Pumpkin cheesecake cookies are made with rich brown butter pumpkin cookie dough and creamy dollops of cheesecake filling. These soft fall cookies look impressive but are surprisingly easy to make.
These pumpkin cheesecake cookies combine three of my favorite fall baking flavors: pumpkin, warm spices, and brown butter. The soft pumpkin cookie dough is made with browned butter for extra flavor and filled with dollops of creamy cheesecake filling in every cookie.
They may look like the kind of cookie that takes all afternoon to make, but they’re actually surprisingly simple. The spiced pumpkin cookie and creamy cheesecake filling make these fun fall cookies that are just as good for everyday baking as they are for sharing.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Salted butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using plain, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Pumpkin: You’ll want pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin pie mix has sugar and spices already mixed in.
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice mix, you can make your own pumpkin pie spice blend.
How to make pumpkin cheesecake cookies
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: For the cookies: Brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Quickly remove from heat when it smells nutty and turns a light golden brown color, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour the browned butter, scraping the browned bits at the bottom, into a large mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature for about 20-25 minutes.
Step 4: While the butter cools, make the filling: To the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 5: Dollop 1 scant tablespoon sized portions onto a small baking sheet or plate, about 24 dollops total.
Place in the freezer to solidify while you finish making the cookie dough.
Step 6: Once butter has cooled to room temperature, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until well combined.
Step 7: Add pumpkin, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk again to combine.
Step 8: Add flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
Step 9: For rolling: In a shallow dish, stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Step 10: Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon portions. Place 1 frozen piece of cream cheese in the center of each portioned dough. Roll into a ball to cover the cream cheese completely. Then, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the outside.
Step 11: Place each ball of dough about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 12: Bake for about 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack.
How to brown butter
Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan and cook over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam and then the milk solids will start to brown.
Stir or swirl the pan frequently and remove it from the heat once the butter smells nutty and you see golden-brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Immediately transfer it to a heat-safe bowl so it doesn’t continue cooking in the hot pan.
Recipe Tips!
- Brown the butter carefully: Cook the butter until the milk solids are golden brown and smell nutty. Keep a close eye on it toward the end because it can go from browned to burned quickly.
- Don’t skip cooling the brown butter: Give it enough time to cool as directed before adding it to the cookie dough.
- Measure the pumpkin carefully: Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture to cookie dough, so use the amount called for rather than adding extra.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Mix just until the ingredients are combined for softer cookies.
- Don’t overbake: Pumpkin cookies can quickly go from soft to cakey. Take them out when they’re set as directed and allow them to finish setting as they cool.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 8 ounce block plain cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For the cookies: Brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Quickly remove from heat when it smells nutty and turns a light golden brown color, about 5 minutes.1 cup salted butter
- Pour the browned butter, scraping the browned bits at the bottom, into a large mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature for about 20-25 minutes.
- While the butter cools, make the filling: To the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes.8 ounce block plain cream cheese, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dollop 1 scant tablespoon sized portions onto a small baking sheet or plate, about 24 dollops total.
- Place in the freezer to solidify while you finish making the cookie dough.
- Once butter has cooled to room temperature, add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until well combined.⅔ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add pumpkin, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk again to combine.½ cup canned pumpkin puree, 2 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For rolling: In a shallow dish, stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon.¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon portions. Place 1 frozen piece of cream cheese in the center of each portioned dough. Roll into a ball to cover the cream cheese completely. Then, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the outside.
- Place each ball of dough about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for about 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
- Salted butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using plain, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Pumpkin: You’ll want pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin pie mix has sugar and spices already mixed in.
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice mix, you can make your own pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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