These chewy pumpkin cookies stuffed with cheesecake filling combine all the best flavors of pumpkin season. A drizzle of maple syrup in the cookie dough adds warmth, and the sugar spice coating gives each cookie a perfect Fall crunch. These will quickly become a seasonal favorite!
Ingredients
- 170 g (¾ brick / 6oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature (68–72°F)
- 40 g (⅓ cup) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 226 g (1 cup / 2 sticks) salted butter (browning will reduce to ¾ cup)
- 270 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 5 g (1 tsp) baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp salt
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 120 g (½ cup) pumpkin puree, room temperature (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) maple syrup
- 8 g (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Cheesecake Filling
Sugar Spice Coating
Pumpkin Cookies
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium high until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and circle templates then pipe or scoop 20 dollops (about 1 Tbsp each) of filling. Freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Browned Butter
In a light-colored pan over medium heat, stir butter constantly until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 6-9 minutes. There will be some brown milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat then immediately pour into a heat-proof glass measuring cup. You should have around 170-185 g (just above ¾ cup) of browned butter.
Let cool for 5 minutes at room temp, then chill in the fridge for 25-30 minutes until slightly cooled but still liquid. If it firms up too much, microwave in 5 second intervals as needed, stirring in between.
Pumpkin Cookies
Mix the sugar spice coating ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the cooled browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined and grainy like wet sand, about 1 minute.
Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk, maple syrup, and vanilla; whisk until smooth, about 15-30 seconds.
Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined with a spatula.
Scoop 2 Tbsp of dough and flatten into a disk. If the dough is too soft to handle, chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to firm up slightly. (The butter was likely still too warm. The dough should be able to hold its shape when scooped.)
Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center and wrap the dough around it, sealing the edges. The dough will be very soft but not sticky.
Roll in the sugar spice coating, then press slightly to flatten the top of the cookie.
Chill the coated cookies for 1-2 hours to prevent spreading.
Cookie Bake
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place chilled cookie dough balls on the sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 6-9 minutes, until edges are set and the tops are soft and look just underbaked.
Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely so the cheesecake can set, about 40 minutes.
We recommend making these the day before and letting them sit in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours before eating - these cookies get even chewier and all the flavors intensify. We prefer them straight from the fridge!
Notes
- Serving: Makes 18-20 cookies with a 2 Tbsp scoop, or 12 large cookies with a 3 Tbsp scoop (bake 10-14 minutes for larger cookies).
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leave at room temperature for up to 4 hours.
- Flatter Cookie: If you'd like a slightly flatter cookie, bake for 7-11 minutes at 350°F. The cream cheese will spread slightly with the cookie.
- Perfect Circle Shape: Use a circle cookie cutter slightly bigger than the baked cookies to gently rotate around each cookie while they're still hot to shape them into perfect circles.
- Mixer: You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, just be careful not to overmix. You can also use a whisk in place of the hand mixer, you’ll just need some extra elbow grease.
- Filling Sweetness: If you like your cheesecake a little sweeter, increase the powdered sugar to 60 g (½ cup) total.
- Browned Butter: Ensure butter is cool but still liquid to avoid flat cookies.
- Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices. We recommend Libby’s since it tends to have less liquid, which can make the cookies cakier.
- Overmixing: Overmixing the dough can cause the cookies to be cakey rather than chewy. This cream cheese filling is slightly more forgiving, but if air pockets form, roll frozen dollops in your hands briefly to push them out before stuffing cookies.
- Chilling: Chilling the cookie dough and freezing the cheesecake filling ensures that the cookies hold their shape and that the filling remains intact during baking.
- Test Cookie: Bake one cookie first to check oven temp and dough consistency before baking the full batch. If your cookie spreads, it's likely they either need more chilling, or your oven temperature is too hot/cold (check with an oven thermometer).
- Spices: You can substitute the spices with 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice + ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, but we recommend using the listed spices for optimal flavor and a guaranteed invite to your neighbor’s next Fall happy hour.
Happy baking! ❤️
Emma & Eric
@birchberryco Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies 🧡🍃🍁☕️ For the full recipe click Recipes on our site Birchberryco.com (link in bio!) Let us know how it goes!! 🤍 #pumpkincookies #cheesecakecookies #pumpkinseason #fallbaking #baking #bakingtherapy #bakingrecipe #baketok #aesthetic #asmr #cottagecore
♬ sonido original - Vibes by Ley
