These pumpkin cheesecake cookies are fluffy pumpkin cookies topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with a brown sugar streusel. Packed with fall spices, this is the perfect treat to enjoy during pumpkin season.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The perfect fall treat - full of pumpkin flavor, pumpkin pie spice, tangy cream cheese, and brown sugar crumble. These cookies are perfect for a pumpkin lover to enjoy during the best time of year (aka fall)!
Light and airy - these soft pumpkin spice cookies stay nice and fluffy from the moisture in the pumpkin, which is how they're intended to be. The addition of the sweetened cream cheese and the crumb topping at a bit of richness, without making them feel sickly sweet and overly rich.
Easy to make - this is a much simpler version than the pumpkin cheesecake cookies you see stuffed with cream cheese filling. They're not labor intensive at all, making these pumpkin cream cheese cookies the simplest fall cookie you could make!
If you're looking for more pumpkin desserts, try:
- Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu
- Pumpkin Spice Soft Pretzels
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Muffins
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Ingredients
- Dry ingredients. All-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Spices. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In place of these spices, pumpkin pie spice can be used.
- Dairy. Unsalted room temperature butter, one egg yolk, and softened cream cheese.
- Sugars. White sugar is used in the cookies, powdered sugar in the cream cheese frosting, and brown sugar in the streusel.
- Pumpkin puree. Pure pumpkin puree is used in the recipe - not pumpkin pie filling.
- Rolled oats. Two tablespoons are used in the crumble topping. The oats can be omitted if you don't have them or would prefer to omit them.
See the recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Fresh pumpkin can be baked, moisture removed, and pureed to create your own pumpkin puree.
- Pureed sweet potato or butternut squash can be used instead of pumpkin.
- Add ⅓ cup of white chocolate chips to the batter to level up the flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of the spice blend in the cookies in an equal substitution.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Cream together the butter and sugar on high speed, then add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture into the batter until combined. Refrigerate for one hour.
Two: Scoop the pumpkin cookie dough and roll it into round balls.
Three: Roll the cookie dough balls through the pumpkin spice sugar, then place them onto a prepared baking sheet.
Four: Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten the pumpkin cookies slightly, then bake. Cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack.
Hot tip! It's always best to underbake cookies slightly, as they will continue to bake from the residual heat from the pan.
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Five: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese mixture until smooth, then spread one tablespoon onto the tops of each pumpkin cookie.
Six: Heat the flour, then mix it with the streusel ingredients until small crumbles form. Sprinkle onto the tops of the pumpkin cheesecake cookies, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for best results. Too much flour can make the cookies too puffy and potentially dry.
- A digital thermometer should be used to ensure the correct temperature of the flour in the crumble mixture. Raw flour is unsafe to consume, and must be heat treated to kill bacteria.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting, otherwise, it can melt off.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, definitely. The dough can sit covered in the fridge for up to 48 hours prior to baking.
Yes. Roll the balls and flash freeze them on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a sealed container and freeze for one month. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge for 1-2 hours, then roll in the sugar and bake according to recipe instructions.
Storage
Store the pumpkin cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If the cookies need to be stacked, place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper in between so the cream cheese frosting doesn't stick.
Allow the cookies to come to room temperature before enjoying.
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📖Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Offset spatula or butter knife
- Digital kitchen thermometer
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 150g
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree 75g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g (for rolling)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for rolling
Toppings
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 15g
- ¼ cup light brown sugar 50g
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats 25g
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for three minutes. Scrape down the sides.½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides again, then add the pumpkin puree and beat on low until combined.1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- Add in the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined and scrape down the sides to incorporate any leftover flour.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃ and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1-inch balls of dough, roll them between your hands, then roll them through the mixture of sugar and cinnamon.¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Place them evenly apart on the prepared baking sheet, then flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then allow them to cool on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Toppings
- Heat the flour in the microwave in 30 second bursts (stirring in between each) until it reaches 165℉. About two minutes. Cool.
- Using a fork, mix together the heat-treated flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, cinnamon and salt until crumbles form. Set aside.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons rolled oats, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch kosher salt
- Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth (by hand or with a mixer). Spread 1 heaping tablespoon onto each cooled cookie.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over each frosted cookie, then enjoy!
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