Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

These are the best pumpkin cheesecake cookies! They are super chewy pumpkin cookies, stuffed with creamy cheesecake filling and rolled in pumpkin spice sugar. They’re the perfect fall treat and every pumpkin lover will adore them! These cookies are super chewy and not at all fluffy pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin is hard to get right in cookies because it adds so much moisture to baked goods, but by drying it before adding it to the dough, the cookies keep their perfect chewy texture. The centers are stuffed full of delicious, sweetened cream cheese. It’s the best part about these cookies! The dough is flavored with the perfect amount of pumpkin pie spice and then is rolled in spiced sugar before baking. Each bite will taste like fall!

Ingredients:
For the Cheesecake Filling:
6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Spiced Sugar:
¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Pumpkin Cookies:
½ cup (122 g) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
For the Cheesecake Filling:
Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold, 3 tablespoon (38 g) granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
Scoop the cheesecake filling into 16, 2 teaspoon portions onto the baking sheet.
(There will be a little bit left over in the bowl.)
Pop the cheesecake balls into the freezer until they are frozen and very firm.

For the Spiced Sugar:
Add the sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl. Whisk to combine then set aside.
¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Pumpkin Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dry your pumpkin to get rid of excess moisture. This may seem weird but it is the only way these cookies will bake properly and not turn out cakey! Spread your pumpkin on a plate and place paper towels over the top. Lightly press to absorb the liquid. Repeat the step at least four more times until hardly any liquid transfers to the paper towel. (It needs to reduce down to just under ¼ cup from ½ cup). Then set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture. In a large bowl cream the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
Add in the dried pumpkin and combine on medium speed. Add in the dry ingredients and combine on low speed.
Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Slightly flatten out each then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center. Then close the cheesecake ball in with the cookie dough and roll into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough balls in pumpkin spice sugar.
(Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer until ready to use for each batch of cookies.)
Transfer the cookie dough balls to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 12-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then serve!

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