Go Back

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodle Cookies

Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodle cookies with a tangy cream cheese center baked into soft, crinkled cinnamon-sugar rounds. Freeze the filling into teaspoon balls so each cookie wraps cleanly, then bake at 375°F for a tender bake with set edges.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
freezing 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cream cheese filling
  • 6 oz cream cheese Use softened cream cheese so the mixture can be blended smoothly.
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 0.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
For pumpkin snickerdoodle dough
  • 2.75 cup flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon For the dough; reserve separate cinnamon sugar for rolling.
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter Use softened butter for creaming with sugar.
  • 1.25 cup sugar
  • 0.25 cup pumpkin Blot pumpkin dry before mixing to avoid excess moisture.
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For rolling
  • 0.33 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make and freeze the cheesecake filling
  1. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until smooth, then portion into 24 teaspoon-sized balls. Place on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes, until firm and scoopable.
Prepare the pumpkin snickerdoodle dough
  1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add blotted pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
  2. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until a soft dough forms.
Assemble stuffed cookies
  1. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place one frozen cream cheese ball in the center, then wrap and seal the dough around it to fully enclose the filling.
  2. Roll each sealed cookie generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture made from sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Press lightly so the coating adheres.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 375°F for 11-13 minutes on a sheet pan, until the edges look set and the centers are slightly soft. The tops should stay lightly pale with cinnamon-sugar texture.
  2. Cool cookies completely on the pan or a rack for the filling to firm up as they cool. Letting them cool fully helps the cheesecake center slice cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: blot the pumpkin dry before mixing to prevent greasy spread and to keep the cheesecake filling from loosening. Store baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving. Freeze fully cooled cookies in a sealed container up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a dairy-free cream cheese substitute that bakes well and replace butter with a 1:1 baking plant butter.