Soft, chewy pumpkin spice cookies with a creamy cheesecake center. The perfect fall treat!

Scale

For the Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Cheesecake Filling:

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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1. In a bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Chill the filling for 15–20 minutes to firm up.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Flatten slightly and place a small dollop of cheesecake filling in the center.
9. Top with another flattened dough piece, seal edges, and roll gently into a ball.
10. Place cookies on baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.
11. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake.
12. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
13. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for 5 days.

Spice it up: Adjust spices to your liking. Add more cinnamon, ginger, cloves, or a pinch of nutmeg.

Add chocolate chips: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the cookie dough.

Add nuts: Add ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the cookie dough.

Make them gluten-free: Substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend containing xanthan gum.

Cream Cheese Swirl: Swirl the cheesecake filling into the cookie dough instead of creating a well.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezing: Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Freeze cookie dough balls before baking.

Don’t Overbake: Remove from oven when edges are lightly golden brown.

Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature butter and cream cheese.

Adjust Sugar to Taste: Reduce granulated sugar by ¼ cup if you prefer a less sweet cookie.

Troubleshooting:

Cookies are spreading too much: Chill dough, don’t overmix, ensure butter isn’t melted.

Cookies are too dry: Don’t overbake, measure flour carefully.

Cheesecake filling is cracking: Ensure oven is properly calibrated, avoid opening the oven door frequently.