Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies feature a soft, spicy pumpkin cookie with a tangy cheesecake filling. With only 6 ingredients, you can use cake mix to make an easy cookie that's really special!
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Today, I thought I'd share a fun twist on my Strawberry Cheesecake Cookie recipe that's perfect for fall!
🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's really simple! Don't be intimidated by the thought of a stuffed cookie; we're only using 6 ingredients (including cake mix) to bake a really memorable cookie that isn't difficult to make at all.
- Great texture and flavor combo. You're going to get a soft, pillowy, spicy pumpkin cookie outside with a sweet, tangy cheesecake filling. The combo is delicious.
- Perfect for a fall party! Your guests will remember this one! It has all of the classic flavors of fall in a cookie.
🎃 Ingredients
- 15.25 oz spice cake mix - This is equal to a standard box of cake mix. If you can't find spice cake for some reason, use a yellow cake mix and add a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- 8 oz pumpkin puree - The canned variety is perfect for this. Make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling - we want just the puree, without added flavoring.
- 1 egg
- ½ cup salted butter - Your butter should be at room temperature to make it easy to blend into the cookie dough.
- 8 oz cream cheese - I recommend making sure the cream cheese is softened as well; it blends much better when it's not right out of the fridge.
- ½ cup powdered sugar - Don't use granulated sugar for this one! Powdered sugar is going to give your cheesecake filling a light, smooth finish.
Additions & Substitutions
- You can add ½ cup of chocolate chips, walnuts, or toffee bits into the cookie dough to make this recipe unique. I wouldn't go overboard with the add-ins though - one is plenty!
- Change up the cake mix to give your cookies a unique flavor. These cookies can also be made with chocolate cake mix or butter pecan cake mix.
- Before baking the stuffed cookies, sprinkle the top of each cookie with cinnamon sugar for a nice outside crunch. Just combine 2 parts white granulated sugar and 1 part ground cinnamon to sprinkle over the cookies.
- Not a cheesecake fan? Simply leave the cream cheese filling out! These make great pumpkin spice cookies too.
I love using cake mix for my cookie recipes! Check out more of these desserts: my Red Velvet Cookies and Cool Whip Cookies use cake mixes, too.
👨🍳 How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- DRY PUMPKIN. Spread 1 cup of pumpkin puree on a plate. Place a paper towel over it and gently press to remove excess moisture. Repeat 3-4 times until the puree reduces to about ½ cup.
- MAKE PUMPKIN COOKIE DOUGH. In a large bowl, mix together one 15.25 oz box of spice cake mix, a softened stick of butter, 1 large egg, and ½ cup of dried pumpkin puree. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
- MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING. Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, blend 8 oz of cream cheese and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of this cream cheese mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least an hour.
- STUFF THE COOKIES. Once the cookie dough is chilled and the cream cheese balls are firm, scoop 2-tablespoon cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center of each dough scoop, then wrap the dough around it.
- BAKE at 350°F for 15-17 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn golden on top. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video
❄️ Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: Because of the cream cheese filling, these cookies need to be stored in the refrigerator. Place cookies in an airtight container and enjoy within 4-5 days of baking.
REHEATING: to reheat, just place cookies in an air fryer on reheat mode for 2-3 minutes. However, they're great cold or warm!
FREEZING: These can be frozen! After baking, freeze the cookies in a gallon ziplock bag. When you're ready to serve them again, just thaw them in the fridge overnight.
☑️ More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- The cheesecake filling balls should be firm before adding to the cookie dough. If it's still spreadable, pop it in the freezer for another 30 minutes.
- Don't skip the puree drying process! If you use puree with full water content, your cookie will be really cakey and soft, rather than chewy.
- I like to bake about 6 cookies at a time, totaling 2 batches.
More Pumpkin Desserts
I hope you pumpkin lovers enjoy this delicious fall dessert! If you give them a try, I'd love for you to rate ⭐️ and review 💭 the recipe in the comments below.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies feature a soft, spicy pumpkin cookie with a tangy cheesecake filling. With only 6 ingredients, you can use cake mix to make an easy cookie that's really special!
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Ingredients
- 15.25 oz spice cake mix
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Spread 1 cup of pumpkin puree on a plate. Spread a paper towel over the top to gently press out some of the moisture. Repeat this process 3-4 times, until the puree measures roughly ½ cup.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 15.25 oz box of spice cake mix, 1 softened stick of butter, 1 egg, and ½ cup of dried pumpkin puree. Refrigerate this mixture for 30 minutes to an hour.
- In a separate bowl, combine 8oz of cream cheese and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of this mixture onto a cookie sheet and freeze for at least an hour.
- Once cookie dough is chilled and cream cheese balls are firm, scoop 2-tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Place frozen cream cheese balls in the middle of each dough scoop and wrap cookie dough around the cream cheese balls.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes, until cookies start to brown on top. Once removed from the oven, allow cookies to chill for at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet before carefully transferring to a baking rack6
Notes
-
- The cheesecake filling balls should be firm before adding to the cookie dough. If it's still spreadable, freeze for another 30 minutes.
- Don't skip the puree drying process! If you use puree with full water content, your cookie will be really cakey and soft, rather than chewy.
- Want perfectly round cookies? As soon as they come out of the oven, place a glass over the warm cookies and circle cookies until they're perfectly shaped.
- I like to bake about 6 cookies at a time, totaling 2 batches.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 436mgPotassium: 222mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 3209IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Rate it in the comments below!
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
