Description
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are a delightful fall treat combining soft pumpkin-spiced cookie dough with a creamy, sweet cheesecake center. Perfectly tender and bursting with autumn flavors, they are ideal for gatherings or a special seasonal dessert.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cold)
- 1 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Make Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the room temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix on high speed until the mixture is completely creamy and smooth.
- Form Cheesecake Balls: Scoop out small ½ inch balls of cheesecake filling to make 12 balls. Place the balls on a parchment-lined pan and freeze for 30 minutes to set them.
- Prepare Cookie Dough Base: In a clean mixing bowl, add the cold unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix thoroughly until the butter is fully incorporated and no clumps remain.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the butter and sugar mixture, add the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine all the wet ingredients evenly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of sea salt into the wet mixture. Stir until a thick cookie dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Place the cookie dough bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up the dough, which will help with shaping the cookies later.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare: After chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Take the cheesecake balls out of the freezer.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop out a ball of cookie dough and flatten it with your hands on the lined pan. Place one frozen cheesecake ball in the center of the flattened dough.
- Enclose Cheesecake: Take another flattened ball of cookie dough and place it on top of the cheesecake ball. Use your hands to fully enclose the cheesecake inside the cookie dough, sealing edges carefully.
- Repeat and Bake: Continue forming the pumpkin cheesecake cookies with remaining dough and cheesecake balls, baking in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until the cookies are set in the center but still soft, ensuring the cheesecake remains creamy inside.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking pan for 15 minutes before transferring carefully to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is completely softened for a smooth cheesecake filling.
- Freezing the cheesecake balls helps to prevent the filling from melting out during baking.
- Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape.
- You can use either all-purpose flour or a gluten-free alternative depending on dietary needs.
- Baking in batches prevents overcrowding and promotes even baking.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly on the pan to avoid breaking when transferring.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
