Soft chewy pumpkin cookies stuffed with creamy cheesecake filling are a perfect fall treat. They truly represent all the best flavours of the season and are a delight enjoyed as a sidekick to your midmorning coffee or as an after-dinner dessert! Combine the two of our favourite desserts and make this Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie recipe to surprise your family and friends.
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Why You Will Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Soft Cookie Bliss: These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are a delightful indulgence, delivering a soft and tender cookie texture that’s simply irresistible.
- Tangy Cream Cheese Filling: The filling in this stuffed cookie is a nice surprise and adds a unique and satisfying twist.
- A Perfect Hybrid: These cookies offer the best of two worlds: pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles and white chocolate chip cookies.
- Stuffed with Flavor: Each bite is a flavour explosion as these cookies are generously stuffed with the best flavours, including the unmistakable taste of pumpkin, making them a perfect autumn treat.
- Pumpkin Perfection: Embrace the rich and comforting pumpkin flavour that defines these cookies, making them a quintessential fall delight that you’ll crave all year round.
All-Things-Pumpkin Season
If you are a fellow pumpkin lover, you will always be on the hunt for the best pumpkin recipes to try over the fall season (or if you’re anything like us, you make them any time of year!). Why not try some of these pumpkin desserts next:
- Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
- Pumpkin Almond Flour Muffins (Gluten-Free)
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pie (Without Evaporated Milk)
Recommended Kitchen Tools
A measuring cup may be a convenient kitchen tool, but when it comes to baking, most recipes require a certain level of precision. That’s why we always recommend weighing your main ingredients using a kitchen scale. In addition, you will need:
- A large bowl (for cookie dough) and a medium/small bowl (for cheesecake filling)
- A small cookie scoop (or a teaspoon) and a large cookie scoop (or a tablespoon)
- Baking parchment
- Electric handheld mixer
- Large baking sheets (cookie sheet)
- A cooling rack
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here are the ingredients that you will need:
- cream cheese: also known as soft cheese, at room temperature. We highly recommend using full-fat cream cheese.
- icing sugar: also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar.
- unsalted butter: If you are using salted butter, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by half.
- caster sugar: also known as superfine sugar. can be replaced with white granulated sugar.
- light brown sugar: is not to be substituted, as it is the ingredient that makes a perfectly soft pumpkin cookie.
- vanilla bean paste: or seeds from 1 vanilla pod. Alternatively, you may use vanilla extract.
- pumpkin puree: also known as 100% pure pumpkin or solid packed pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. But you can definitely use your own pumpkin puree made from scratch.
- plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour.
- pumpkin pie spice: or mixed spice. you can also substitute it with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon ginger.
- bicarbonate of soda: also known as baking soda. Do not confuse it with baking powder.
- salt.
- white chocolate chips: or chopped white chocolate
Find a full list of ingredients alongside a full recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Extras: Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon sugar or pumpkin spice sugar on top of each cookie, if you wish. You may also replace white chocolate with milk chocolate chips, or use a mixture.
Tips For Best Results
To make the best pumpkin cheesecake cookies, read through these tips and tricks to ensure the best texture and flavour.
- If your pumpkin puree has some separated liquid, make sure to drain it first. Alternatively, spread the puree on a plate and place a couple of sheets of paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Not only will this step help create a more manageable cookie dough to work with, but the dough won’t spread as much in the oven and the edges of the cookies will be crispier. Too much moisture in the dough will produce a cookie that won’t firm up, and you will have to eat it with a spoon.
- Make sure to sift your icing sugar if it has clumps in it to avoid pockets of dry sugar in the filling.
- Use room-temperature ingredients to make the cheesecake filling and the cookie dough.
- The dough may look a little wetter than your ordinary cookie dough, but don’t be tempted to add too much flour.
- Make sure your cream cheese filling is frozen solid. A frozen cheesecake ball inside the cookie dough will make sure that the filling doesn’t flow into the dough in the oven. You want to end up with a well-defined cheesecake centre in each cookie.
- Do not move the cookies when they first come out of the oven, as they will be very soft and will need some time to firm up.
Step-by-Step Method
Make these pumpkin cream cheese cookies in 5 simple steps.
Step 1: Prepare Cream Cheese Filling
Line a small baking sheet or chopping board with baking parchment.
Place the cream cheese and icing sugar into a bowl (if your icing sugar is in clumps, make sure to sift it first). Use a small balloon whisk or an electric hand mixer to combine it.
Using a teaspoon, place 16 mounds of cream cheese mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Each should be about the size of 1 heaped teaspoon. Place the cheesecake balls in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until completely frozen.
Step 2: Make Pumpkin Cookie Dough
To make the pumpkin cookie dough, add the melted and slightly cooled butter and both types of sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk for about 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste and beat for another 30 seconds until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them in gently. Don’t worry if the dough seems a little wetter than you’d like.
Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Stuff The Cookies
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Line two large baking sheets/ cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Take the frozen cheesecake calls out of the freezer. To shape and fill the cookies, take about 2.5 tablespoon of the mixture (you may use a large cookie scoop) and shape them into balls of cookie dough. Then place them on a prepared baking sheet.
Add cheesecake balls to the centre of the cookie dough balls and push it in with your finger. Then pinch the dough over the cheesecake filling so it is completely encased. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cookies in the centre of the oven for 12-14 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly brown and crispy, but the centre should still be soft (although not raw).
Video
Step 5: Cool & Enjoy
Take the cookies out of the oven and leave them on the baking sheet to firm up for 15 minutes, before transferring the baked cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Making Ahead & Storage
These soft pumpkin cookies are best enjoyed on the same day they’re baked. Due to the creamy cream cheese filling, these cookies may begin to soften after a day. However, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To freeze, place the cookies in an airtight freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and eat them within 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before eating.
Other Cookie Recipes To Try
Need more delicious cookies in your life?
- Gluten-Free Almond Meringue Cookies
- Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Classic Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
- Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies With Nutmeg
- Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Soft Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 170 g cream cheese room temperature
- 30 g icing sugar
- 160 g butter melted
- 75 g caster sugar
- 225 g light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 120 g pumpkin puree
- 280 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon mixed or pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 110 g white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet or chopping board with baking parchment.
- Place the cream cheese and icing sugar into a bowl (if your icing sugar is in clumps, make sure to sift it first). Use a small balloon whisk or a handheld mixer to combine it.
- Using a teaspoon, place 16 mounds of cream cheese mixture onto the lined tray. Each should be about the size of 1 heaped teaspoon. Place the cheesecake balls in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until completely frozen.
- To make the pumpkin cookie dough, add the melted and slightly cooled butter and both types of sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk for about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste and beat for another 30 seconds until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold them in gently. Don't worry if the dough seems a little wetter than you'd like.
- Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Line two large baking sheets/ cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Take the frozen cheesecake balls out of the freezer. To shape and fill the cookies, take about 2.5 tablespoon of cookie dough (you may use a large cookie scoop) and place it on a prepared baking sheet, trying to keep round shape. Add a cheesecake ball to the centre and push it in with your finger. Then pinch the dough over the cheesecake filling to it is completely encased. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Bake the cookies in the centre of the oven for 12-14 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly brown and crispy, but the centre should still be soft.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and leave them on the baking sheet to firm up for 15 minutes, before trasnferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Nutrition
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