The BEST Soft Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies 

What Makes This Recipe Great

Are you a cookie, cheesecake, and pumpkin lover? I, for one, love all three, and this recipe is an absolutely perfect Fall treat. Think of a delicious, soft, and fluffy pumpkin cookie stuffed with a creamy cheesecake filling, rolled in a bit of cinnamon sugar, then baked to perfection. Is your mouth watering yet?! The taste, texture, and flavors make this the perfect treat! 

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are not only delicious, but they’re gluten-free, have a dairy-free option, and are such a fun way to celebrate the season. This recipe yields 18 pretty big cookies, so grab a friend and split one, or indulge yourself and eat one whole! 

Also, if you can’t get enough pumpkin desserts, check these out too: Easy Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, or Pumpkin Blondies. 

Let’s get baking!

Cheesecake Filling

• cream cheese: Use Kite Hill for dairy-free.
• granulated sugar
• vanilla extract

Cookie Dough

• canned pumpkin puree: I used a can of pumpkin puree, but if you’d prefer to make your own homemade pumpkin puree, that will work as well. Just be sure to remove any excess moisture so the pumpkin resembles what it would be from the can. 
• salted butter: Softened, room temperature butter. Use vegan butter for dairy-free. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon salt to step 5 of the recipe. 
• light brown sugar
• granulated white sugar
• eggs
• pure vanilla extract
• gluten-free 1:1 flour: I like the King Arthur brand. If you’re not gluten-free, you can substitute your favorite all-purpose flour. 
• pumpkin pie spice: This is a blend of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. It’s easy to find the blend in stores, or you can make it yourself if you have all of these spices. 
• gluten-free baking powder
• baking soda

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• granulated sugar
• ground cinnamon

Cheesecake Filling

1. First, make the cheesecake filling. Line a smaller baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a small bowl. Mix together on medium-high speed until fluffy. Scoop the filling onto the prepared baking sheet into 18 1.5 tsp portions. (They don’t need to look pretty.) Freeze these cheesecake balls for about 30 minutes or until hardened. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a larger baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Cookie Dough

1. Add the pumpkin puree to a large bowl. It is important to remove some of the liquid from the cookies so they don’t fall apart. To do this, lightly press down on the pumpkin in the bowl with paper towels a few times.
2. In the same bowl with the pumpkin, add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream together using a hand or stand mixer. Add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix on high speed until fluffy.
3. To a separate medium bowl, add the gluten-free flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix. Place the bowl of dough into the fridge to chill for 20-30 min. 

Assembly

1. Combine the sugar-coating ingredients on a plate and stir.
2. Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 6 cookie dough balls (we are making 6 at a time, ultimately having 18 total). Place the dough and cream cheese filling back into the fridge and freezer while you work on the first batch. 
3. Flatten the balls, then place one of the frozen cheesecake balls into the center of each one. Use your hands to wrap the dough around the filling and roll it into a ball again. You shouldn’t be able to see any cream cheese. Roll each ball into the sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat. 
4. Place the 6 cookies onto the lined baking sheet and press down slightly using a spatula or your hand. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat 2 more times until you have 18 cookies total. 
5. Enjoy! Keep the cookies stored in the refrigerator. 

Expert Tips

• These cookies are BIG! They can easily be split in half and shared. 
• Feel free to use an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Both work great!  
• If you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter and add additional salt. The rule of thumb is ¼ teaspoon salt for every ¼ of butter. In this case, the recipe calls for 1 cup so you will need 1 teaspoon of salt. 
• If you are dairy-free, please feel free to substitute the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives: vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese
• I have not tested this recipe with a vegan egg substitute. If you try one, please let me know how it turns out in the comments at the bottom of this post. 

Storage Tips

• To store pumpkin cheesecake cookies, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 
• I don’t recommend storing at room temperature (even if you use dairy-free ingredients) because pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, and the cookies could get sticky if left at room temperature. 
• To freeze, place the cooked and cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and serve. 

More Delicious Cookies

Mary’s Famous Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

Vegan Millionaires Shortbread Bars

Almond Flour Gingersnaps

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