Description
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies combine the warm spices of fall with a creamy cheesecake center, offering soft, moist cookies perfect for the season. Each cookie is packed with pumpkin puree, aromatic spices, and a luscious cream cheese filling, delivering a delightful treat that’s perfect for dessert or sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a creamy base for the dough.
- Add Pumpkin and Flavorings: Incorporate the canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture, blending until well combined to infuse the dough with moistness and flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough and to maintain a tender texture.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy, forming the cheesecake filling.
- Assemble Cookies: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten it slightly. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cheesecake filling in the center, then top with another tablespoon of dough. Seal the edges well and roll gently into a ball to encase the filling completely.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the filled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 12–14 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it feels too soft to handle, which makes shaping easier.
- For extra flavor, consider adding white chocolate chips to the dough or sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top before baking.
