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Made with warm autumn spices, brown sugar, and real puréed pumpkin, plus a stuffed cream cheese surprise in the middle, these pumpkin cream cheese cookies are perfect for fall!
What Inspired These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies?
Have you surrendered to pumpkin spice season yet? Though I’ve been trying my hardest to hang on to the last days of summer, it is definitely feeling like fall. It’s mid-October, the days are growing shorter, there is a chill in the air, and the leaves in London have begun to turn from vibrant green into shades of red, orange, and gold.
While I haven’t had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season just yet, I have enjoyed a salted caramel & maple latte (the superior drink, if you’re a maple-lover like me!) or two. These seasonal Starbucks beverages and autumn leaves, plus the emergence of all things pumpkin spice (pumpkin spice dog biscuits, anyone?) definitely have me thinking about fall baking. And what better way to kick things off than with a batch of spiced pumpkin cream cheese cookies?
Why Make These Pumpkin Cookies?
These pumpkin cookies are one of my new favorite fall treats. Featuring a creamy pumpkin cheesecake center wrapped in spiced pumpkin cookie dough and rolled in crunchy Demerara sugar, these easy-to-make cookies capture all of the comfy, cozy feelings of fall, especially when paired with a cup of coffee or tea on a chilly October afternoon. If you’re looking for an early autumn recipe for a bake sale or weeknight dessert, these pumpkin cream cheese cookies are a must-make.
This recipe begins with a spiced pumpkin cream cheese filling, which is frozen into balls and then enrobed inside a brown sugar cookie dough base. Dark brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness which complements the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Rolling the cookie dough balls in Demerara sugar (or Sugar in the Raw) before baking gives these stuffed pumpkin cookies a delightful crunch and a sparkly finish, creating an irresistable autumn dessert.
Ingredients for Making Cream Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies
To make these pumpkin cookies, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Cream Cheese – For best results, choose full-fat cream cheese, not low fat or diet.
- Pumpkin Purée – Be sure to use pure puréed pumpkin for this recipe, rather than pumpkin pie filling.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Also known as icing sugar, if you’re in the UK. This lends sweetness to the creamy filling.
- Spices – You’ll need pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg, plus a bit of fine sea salt. If you do not have access to pumpkin pie spice, substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground mixed spice, or a generous pinch each of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- All Purpose Flour – Or plain flour. I have not tested this recipe with alternative or gluten-free flours, so I can’t recommend substituting any of these.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – 1/2 teaspoon of each give the cookies their lift.
- Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter creates a soft, buttery cookie dough base.
- Dark Brown Sugar – I prefer dark brown sugar for its deep, caramel flavor, but light brown works equally well.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – Or vanilla extract.
- Demerara Sugar – Rolling the balls of dough in Demerara sugar (or Sugar in the Raw) gives these pumpkin cookies their crunchy exterior coating.
Stuffing the Cookies
While the soft brown sugar cookie exterior is both sweet and tasty, it’s the “stuffed” cream cheese center that truly sets these pumpkin cookies apart.
After mixing up the filling (a blend of cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, puréed pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice), you’ll scoop the mixture onto a tray and pop it into the freezer until frozen solid. Make and chill the cookie dough, then divide it into 24 equally-sized balls (you’ll need two for each cookie). Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of 12 of the balls.
Remove the cream cheese dollops from the freezer, place one in each indentation, and top with the remaining dough, then use your hands to roll the top and bottom dough pieces together, ensuring that the dough completely covers the cream cheese filling. When rolling the dough balls, it is very important to make sure the cream cheese is completely hidden. If there are any gaps, the filling will leak as the cookies bake.
If you want to work ahead, you can make the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance, wrap it in clingfilm/plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. The dollops of cream cheese filling can also be frozen overnight.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
The cookie dough can be made in advance, wrapped in clingfilm/plastic wrap, and refrigerated overnight. The dollops of cream cheese filling can also be frozen overnight.
These pumpkin cream cheese cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftover pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Pumpkin cookies can also be layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper and frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
Other pumpkin recipes you might enjoy:
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Pumpkin Spice Caramels
Pumpkin Hand Pies
Spiced Pumpkin Butter
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
- Total Time: 45 minutes (+ chilling time)
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
Description
A pumpkin cream cheese cookies recipe made with warm autumn spices, brown sugar, and real puréed pumpkin. These cream cheese stuffed pumpkin cookies are perfect for fall!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling:
85 grams cream cheese, softened (3 ounces)
40 grams pumpkin purée* (2 tablespoons)
20 grams confectioner’s sugar (2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Cookie Dough:
256 grams all purpose flour (2 cups)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
175 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
105 grams dark brown sugar (1/2 cup)
60 grams pumpkin purée (3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Instructions
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling:
Line a small tray with baking parchment, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat, and set aside until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese and pumpkin purée until smooth and creamy.
Add confectioner’s sugar and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until well combined.
Use a teaspoon to spoon the pumpkin cream cheese filling onto prepared tray. You should have a total of twelve (12) equally-sized dollops of cream cheese.
Transfer tray to the freezer until ready to use.
Cookie Dough:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin purée and vanilla bean paste and mix on low speed until well combined.
Add dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.
Wrap dough in clingfilm/plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour, or overnight.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 350° F / 175° C. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat, and set aside until ready to use.
Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Use your hands or a small cookie scoop to divide it into twenty four (24) equally-sized balls.
Portion out twelve (12) of the dough balls, and use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each.
Remove cream cheese dollops from the freezer. Place one dollop into each thumbprint indentation. Top with the remaining balls of dough.
Use your hands to roll the top and bottom dough pieces together, ensuring that the cream cheeese filling is completely covered by the dough. When finished, you should have a total of twelve (12) cream cheese-filled balls of dough.
Roll each ball in Demerara sugar.
Transfer balls to prepared baking tray, allowing space for the cookies to spread.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are puffy and lightly golden brown in color.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spiced pumpkin cream cheese cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftover pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert