Description
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are soft, tangy, and ready in 45 minutes! My simple recipe brings that perfect fall flavor with a creamy swirl. A sweet, easy treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Dough Essentials:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Creamy Cheesecake Swirl:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- Fall Spice Medley:
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Creaming the Goodness:: First things first, get that softened butter into your stand mixer with both sugars. Cream them together until they’re light and fluffy, like a cloud. This takes about 2-3 minutes. You’ll see the color lighten, and the mixture will feel airy. This step is crucial for the texture of your Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies, so don’t rush it! I used to under-cream, and my cookies would be dense, a real bummer.
- Mixing Wet Ingredients:: Next, beat in the egg until it’s just combined. Then, add the pumpkin puree. Mix on low speed until everything is smoothly incorporated. Don’t overmix here; we just want it combined. The mixture will be a lovely pale orange, and honestly, the smell of the pumpkin starting to blend with the butter and sugar? It’s the best. I always try to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed in evenly.
- Combining Dry & Wet:: In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Once combined, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to tough cookies, and we want soft, tender Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies! The dough will be thick and fragrant.
- Whipping Up the Swirl:: Now for the cheesecake! In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no lumps—this is key for a silky swirl. I’ve had lumpy swirls before, and it just doesn’t look as pretty. You want it to be spreadable but not runny. This tangy mixture is going to be the perfect contrast to the spiced pumpkin.
- Scooping & Swirling:: Drop rounded spoonfuls of the pumpkin cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I use a cookie scoop for consistency, about 1.5 tablespoons per cookie. Then, take a small teaspoon of the cheesecake mixture and dollop it onto the center of each pumpkin cookie dough mound. Use a toothpick or a small knife to gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin dough. Don’t over-swirl, or you’ll lose that distinct two-tone effect!
- Baking Bliss:: Bake your Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. They might look a little soft in the middle, but they’ll firm up as they cool. The kitchen will smell absolutely incredible, like autumn exploded in the best way possible. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They’re honestly best when slightly warm.