Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies
Deliciously thick, soft, and chewy pumpkin cookies packed with warm autumn spices and filled with a sweet, creamy cheesecake centre. The perfect cosy autumn treat!
Servings: 9 large cookies
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Centres
- 170 g cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons caster or granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cookies
- 190 g plain/all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 115 g unsalted butter melted
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 75 g canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cheesecake Centres
- Line a small baking tray or plate with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Spoon 9 portions of the cheesecake mixture, approximately 1 teaspoon each, onto the prepared tray. Freeze for 1–2 hours, or until completely solid.
For the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas 4. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornflour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until combined.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Divide the cookie dough into 9 equal portions, approximately 56g each. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten into a thick circle.
- Place one frozen cheesecake portion into the centre of each piece of cookie dough. Carefully fold the dough up and around the filling, pinching the edges together to seal completely. Roll gently back into a ball.
- Arrange the stuffed cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space between each one for spreading.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centres are still slightly soft. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Pumpkin puree: Use pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.
Cheesecake filling: Freeze the cheesecake portions until completely solid before stuffing the cookies. For a thinner cheesecake layer, use ½ teaspoon of filling per cookie.
Smaller cookies: You can make smaller cookies if preferred. Use less cheesecake filling in each cookie and adjust the baking time accordingly.
Storage: Because of the cream cheese filling, store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving, if desired.
Make ahead: Assembled cookie dough balls can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a little extra baking time if needed.