream Cheese - the cheesecake filling for these cookies is made with just a few ingredients and it is so creamy with a little sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES

• STEP 1). Prepare the pumpkin puree. This step removes excess moisture and helps keep the cookies chewy, not cakey. Spread ⅓ cup of canned pumpkin puree on a plate. Take a half sheet of paper towel and lightly press or blot the pumpkin puree with the paper to absorb the excess moisture. Repeat this step 2 more times so that you've used 3 sheets. The pumpkin should be dry enough that it goes from being ⅓ cup down to ¼ cup. It should be pliable like tomato paste. Reserve 1 tablespoon to make the cheesecake filling and use the rest to make the cookie dough.
• STEP 2). Make the cookie dough. Combine wet ingredients. Combine melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Mix in egg yolk, blotted pumpkin and vanilla until smooth.
• STEP 3). Combine dry ingredients and add to the dough. Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add this to the bowl with the melted butter/sugar/pumpkin mixture and fold it in evenly. It will form a smooth dough. Cover well with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• STEP 4). Make the cheesecake filling. Combine soft cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until smooth using an electric hand mixer, a wire whisk or a wooden spoon. Mix in the reserved tablespoon of blotted pumpkin puree, flour, vanilla and salt until evenly combined. Use a teaspoon to portion out 1 ½ teaspoons of filling and transfer these dollops onto a parchment-lined tray or plate so they are spaced out as individual portions. Place the tray or plate in the freezer for about 20 minutes until firm.
• STEP 5). Make the cinnamon sugar. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend evenly.
• STEP 6). Stuff the cookie dough. Retrieve the chilled dough from the fridge and use a 1 ½ oz cookie scoop to portion dough balls. Now, you can form the cookies two ways. Take the cheesecake filling portions from the freezer and press one into the center of the dough within the cookie scoop (before you've released the dough). Then, use your thumb and forefinger to push the dough over and around to cover the cheesecake. Release the cookie dough from the scoop and roll into a smooth ball. Alternatively you can scoop the dough, roll it into a smooth ball then flatten the dough ball out to about a 2 ½-inch round patty. Place a cheesecake portion into the center and then wrap the cookie dough around to fully engulf the cheesecake. Roll it into a smooth ball.
• STEP 7). Chill the dough balls. Repeat with remaining cookie dough until you have 13 dough balls and roll each one into cinnamon sugar so they are evenly coated. Place them back in the fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
• STEP 8). Bake. Place dough balls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 3 inches apart and bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and golden on top. Note, you can choose to flatten the dough balls slightly before baking if you prefer thinner cookies where the cheesecake filling spans the length of the cookie. Or, leave them round so that there is a more distinct hump of cheesecake in the middle. Transfer trays to a wire rack and let cookies cool for 3 minutes on the trays before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS (watch the recipe video at the bottom of the page for a full tutorial)

Combine melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk and vanilla.

Mix it in until combined.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and blend evenly.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Fold it in until combined.

Scoop uniform portions of dough.

Press a ball of pumpkin cheesecake into the center of each dough ball.

Wrap the dough around the cheesecake filling.

Roll stuffed dough into smooth balls.

Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar.

Place dough balls onto baking sheet and bake to perfection.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make them dry and the dough will not spread the right way.
• Dry the pumpkin puree for thicker cookies. Pumpkin puree contains a lot of water and we need to remove most of that moisture in order for these cookies to be chewy since too much moisture will make cakey cookies. It's easy - just use several paper towels to pat down on the puree and absorb the water. About 3 paper towels will absorb more than 1 tablespoon of water to reduce the puree to ¼ cup or 60 ml. This is also the way to increase the amount of pumpkin in the cookie dough for more flavor without affecting the texture. There is an option to omit this step if you are pressed for time, and in this case you should read the FAQ section below.
• Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour so that you get cookies with a chewy texture.
• Do not skip the cinnamon sugar. The sugar on the exterior of the cookie dough protects it from drying out and also creates the nice cracks and crevices on the surface.
• Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion these cookies for even baking and roll the dough portions into smooth balls for a uniform shape. Otherwise, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.

RECIPE FAQ

Craving more pumpkin?

If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes:

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Here are more of my favorite cookie recipes:

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

Video

Chewy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies that combine the delicious flavor of creamy pumpkin cheesecake with chewy, brown sugar pumpkin cookie dough and fragrant spice. Each dough ball has a rich cheesecake filling and then rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

• ⅓ cup (80g) pure pumpkin puree (blotted with 3 half sheets of paper towel)
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
• ½ cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine salt

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

• 5 oz (142g) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 ½ tablespoon (32g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) reserved blotted pure pumpkin puree from above
• 1 teaspoon (3g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Cinnamon Sugar:

• 1 ½ tablespoon (22g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon (18g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Prepare the pumpkin puree. This step removes excess moisture and helps keep the cookies chewy, not cakey. Spread ⅓ cup of canned pumpkin puree on a plate. Take a half sheet of paper towel and lightly press or blot the pumpkin puree with the paper to absorb the excess moisture. Repeat this step 2 more times so that you've used 3 sheets. The pumpkin should be dry enough that it goes from being ⅓ cup down to ¼ cup. It should be pliable like tomato paste. Reserve 1 tablespoon to make the cheesecake filling and use the rest to make the cookie dough.
• Make the cookie dough. Combine melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Mix in egg yolk, blotted pumpkin and vanilla until smooth.
• Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add this to the bowl with the melted butter/sugar/pumpkin mixture and fold it in evenly. It will form a smooth dough. Cover well with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Make the cheesecake filling. Combine soft cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until smooth using an electric hand mixer, a wire whisk or a wooden spoon. Mix in the reserved tablespoon of blotted pumpkin puree, flour, vanilla and salt until evenly combined. Use a teaspoon to portion out 1 ½ teaspoons of filling and transfer these dollops onto a parchment-lined tray or plate so they are spaced out as individual portions. Place the tray or plate in the freezer for about 20 minutes until firm.
• Make the cinnamon sugar. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend evenly.
• Retrieve the chilled dough from the fridge and use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion dough balls. Now, you can form the cookies two ways. Take the cheesecake filling portions from the freezer and press one into the center of the dough within the cookie scoop (before you've released the dough). Then, use your thumb and forefinger to push the dough over and around to cover the cheesecake. Release the cookie dough from the scoop and roll into a smooth ball.
• Alternatively you can scoop the dough, roll it into a smooth ball then flatten the dough ball out to about a 2 ½-inch round patty. Place a cheesecake portion into the center and then wrap the cookie dough around to fully engulf the cheesecake. Roll it into a smooth ball.
• Repeat with remaining cookie dough until you have 13 dough balls and roll each one into cinnamon sugar so they are evenly coated. Place them back in the fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Place dough balls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 3 inches apart and bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and golden on top. Note, you can choose to flatten the dough balls slightly before baking if you prefer thinner cookies where the cheesecake filling spans the length of the cookie. Or, leave them round so that there is a more distinct hump of cheesecake in the middle. Transfer trays to a wire rack and let cookies cool for 3 minutes on the trays before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.