Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are a chewy pumpkin cookie filled with a cheesecake center and rolled in a cinnamon and pumpkin sugar mixture. The perfect fall cookie with the best surprise in the center.
These pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are combining all of my favorite fall flavors, pumpkin, cheesecake and cinnamon/sugar. You'll be sure to wow anyone with this fun twist on a regular pumpkin cookie.
For other snickerdoodle cookies try my peanut butter snickerdoodles, snickerdoodle cookie bars or the best snickerdoodle cookies.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- ONE BOWL: You only need to dirty one bowl, and a mixer isn't even required.
- CHEESECAKE CENTER: It's such a fun surprise when you bite in and discover cheesecake.
- CINNAMON/SUGAR: Rolling or covering a baked good in cinnamon and sugar always makes things better, and it's so pretty!
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cream Cheese: I highly suggest using the Philadelphia brand. It is less watery and seems to be the creamiest.
- Butter: Do not allow your butter to get too soft or your cookie dough will be too sticky and hard to fill and roll.
- Pumpkin Puree: You will be blotting your pumpkin before mixing to remove excess liquid.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: In a small bowl mix together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Scoop into 2 teaspoon size balls, this should make 11 balls. Place on a plate and put into the freezer until completely frozen, about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
Step 3: Place butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl.
Step 5: In a small bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 6: Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Take the frozen cheesecake balls out of the freezer. Push cheesecake balls into the cookie dough, making sure to completely cover the cheesecake. Roll the cookie ball in the sugar mixture. Place 5-6 cookies on a baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, and make sure they have a golden rim around the outside. You need to make sure you bake these cookies all the way, so the cheesecake isn't gooey. Sprinkle cookies with extra sugar mixture when they come out of the oven. Allow to cool completely before eating.
Expert Baking Tips
- Blotting the pumpkin beforehand is what helps these cookies to become less cakey and more chewy.
- If the dough feels too sticky to roll and fill, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour. The dough should be a little sticky, but still workable.
- Make sure the cheesecake filling is completely frozen, and don't pull it out until you are ready to bake the cookies.
FAQ
Yes, just make sure you do all the blotting as well, and once done it is ¼ cup.
You want to make sure there is a light golden rim around the edges of these cookies and that the middle of the cookie doesn't look shiny at all.
To make these cookies gluten free sub in 1:1 gluten free flour where all-purpose is called for.
Storing & Freezing
These pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles can be stored in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for 3-4 days at room temperature.
FREEZING
You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. Pull them out and allow to thaw before eating.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese soft
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla
Pumpkin Cookies
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (81.67 g) pumpkin puree blotted to become ¼ cup
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1½ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
Sugar Mixture
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Scoop into 2 teaspoon size balls, this should make 11 balls. Place on a plate and put into the freezer until completely frozen, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Measure out ⅓ cup of pumpkin and place on a paper plate. Using some paper towels, blot the pumpkin, removing liquid until the paper towel wipes clean. When done the pumpkin should measure more like ¼ cup (60g).
- Place butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and mix together. Add pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl.
- In a small bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Take the frozen cheesecake balls out of the freezer. Push cheesecake balls into the cookie dough, making sure to completely cover the cheesecake. Roll the cookie ball in the sugar mixture. Place 5-6 cookies on a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. You don't want to see any shiny dough in the middle of the cookie, and make sure they have a golden rim around the outside. You need to make sure you bake these cookies all the way, so the cheesecake isn't gooey. Sprinkle cookies with extra sugar mixture when they come out of the oven. Allow to cool completely before eating.
Taylor
Really great recipe. Easy to follow and make with ingredients you already have. I refrigerated half of the batch for 10 minutes before putting in the oven and they seemed to turn out better for me.
Amanda Weatherby
These are absolutely amazing!! A picture of the cookies popped up online and I knew I had to make them yesterday. My entire family loved them❤️🎃 I will be making them as gifts for friends this year, thank you for sharing Ms. Salted Sweets🍭
Brooke Homec
Thank you so much! Glad they were a hit!!
Amanda
These cookies are the BEST way to start the fall season off! They are so so so yummy!
Brooke Homec
Thank you Amanda! They're my favorite way to kick it off too!
jenna
These are some of the best cookies i’ve ever made! I browned the butter before adding it in and it made it so delicious.
Jamie
These turned out so good! I made them yesterday and we ate them all so quick. Excited to make them again!
Cheryl Stoner
I always give my recipes a grade and add any little notes so I know what I liked or didn’t like for future bakings. This is definitely an A+ recipe! Followed it exactly and they turned out perfectly! I doubled it to take some to friends and it worked great.
Brooke Homec
Thank you so much!! I appreciate the wonderful grade!☺️
Paulina
These were amazing! Look forward to making them again!
Jodi
Made these today…so so good!! Will definitely make these again!!
Barb
These are delicious! I doubled the recipe. Mine didn’t flatten like it shows but were still cooked-through.
Brooke Homec
Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Nicole
These were so ridiculously good I selfishly couldn't share them for Thanksgiving dessert & kept them for myself! Delicious!
Kendall
These are insanely delicious!!!! We loved the dough itself but the cheese cake filling was an extra plus! Personally I would’ve done less filling because i loved the dough next time. But they turned out amazing!!! Pro ti don’t use cream cheese spread lol it just melts and doesn’t freeze hard.
Deb
Loved these! Just perfect!
Kelblee
The perfect recipe to bring your snickerdoodle to the next level! Once I adjusted the actual size of the cookie because the first few I made a little too big and were slightly doughy in the center… oops! These were an all around hit and my husbands new favorite fall treat!!!
ZZ
Maybe my new favorite cookie. These are perfect fall/winter cookie with a creamy surprise. Also so easy to make. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kristen
I made these for our Thanksgiving gathering, however, upon tasting them, my daughters and I were selfish and decided to hide them and not share! They are ridiculously good!! Even my husband that doesn’t really like pumpkin really liked them! I will definitely be making them again
Kim Golding
I made these and took them to work! My coworkers and I gave them rave reviews!! So yummy!
Amanda
Stop what you're doing and make this cookie if you love cheesecake and you love cookies! They are perfect!
Sharon
We love these cookies and have made them multiple times because they’re so popular! Question about removing excess water from the pumpkin purée- is there a particular reason that you use paper towels and a paper plate? I’ve started using cheesecloth to strain the pumpkin because the first time I made a (double) batch, it seemed like I went through half a roll of paper towels!
Brooke Homec
That works great too!