Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are the perfect autumnal treat. A pumpkin spice cookie packed full of white chocolate chips, with a pumpkin spice cheesecake centre.
Jump to Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
These cookies have two different elements: the cookies and the cheesecake centre. I decided to add pumpkin spice because I just can’t get enough of it at this time of year.
Depending on your preference, there are a few different flavour options for these cookies. Just head down to the alternatives section below for some ideas.
Pumpkin Spice
I only have two other pumpkin spice recipes on my blog. My Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake and my Pumpkin Spice Latte Rolls which is an absolute travesty if you ask me. Pumpkin Spice is literally everywhere at this time of year and it is always a highly requested flavour. So, I thought it was time to add to my Pumpkin Spice recipe collection.
The pumpkin spice recipe below does make more than you will need for this recipe, but you can easily pop it in a jar and store it until you need it next. It is made using only five spices all of which should be available in your local supermarket. The spices are ground cinnamon, ground clove, ground ginger, allspice and ground nutmeg.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Okay, to make this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies we need to start with the cheesecake. This is because it needs time to freeze before we add it into our cookie dough mixture.
The cheesecake mixture is only 2 ingredients, a full-fat soft cheese and your homemade pumpkin spice. It is super quick and easy to do.
Related Recipes
For the cheesecake filling, I will say that you do need to use a full-fat soft cheese. In the UK the main brand would be Philadelphia, but supermarket brands also work perfectly. You could also use mascarpone.
If you use a low-fat soft cheese it won’t whip up and hold its shape which is what you need.
Once you have made the pumpkin cheesecake filling measure out 1tbsp blobs, pop them onto a baking sheet or an airtight container and put them into the freezer. Because the cheesecake blobs are only small, they only need to be frozen for around an hour or until they are frozen solid.
Pumpkin Cookies
To make the pumpkin cookies I used my basic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as a base and made a couple of adjustments.
For the cookies, I would recommend using an unsalted butter rather than a spread. I find that when you use a baking spread like Stork the cookies spread a lot more compared with unsalted butter. While you want the cookies to spread in the oven you don’t want them to spread too much.
The only chocolate I used in these is white chocolate chips, I didn’t want to overpower the pumpkin spice flavouring in them or the cheesecake.
Putting it All Together
Once your cheesecake filling has set and you have made your cookie dough we can put it all together. Weigh your cookie dough to around 80g-100g balls and in your hand gently squash the cookie dough so that it is flat. Add a frozen cheesecake blob to the centre and then fold the cookie dough around until the cheesecake is completely hidden.
If you find once your cookies have baked that the cheesecake filling has leaked out this just means that it wasn’t completely covered by the cookie dough.
Baking
When you are baking your cheesecake cookies remember that they will spread in the oven so they need to be spaced out on a baking tray (I used two.)
The cookies will still be soft when you take them out of the oven. Don’t worry as they will firm up as they cool. They need to be left until they are completely cool before moving them from the baking tray.
Freezing
If you don’t want to make all the cookies at once you can add the cheesecake filling to the centre of your dough and then freeze the entire cookie dough ball. The cookie dough balls will last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are baking from frozen just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Storage
Once you have baked your cookies they need to be stored in the fridge. This is because of the cheesecake element in the centre. They will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Alternatives
If you want to just make pumpkin cookies you can easily do this by following the recipe for the cookies and leaving out the cheesecake filling.
I only used white chocolate chips in these cookies but you could use milk or dark chocolate if you prefer.
As well as the chocolate chips you could add in some orange M&Ms or some Halloween coloured chocolates to make them more Halloweeny.
Equipment
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy any of these products. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting A Spoonful of Vanilla.
Pin it For Later!
If you do have any questions about these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies or any other recipes on my blog you can contact me either by sending me a DM on social media or an email. You can find all my details on the right-hand side of this page.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Spice
- 3 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1.5 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp Allspice
- 1 tsp Ground Clove
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 250 g Full-Fat Soft Cheese
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Spice
For the Pumpkin Cookies
- 150 g Unsalted Butter
- 150 g Light Brown Sugar
- 50 g Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 275 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin Spice
- 200 g White Chocolate Chips
Instructions
To Make the Pumpkin Spice
- Add the ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmet, allspice and ground clove to a bowl and whisk until fully mixed.
To Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Add the soft cheese to a large bowl with the pumpkin spice and mix until they are completely combined.
- Add tablespoon size dollops of the cheesecake mixture onto a lined baking tray or freezer-safe container.
- Pop into the freezer until solid to touch, this should take around an hour.
To Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160CFan) and line a baking tray with baking parchment and leave to one side.
- In a bowl cream together the butter and both sugars until pale in colour and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and egg yolk, vanilla, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cornflour and pumpkin spice and mix until completely combined and a dough begins to form.
- Add in the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
- Weight your cookie dough into balls of around 80-100g. Flatten the cookie dough out in your hand and add a frozen ball of the cheesecake mixture to the centre.
- Wrap the cookie dough around the frozen ball of cheesecake and make sure the cheesecake is completely sealed inside.
- Spread the cookies between your baking trays. Remember the cookies will spread so make sure you leave enough room between them.
- Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until they start to go golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool. They will still be really soft when you take them out of the oven but they will firm up as they cool. I recommend leaving for 15-20 minutes before eating. Or leave them to cool completely.
Notes
- Once baked these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies will last in the fridge for 3+ days.
- If you want to freeze these cookies follow the instructions up to step 6 of making the cookies. Instead of baking pop the cookies back into the freezer. They will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- The pumpkin spice will last in an airtight jar for up to 3 years.