These pumpkin cheesecake cookies feature tender and flavorful pumpkin spice cookies that are loaded with a cream cheese filling! They are huge, delicious, and a definite must-have for your fall baking list! Every pumpkin-lover will absolutely adore these fall cookies!
Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Pumpkin recipes (and pumpkin spice desserts) are always in high demand at my house! These cookies are easily a family favorite because they combine creamy cheesecake and tender pumpkin cookies!
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🥘 Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
Pumpkin Cookies
- Flour - 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Try my recipe or use your own. This is essential to the flavor of the cookies!
- Orange Peel - 1 teaspoon of orange peel to enhance the fall flavors.
- Baking Powder - ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
- Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Butter - ½ cup of unsalted butter that has been melted and cooled.
- Brown Sugar - ½ cup of dark brown sugar, packed. Light brown sugar will also work.
- Sugar - ¼ cup of white granulated sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree - ½ cup of pumpkin puree. You can use any leftover puree to make some of these great recipes.
- Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese - 4 ounces (or half of an 8-ounce block) that is softened at room temperature.
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons of white granulated sugar for some sweetness.
- Vanilla - ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
There may be a few steps to these cookies, but they are completely worth it! You will need some mixing bowls, your measuring utensils, and a couple of baking sheets.
This recipe is for 6 cookies, but they are huge! You could also double or triple the recipe if you want to make more!
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
Step 1: Mix. In a small mixing bowl, use a spoon to mix together the room-temperature 4 ounces (113.4 grams) of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons (24 grams) of sugar, and ½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) of vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Step 2: Portion. Scoop the mixture into 1-tablespoon portions and place them onto a plate lined with parchment paper.
Step 3: Chill. Place the scoops into the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour to chill until solid while you prepare the cookie dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
Step 4: Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cups (187.5 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of orange peel, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of salt. Then, make a well in the center.
Step 5: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter, ½ cup (110 grams) of dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 grams) of sugar, ½ cup (122.5 grams) of pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of vanilla extract until well combined.
Step 6: Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the center of the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to stir everything together until just combined.
Step 7: Portion and chill. Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop the dough into ⅓-cup portions. Place each scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it into the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
Assemble & Bake
Step 8: Preheat. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C/Gas Mark 3) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 9: Fill the dough. Take a chilled ball of cookie dough and press one of the scoops of cream cheese filling into it. Use your hands to spread the dough over the top and seal it, making sure no cream cheese is showing.
Step 10: Place. Place the balls onto your prepared baking sheet, only baking about 5 cookies at a time and leaving the rest of the dough and cream cheese in the fridge while you bake in batches.
Step 11: Bake. Bake at 325°F (160°C/Gas Mark 3) for 18-21 minutes or until the cookies are no longer shiny.
Step 12: Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before carefully moving them to a wire cooling rack.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can’t skip the chilling stages in this recipe! If you don’t chill the dough and filling, your cookies will overspread, and the filling could seep out everywhere.
- Pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin are the same thing. However, you do not want to use pumpkin pie filling, as it has added spices and sugar.
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before using it so that it is easy to mix and scoop.
- I always recommend using Libby’s brand of canned pumpkin, as it has a low moisture content, which yields the best results when baking.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
🥡 Storing
Keep any leftover cookies stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese filling.
Freezing Pumpkin Cookies
You can also freeze these cookies. Just wrap them tightly or place them into a container with parchment paper separating them.
Then, freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready, just thaw them in the fridge.
Freeze your unbaked cookies by following the instructions and assembling the cookies, but then placing them on a baking sheet and freezing until solid.
Once frozen, you can transfer them to a bag or container and keep them frozen for up to 2 months. You can bake them straight from frozen by adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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📖 Recipe Card
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see recipe or use store-bought)
- 1 teaspoon orange peel
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (unsalted, melted and cooled)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed, or light brown sugar)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small mixing bowl, use a spoon to mix together the room-temperature 4 oz cream cheese, 2 tablespoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop the mixture into 1-tablespoon portions and place them onto a plate lined with parchment paper.
- Place the scoops into the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour to chill until solid while you prepare the cookie dough.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon orange peel, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Then, make a well in the center.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the melted ½ cup butter, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the center of the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to stir everything together until just combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop the dough into ⅓-cup portions. Place each scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it into the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
Assemble & Bake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C/Gas Mark 3) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take a chilled ball of cookie dough and press one of the scoops of cream cheese filling into it. Use your hands to spread the dough over the top and seal it, making sure no cream cheese is showing.
- Place the balls onto your prepared baking sheet, only baking about 5 cookies at a time, and leaving the rest of the dough and cream cheese in the fridge while you bake in batches.
- Bake at 325°F (160°C/Gas Mark 3) for 18-21 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer shiny.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before carefully moving them to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- You can’t skip the chilling stages in this recipe! If you don’t chill the dough and filling, your cookies will overspread and the filling could seep out everywhere.
- Pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin are the same thing. However, you do not want to use pumpkin pie filling, as it has added spices and sugar.
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before using it so that it is easy to mix and scoop.
- I always recommend using Libby’s brand of canned pumpkin, as it has a low moisture content which yields the best results when baking.
- Keep any leftover cookies stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese filling.
- You can also freeze these cookies. Just wrap them tightly or place them into a container with parchment paper separating them. Then, freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready, just thaw them in the fridge.
- Freeze your unbaked cookies by following the instructions and assembling the cookies, but then placing them on a baking sheet and freezing until solid. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a bag or container and keep them frozen for up to 2 months. You can bake them straight from frozen by adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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