Chewy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
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I’m officially kicking off my Fall 2025 series, and what better way to start than with these Chewy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies?! These cookies just scream Fall and I can gaurentee you’ll want to make these more than once this season!
You all went crazy over my Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies last year during my Holiday Cookie series, so I knew I needed to make a Fall version ASAP!
The soft and chewy pumpkin spice cookie combines with the rich and tangy cheesecake filling for the most amazing flavor combination! I promise you won’t be able to stop at just one cookie!
And if you’re looking for a more traditional pumpkin cheesecake recipe, try my no-fuss Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe!
Table Talk with Tawnie
Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Cookies. Does it get better than those three when you’re dreaming about Fall desserts?! It may still be a little warm where you are, but I am busting at the seams to start sharing all my new fall recipes, and I know this is the perfect one to kick it off! These chewy pumpkin cookies are stuffed with a sweet, tangy ball of cheesecake and just feel like the perfect mash-up of two of my favorite fall desserts!
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is softened to ensure even mixing for the cheesecake filling!
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use the 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Blot the puree by pressing paper towels on it until they’re not absorbing much liquid.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the only flour I’ve tested this cookie recipe with. As always, it’s essential to make sure you’re using the spoon and level method to measure your flour when baking. Too much flour can result in drier, harder cookies, which you don’t want with these!
- Egg + 1 egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and helps bind the dough. Make sure both your egg and egg yolk are at room temperature.
- Spices: You’ll need both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for these cookies. You can choose to make a cinnamon sugar mixture or a pumpkin spice sugar mixture to roll your cookies in before baking, based on your preference!
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the cheesecake filling
Use a hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes). Then drop teaspoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. The colder, the better, so it doesn’t ooze out of the cookies.
Mix the wet ingredients
Blot your pumpkin with a few paper towels to get out the excess moisture. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the blotted pumpkin, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and whisk again.
Add dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Then gently stir your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Cover and chill the dough.
Make your cinnamon sugar (or pumpkin spice) topping. Scoop dough into balls then flatten into a disk. Then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center and wrap the cookie dough around it. Roll into smooth balls, then roll in the spiced sugar mixture.
Bake and enjoy!!
Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to allow the cheesecake filling to firm up. They’ll become perfectly chewy as they cool!
Expert Tips
- Make the cheesecake filling in advance: Making the cheesecake filling in advance helps to ensure the filling is very cold, which will make baking the cookies streamlined and easy to bring together. You could freeze the cheesecake filling for up to 3 days.
- Don’t overfill the cookies: Be careful not to add too much cheesecake filling. 1-2 teaspoons is plenty. Too much filling can cause the cookies to crack or split during baking.
- Blot pumpkin: Don’t skip blotting the pumpkin! This helps to remove excess moisture and keeps the cookies chewy, not cakey.
- Sticky Dough: If the dough feels a little sticky, roll it in a little of the cinnamon sugar mixture to help flatten into a disk, stuff with the cheesecake filling, then re-roll it in more of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Spoon and level flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it.
- Perfectly round cookies: Use any round object slightly larger than the cookies, like a large round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or even the open top of a wide glass or mug. Place the ring around the warm cookie and gently swirl or “scoot” the cookie in small circles. The edges will nudge into a perfect round shape. Be sure to do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, usually within the first 30 seconds of coming out of the oven!
Customize Your Topping
I also love this recipe because you can kind of customize it to your preference! If you’re more of a cinnamon sugar lover, I recommend rolling the stuffed cookie dough balls in a cinnamon sugar mixture. If you’re a true pumpkin spice lover, switch out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice to make the topping. Or, feel free to do half the cookies in each and see which you prefer!
Fall Series
Back by popular demand is my Fall series for 2025! This year I’ve worked on more pumpkin goodies, slow cooker comfort meals, and drool worthy apple desserts. There’s something for everyone to enjoy & if you want more, have to check out the previous year’s Fall featured recipes too!
Storage / Freezing
- Store: If not enjoying them the same day, place cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cookies need to be refrigerated due to the cheesecake filling.
- Freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze cookie dough: Place stuffed cookie dough balls in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time.
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
- 6 oz. full-fat cream cheese
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree (blotted to 1/3 cup)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional for extra cinnamon-y goodness)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. fine salt
For rolling:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the cheesecake filling first: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).6 oz. full-fat cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
- Freeze cheesecake balls: Drop teaspoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate that fits in your freezer. Freeze for at least 1½ hours, or up to 3 days. The colder, the better, so it doesn’t ooze out of the cookies.
- Blot the pumpkin: Place the ½ cup of pumpkin puree on a plate or shallow bowl. Add a few layers of paper towels on top and blot it until reduced to ⅓ cup. This step removes excess moisture and helps keep the cookies chewy, not cakey.1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add pumpkin & eggs: Add the blotted pumpkin, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk again until thoroughly combined and creamy.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice, Pinch of cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. fine salt
- Bring the dough together: Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until no flour streaks remain, but don’t overmix.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Chilling helps make it easier to wrap around the frozen cheesecake filling, helps prevent spreading, and makes the dough easier to work with.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Assemble cookies: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice). Scoop dough into 1½-2 tablespoon-sized balls (about a medium cookie scoop), and flatten into a disk. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center and wrap the cookie dough around it, sealing it completely. Roll into smooth balls, then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Tip: if the dough feels a little sticky, roll it in a little of the cinnamon sugar mixture to help flatten into a disk, stuff the cookie, then roll in more of the cinnamon sugar mixture again.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- Bake: Arrange dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Don’t overbake because they’ll continue to set up on the baking sheet.
- Cookie scooting: Use any round object slightly larger than the cookies, like a large round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or even the open top of a wide glass or mug. Place the ring around the warm cookie and gently swirl or “scoot” the cookie in small circles. The edges will nudge into a perfect round shape. Be sure to do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, usually within the first 30 seconds of coming out of the oven!
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for ~2-3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to allow the cheesecake filling to firm up. They’ll become perfectly chewy as they cool. You can sprinkle the tops with a little more cinnamon/sugar if you have extra!
Notes
- Store: If not enjoying them the same day, place cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cookies need to be refrigerated due to the cheesecake filling.
- Freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze cookie dough: Place stuffed cookie dough balls in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
