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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are an autumn indulgence blending the creaminess of cheesecake with the warm, comforting flavors of pumpkin, maple syrup and molasses. Each bite of these stuffed cookies is a delight, making them a must-try treat for fall baking.
I’m either starving or stuffed, there’s no happy medium. From hunger pangs to inhaling enough food to burst my stomach at the seams, my eating habits are like an dietary rollercoaster ride. Some days I’m so busy I barely scarf down a bowl of Cheerios, other days I eat 4 pounds of mac and cheese in 5 minutes. It’s all about balance. Unfortunately, I swing from famine to feast like a binge-eating pendulum. It’s hard to enjoy things in moderation when they taste so damn delicious. Case in point: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies. I’m fresh off of eating so many of these stuffed cookies that I feel, well…, stuffed.
Then again, stuffed things have an undeniable charm. Not me, I mean other things. Like hibernating bears, for instance. Stuffed to the brim with food for their winter slumber, bears basically turn eating into an artform. My last name is Wolf, but Bear would be more fitting since I, too, enjoy stockpiling vast quantities of sustenance before a long nap. That’s assuming sustenance is a synonym for cookies.
For the record, it’s not my fault I’m stuffed. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are impossible to resist. Subtly wweet and pillow soft, these pumpkin cookies combine all the cozy flavors of autumn with the creamy decadence of cheesecake. Plus, this two-for-one treat is a blend of fall’s best ingredients: pumpkin pie spice, molasses and mayple syrup. Rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked to perfection, prepare to be perpetually stuffed anytime there’s a batch of these stuffed cookies in your kitchen.
Before sharing the Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies recipe, here are a few tips to help you out:
Ingredient Tips
This recipe was tested with Libby’s canned pumpkin. No matter which brand you choose, be sure to squeeze excess moisture from the pumpkin with multiple paper towels before adding pumpkin to the batter.
For optimal flavor, use pure maple syrup. Avoid pancake syrup, which contains no maple at all and is actually corn syrup.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice then make your own concoction by combining equal amounts of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and ground allspice. Store excess in a sealed container at room temperature.
Preparation Tips
Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in dry, dense cookies.
Chilling and freezing are essential steps for this recipe. To make it easier to flatten and fold over the filling, pumpkin cookie dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. To keep cheesecake filling from oozing all over your oven, freeze it for 1 hour before use.
How to Store Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Cover and store cookies in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month.
I hope you enjoy these cheesecake stuffed cookies! Please leave a rating and review below when you try them out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.
Finally, if you’re searching for more pumpkin cookie recipes check out these Pumpkin Marshmallow Cookies. Filled with fall favorites like pumpkin puree, marshmallow cream, maple syrup and brown butter these easy cookies belong in your cookie jar.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 3 tbsp maple syrup pure
- 1 tbsp molasses *do not use blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Pumpkin Cookies
- Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add maple syrup, molasses and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Wrap pumpkin in several layers of paper towels then squeeze and blot until all excess moisture has been removed.
- Add pumpkin to wet ingredients then beat with mixer until incorporated.
- Reduce mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing or cookies will be dry.
- Using a large, 2.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop cookies into balls and place onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing cookie balls 3 inches apart.
- Cover cookies with plastic wrap then chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
- Using a 1 teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop cheesecake filling into balls. Cover with plastic wrap then place in the freezer for 1 hour or until frozen solid.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir until combined then set aside.
Cookie Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove 6 pumpkin dough balls from the refrigerator and 6 cheesecake filling balls from the freezer.
- To assemble each cookie, start by flattening a pumpkin dough ball in the palm of your hand.
- Next, place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center of the dough then pinch the pumpkin dough up and around the cheesecake until it's completely covered.
- Roll the dough ball between the palms of both hands until smooth and round. Note, dough will be a bit sticky.
- Finally, roll the cookie ball in cinnamon sugar then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the assembly process for the remaining 6 cookies then place each on the baking sheet spaced 3 inches apart.
Bake
- Bake cookies for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are set and centers are still soft. Avoid overbaking.
Cool
- Cool cookies on the baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire baking rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle more cinnamon sugar onto cookies.
Repeat
- Once the baking sheet has cooled to room temperature, remove the remaining pumpkin dough balls from the refrigerator and the remaining cheesecake filling balls from the freezer, assemble the cookies and bake.
Store
- Cover and store cookies in the refrigerator up to 1 week.