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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Pumpkin cheesecake cookies combine pumpkin-spiced cookie dough with a frozen cream cheese center for a swirl-like filling. Bake until golden and cool completely so the cream cheese firms inside the cookie.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
freeze 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 14 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin cookie dough
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree (blotted dry)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Cheesecake filling
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon sugar for rolling
  • 1 cinnamon sugar for rolling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Freeze the cheesecake centers
  1. Beat the cream cheese filling ingredients until smooth, then scoop into 24 teaspoon-sized balls on parchment and freeze for 30 minutes.
  2. Keep the frozen cheesecake balls on parchment so they release easily when assembling the cookies.
Prepare and assemble the cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy, then add the blotted pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of cookie dough, flatten in your palm, place a frozen cream cheese ball in the center, wrap dough around it, and seal the edges.
  5. Roll each sealed cookie in cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets with space between them.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 375F until the cookies are golden at the edges.
  2. Cool completely before eating, because the filling firms as it cools.

Notes

Pro tip: blot the pumpkin puree until fairly dry to keep the cookie dough from spreading too much. Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use a plant-based cream cheese substitute that firms well when chilled.