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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Soft, thick pumpkin cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar and stuffed with a tangy cream cheese center. They bake up chewy with crackly spiced edges, stay soft for days, and slice open to reveal the creamy filling everyone asks about.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 195 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cheesecake filling

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar coating

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin cookie dough

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Blot the pumpkin puree on paper towels until thick like tomato paste; measure 1 cup after blotting.
  • Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla until smooth; scoop 24 small balls (about 1 teaspoon each) and freeze at least 30 minutes until solid.
  • Beat butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in blotted pumpkin puree.
  • Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon; mix into wet ingredients on low just until no flour streaks remain.
  • Cover and refrigerate dough 30 minutes.
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons dough, flatten, place a frozen cream cheese ball in the center, wrap dough around it pinching seams closed, roll into a smooth ball.
  • Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar; place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets; bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look slightly soft.
  • Cool on pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Notes

Blotting the puree is the whole secret — unblotted puree makes flat, cakey cookies. Freeze the filling solid or it leaks. Do not overbake — centers should look slightly underdone. Chill the dough the full 30 minutes. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days (cream cheese filling).