Pumpkin cheesecake cookies are soft, chewy pumpkin spice cookies with a creamy cheesecake center hidden inside, rolled in pumpkin spice sugar before baking. This version is an exact half batch, so you get eight cookies instead of sixteen, enough for the two of you to enjoy warm and still have a few left for tomorrow. The recipe has two steps that decide whether the cookies work: blotting the pumpkin so the dough does not turn cakey, and freezing the cheesecake filling so it stays in the center while the cookie bakes. Both are easy, and both are worth doing. I kept everything to simple pantry and refrigerator ingredients, so you can start with a quick filling and finish with a plate of fall cookies.
Why you’ll like it
- Small batch: eight cookies is a sensible amount for two, with none of the leftover-dough guilt of a large recipe.
- A cheesecake surprise: each soft pumpkin cookie hides a creamy center that melts as it bakes.
- Chewy, not cakey: blotting the pumpkin keeps the dough dense and chewy.
- Fall flavor: pumpkin pie spice in the dough and in the sugar coating gives a warm, cozy taste.
- Easy to organize: the filling freezes while you make the dough.
What are pumpkin cheesecake cookies?
Pumpkin cheesecake cookies are pumpkin cookies stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling. The filling is scooped into small mounds, frozen until firm, and then each frozen mound is wrapped in a ball of pumpkin cookie dough. As the cookie bakes, the center softens into something close to a mini cheesecake. A coating of spiced sugar gives the outside a lightly crisp, sparkly finish.
The recipes I looked at make sixteen to twenty cookies, which is a great number for a party and far more than two people usually want. This version keeps the same method and the same balance of flavors, but cuts every ingredient in half. The one ingredient that does not halve neatly is the egg, so the recipe uses a single yolk, which is exactly half of two.
What makes it work
Blotted pumpkin. Canned pumpkin holds a lot of water. If it goes into the dough as is, the cookies bake up puffy and cakey. Pressing it between paper towels until it has lost about half its volume gives a denser, chewier dough.
A frozen filling. Cream cheese filling is soft, so it has to be frozen solid before it goes into the dough. A hard filling can be wrapped without smearing, and it stays in the center while the outside bakes.
A completely sealed center. Any gap in the dough lets the filling leak onto the pan. Wrap each dough portion all the way around and roll it smooth.
Egg yolk only. A single egg yolk adds richness and chew without the extra moisture of a whole egg.
A moderate bake. The cookies bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. You are looking for set edges and soft centers. They finish setting on the hot pan as they cool, so pulling them out while the middle still looks soft keeps them tender.
Cooling on the pan. Ten minutes on the baking sheet lets the cookies firm up enough to move without breaking.
How it’s sized for two
Every ingredient here is half of a popular sixteen-cookie recipe: three ounces of cream cheese, a quarter cup of pumpkin, six tablespoons of butter and half a cup of brown sugar, with one egg yolk. The result is eight cookies, which is four each if you are feeling generous or two each with leftovers for the next day.
Baking happens in two rounds of four cookies, so the cookies have room to spread and the oven stays gentle. The frozen filling balls wait in the freezer until you are ready to wrap them.
Ingredients for pumpkin cheesecake cookies
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what each one does and how to choose it.
- Cream cheese: use full-fat block cream cheese, cold, for a filling that freezes into firm balls.
- Sugar and vanilla: sweeten the filling lightly so it tastes like cheesecake rather than frosting.
- Pure pumpkin puree: plain canned pumpkin, not a seasoned mix. It is the main flavor, so use the plain puree.
- Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt: measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, so the dough does not turn dry.
- Pumpkin pie spice: used in the dough and in the sugar coating.
- Butter and light brown sugar: creamed together until fluffy for a chewy, caramel-like base.
- Egg yolk and vanilla: bring richness and flavor.
How to make pumpkin cheesecake cookies
- Beat the filling, scoop eight portions and freeze them for 60 minutes.
- Mix the spiced sugar and blot the pumpkin dry.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and whisk the dry ingredients.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar, then add the yolk, vanilla and pumpkin.
- Stir in the flour mixture.
- Wrap each cheesecake ball in dough and roll in spiced sugar.
- Bake four at a time for 12 minutes and cool for 10 minutes.
Step-by-step notes
Making the filling. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until it is smooth and fluffy. Scoop eight small portions onto a parchment-lined sheet and freeze them for 60 minutes. They should feel very firm, almost like small frozen balls.
Blotting the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin on a plate lined with paper towels and cover it with more towels. Press gently, then repeat with fresh towels several times. The goal is a pumpkin that has lost about half its volume and leaves hardly any moisture on a clean towel. This is the most important step for the texture of the cookies.
Mixing the dough. Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla until the mixture looks pale, and then add the blotted pumpkin. Stir in the flour mixture on low speed just until it comes together. Overmixing makes cookies tough.
Wrapping the cheesecake. Scoop eight portions of dough with a 2-tablespoon scoop. Flatten one in your palm and set a frozen cheesecake ball in the middle. Pull the dough up and around it, pinch it closed and roll it into a smooth ball. Check that no filling shows. Then roll the ball in the pumpkin spice sugar. Keep the unused filling balls in the freezer so they stay hard.
Baking. Place four balls on the lined sheet with plenty of room between them and bake for 12 minutes. The edges should be set while the centers still look soft. Repeat with the second round.
Cooling. Leave the cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes. They are fragile at first and become sturdier as they cool.
Tips for the best pumpkin cheesecake cookies
- Do not skip the blotting. It is the difference between a chewy cookie and a cakey one.
- Work with cold filling. Take only the number of filling balls you can wrap in a few minutes and leave the rest in the freezer.
- Seal tightly. Check each ball for gaps before you roll it in the sugar.
- Give them space. Four per sheet keeps the cookies from merging as they spread.
- Do not overbake. The centers should look soft when you pull them from the oven.
- Cool on the pan. Moving the cookies too early can break the soft centers.
Variations
- Cinnamon sugar: roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar instead of pumpkin spice sugar for a slightly different flavor.
- Chill the dough: if your kitchen is warm and the dough feels soft, chill it briefly before wrapping the filling.
- Bigger or smaller: scoop the dough slightly smaller if you want more cookies and a smaller bite.
How to serve them
Serve the cookies slightly warm, once they are cool enough to hold, or chilled for a firmer cheesecake center.
- With coffee or tea: two cookies each is a satisfying fall dessert.
- After a cozy dinner: they pair well with our pumpkin tortellini soup for two for a full pumpkin night.
- With another cheesecake treat: if you like cheesecake flavors, try our Greek yogurt cheesecake for two too.
Storage
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, since the center is cream cheese. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of baking. Leftover cookies can also be frozen and eaten chilled, which many people enjoy.
A soft pumpkin cookie, a creamy middle and a sugary spice coating. Pour two cups of something warm and share the plate.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my pumpkin cheesecake cookies cakey?
The pumpkin was probably too wet. Blot it between paper towels until it has lost about half its volume, and mix the dough only until it comes together.
Why does my cheesecake filling leak out of the cookies?
The dough may not have sealed completely, or the filling was not frozen hard. Freeze the filling for the full time, wrap the dough all the way around and roll each ball smooth before baking.
How do I store pumpkin cheesecake cookies?
Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, because the center contains cream cheese. You can also freeze them.
Can I make the cheesecake filling ahead?
Yes. The filling balls can be frozen ahead and wrapped in dough when you are ready to bake. Keep them frozen until the moment you use them.
Print
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies for Two
- Total Time: 1 hour 54 minutes
- Yield: 8 cookies
Description
Eight soft, chewy pumpkin cookies stuffed with a creamy cheesecake center and rolled in pumpkin spice sugar, in a half batch for two.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cold
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for the filling
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the filling
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, for rolling
- 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, for the dough
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the dough
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, filling sugar and filling vanilla with a mixer until fluffy and smooth. Scoop eight portions of about 2 teaspoons each onto the sheet and freeze for 60 minutes, until very firm.
- Stir the rolling sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Spread the pumpkin on a plate lined with paper towels, cover it with more paper towels and press gently. Repeat with fresh towels several times, until the pumpkin has lost about half its volume and hardly any liquid transfers to the towel.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, the 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk and the dough vanilla until pale, then mix in the blotted pumpkin. Stir in the flour mixture on low speed just until combined.
- Scoop the dough into eight portions with a 2-tablespoon scoop. Flatten one portion in your palm, set a frozen cheesecake ball in the center, then wrap the dough around it and roll it smooth, making sure the cheesecake is completely covered. Roll the ball in the pumpkin spice sugar. Keep the unused cheesecake balls in the freezer until you need them.
- Place four balls on the lined sheet, spaced well apart, and bake for 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining four. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
Notes
Equipment: 2 baking sheets, parchment paper, electric mixer or hand mixer, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, paper towels, wire rack
- Blot the pumpkin well; otherwise the cookies bake up cakey.
- Keep the cheesecake balls frozen until you wrap each cookie.
- Seal the dough completely around the filling so it does not leak.
- Do not overbake; the cookies keep setting as they cool.
- Doneness: The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- Doneness: The pumpkin is dry enough when it has lost about half its volume and hardly any liquid transfers to a paper towel.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze them. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of baking.
- Refrigerate the cookies within 2 hours of baking because of the cream cheese filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rest Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
