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5 from 5 reviews

Get ready for fall with these soft and chewy pumpkin cheesecake cookies! These pumpkin cookies are stuffed with a cream cheese filling and loaded with gooey chocolate chips. Plus, they’re naturally eggless and can easily be made vegan.

Stack of five pumpkin cheesecake cookies with top three cookies broken in half so you can see the cheesecake centre

These pumpkin cream cheese cookies are based off of my vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It’s the same soft pumpkin spice cookies, but stuffed with a heavenly cheesecake filling!


Pumpkin cookies tend to usually be puffy and cakey, but not these! I’ve got some tips and tricks to make sure your cookies stay soft, chewy and delicious.

If you want even more cheesecake stuffed cookies, be sure to check out my strawberry cheesecake cookies and raspberry cheesecake cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

  • Instead of eggs, the pumpkin puree acts as a binder in the pumpkin cheesecake cookies. So these egg free cookies stay soft and chewy instead of getting puffy and cakey. 
  • Looking to make these cookies vegan? Just use vegan butter, vegan chocolate chips, vegan graham crackers and vegan cream cheese! 
  • These pumpkin cream cream cheese cookies can be frozen, which means you always have them on hand for a pumpkin spice craving!

Ingredients Needed

Pumpkin cheesecake cookie ingredients in bowls with labels
  • Cream Cheese: You can use either regular cream cheese or vegan cream cheese in this recipe. I don’t recommend using Daiya brand cream cheese as it tends to melt into the dough. If you’re looking for a dairy free or vegan option, then I suggest using Violife or another vegan cream cheese which has a coconut base. Just note, if you’re using a regular cream cheese (not vegan) you’ll need to adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar used, but I’ve noted that down in the recipe card!
  • Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free/vegan butter.
  • Pumpkin: make sure you are using canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling!
  • Graham Crackers: these are optional. you can use regular graham crackers or vegan graham crackers, or you can feel free to leave them out entirely!
  • Chocolate Chips: feel free to use a mix of white and semisweet chocolate chips, or just semisweet chocolate chips – you can also chop up a chocolate bar instead! If you’re making these vegan, then make sure to use vegan chocolate chips. 
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand? Check out the notes on the recipe card, I’ve got a quick recipe for how to make your own! 
  • Flour: I’ve tested this recipe with all purpose flour. If you need these pumpkin cheesecake cookies to be gluten free, then use all purpose 1-1 gluten free baking flour, like Bob’s Red Mill.
stack of pumpkin cheesecake cookies with two split in half on top and chocolate chips scattered around

Step By Step Instructions

Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Step 1: Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine the softened cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Step 2: Place 16 heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture onto the baking sheet. Flatten each cream cheese ball slightly and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until it is almost solid. 

Once the cream cheese filling is frozen, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 3: Pour melted butter into a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, whisking until it is completely smooth.

Step 4:  Pour in the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until it is combined. This cookie dough is slightly wetter than traditional cookie dough, but this is totally normal – don’t add any extra flour!

Stir in the chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces.

Pumpkin cheesecake cookie baking process pictured in six steps

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 375°Fahrenheit. Use a large cookie scoop, or just scoop out 2 ½ – 3 tablespoons of dough, and place on the baking sheet. Make sure to leave lots of room between each cookie dough ball. 

Step 6: Take out the frozen cheesecake balls and press one into the centre of each cookie. Cover the cream cheese with the cookie dough, wrapping it around gently and making sure it is completely covered. Add extra chocolate chips or graham crackers pieces on top!

Step 7: Once you’ve finished one baking sheet of 8 cookies, place the baking sheet in the fridge while you work on the next batch. 

Step 8: Once the oven is preheated, bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes. The cookies should have slightly brown edges and the top should be set. If you keep them in the oven for too long, they’ll become too brown, crispy, and the cream cheese filling will melt into the dough.

Step 9: Let the pumpkin cheesecake cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes – they’ll continue baking. Enjoy!

Baking sheet of pumpkin cheesecake cookies pictured from above looking down

Expert Tips

  • Properly measure your flour – I highly recommend using a $15 kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients (metric measurements are in the recipe card below). If you aren’t using a scale, use the scoop and level method. 
  • Let the cheesecake filling freeze completely before assembling the cookies – Leave them in the freezer right up until you are ready to use them. 
  • Keep a cloth nearby – this dough is a bit wetter and stickier, so when you’re pulling the dough over the cheesecake filling your hands might get sticky! Keep a cloth on hand to wipe them after each cookie.
  • Be sure not to make the dough too thin on the bottom – There should be enough cookie dough on the bottom of each cookie so that the filling doesn’t seep out of the cookie when baking.
  • Keep an eye on them in the oven – don’t let the pumpkin cheesecake cookies stay in the oven for too long, otherwise they’ll get too brown, crispy, and the filling will melt into the dough and disappear!
  • Let the cookies finish baking on the baking sheet – these cookies will continue to set and bake slightly after they’re out of the oven, so let them rest on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. 

Storage Instructions

Pumpkin cheesecake cookies taste best on the day of baking them. The cream cheese filling means the cookies will start to soften after a day. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or on the counter for about one day if it’s not too hot in your kitchen.

You can also freeze the baked cookies! Store them in an airtight ziploc bag and just thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them.

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

Close-up of sliced pumpkin loaf with cream cheese frosting on top and a bowl of pumpkin puree and cinnamon sticks sit nearby on a parchment-lined surface.

Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
a slice of chocolate pumpkin cake on a plate

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Close-up of freshly baked banana chocolate chip muffins in brown paper liners, topped with chunks of melted chocolate

Pumpkin Banana Muffins
pumpkin sheet cake slice on a plate with cinnamon sprinkled on top

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Stacked pumpkin cheesecake cookies with chocolate chips scattered around
5 from 5 reviews

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Gabby Kislanko
Get ready for fall with these soft and chewy pumpkin cheesecake cookies! These pumpkin cookies are stuffed with a cream cheese filling and loaded with gooey chocolate chips.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Chill: 20 minutes
Total Time: 46 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies
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Ingredients
 

Cheesecake Filling

  • ¾ cup (170 g) cream cheese, softened, (regular or vegan) SEE NOTES
  • ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioners sugar), SEE NOTES if using vegan cream cheese

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

  • ¾ cup (158 g) butter, melted, (regular or vegan)
  • 6 Tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225 g) light brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120 g) pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling!)
  • 2¼ cup (281 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, or chopped white chocolate, (regular or vegan)
  • ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, (regular or vegan)
  • 6 graham crackers, chopped into small pieces, plus more for topping (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Line baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. In a small bowl, use a whisk or mixer to mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth and combined.
  • Place 16 heaping teaspoons of cream cheese on the baking sheet or plate. Slightly flatten each ball of cream cheese. Freeze for at least one hour, or until frozen almost completely solid.
  • When the cream cheese is frozen almost solid, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add melted butter to a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
  • Add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice and stir until just incorporated. The dough will be a bit wetter than a typical cookie dough – do not add more flour!
  • Gently stir the chocolate chips and and graham crackers into the dough.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Use a large cookie scoop (about 2½-3 tablespoons of dough) and scoop balls of cookie dough onto each baking sheet, allowing lots of room between each ball of dough.
  • Remove the cream cheese balls from the freezer and gently press one into the centre of each cookie. Cover the cream cheese ball with the dough, wrapping it around the cream cheese to cover it completely (photos are in post above for reference). Sprinkle more chocolate chips and/or graham cracker pieces on top if desired.
  • Once you've finished assembling one baking sheet of cookies, place them in the fridge while the oven finishes preheating, then repeat the steps with the second batch of cookies.
  • Once the oven has preheated, bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly brown on the edges and the top looks set. 11 minutes was perfect in my oven. If you leave the cookies in the oven for too long, they will become very brown, and the cream cheese will melt into the cookie dough! If you're unsure, you can bake one test cookie to start.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes (they will continue baking a little bit during this time). Enjoy!

Equipment

Baking Sheets
Baking Sheets
Handheld Mixer or Standing Mixer
Handheld Mixer or Standing Mixer

Video

Notes

Please Note: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above, under the “Metric” tab.
Properly measure your flour – I highly recommend using a $15 kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients (metric measurements are in the recipe card below). If you aren’t using a scale, use the scoop and level method.
Cream Cheese: I don’t recommend using Daiya brand cream cheese as it tends to melt into the dough. If you’re looking for a dairy free or vegan option, then I suggest using Violife or another vegan cream cheese which has a coconut base. Depending what kind of cream cheese you use, the amount of time it takes to freeze the filling may vary.
Powdered Sugar: If you are using vegan cream cheese, decrease the powdered sugar to 1/4 cup (30g). It’s softer than regular cream cheese so less icing sugar will make the filling firmer.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use the following combination of spices: 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Storage and Freezing Instructions: These cookies taste best on the day of baking them. The cream cheese filling means the cookies will start to soften after a day. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or on the counter for about one day if it’s not too hot in your kitchen.
You can also freeze the baked cookies! Store them in an airtight ziploc bag and just thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them. 
Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 320mg, Potassium: 98mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 1742IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg
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The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.