These pumpkin cheesecake cookies are divinely delicious! Soft and tender pumpkin spice cookies are topped with satiny sweet and tangy cream cheese to create the perfect holiday treat.
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Calling all pumpkin lovers! Pumpkin spice season is upon us, and this recipe is just the thing to get you in the spirit. There is nothing like pumpkin spice to warm your spirits and tantalize your taste buds.
The natural earthiness of pumpkin, warming spices, and just the right touch of sweetness are enough to make you swoon.
These pumpkin cream cheese cookies are decadent enough for any potluck and easy enough to make on a weeknight.
They are even easy enough to make with the kids! There is no reason to limit yourself to the autumn months, either.
The ingredients are accessible year round, and any leftovers are easily kept in the freezer.
These pumpkin cookies truly are a crowd pleaser. Your friends and family will beg you to make this heavenly recipe again and again!
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- Everything you need to make these spicy, sweet pumpkin cream cheese cookies.
- Expert tips for getting soft pumpkin cookies every time.
- Clever substitutions to help you achieve pumpkin spice holiday perfection.
Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps! Take a deep breath, pull out your stand mixer, and get ready to create pumpkin spice magic. You got this!
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
STEP TWO: In a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, egg, and pumpkin puree, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the flour and the baking soda, along with 1 ¼ cup of the graham crackers crumbs and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice. Mix until ingredients are just combined.
STEP THREE: Scoop out portions of dough, about 2 tablespoons each, and roll into smooth balls.
STEP FOUR: In a small bowl, combine the remaining pumpkin pie spice and graham cracker crumbs. Roll each cookie dough ball in the mixture, then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each to about ½ inch thick.
STEP FIVE: Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet.
STEP SIX: Meanwhile, make the cheesecake frosting. In your stand mixer, beat the pumpkin pie mix, softened cream cheese, and softened butter on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until well combined. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla extract. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
STEP SEVEN: Once the cookies have cooled, you can pipe on the frosting and sprinkle with the remainder of the pumpkin spice-graham cracker mixture. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Nothing is worse than tough or crunchy pumpkin cheesecake cookies. Follow the recipe carefully and pay close attention to these tips for the best texture and flavor!
- Be sure that your cream cheese and butter are fully softened before beginning to help smoothly incorporate your ingredients.
- Choose the highest quality vanilla extract you can find. It enhances the flavor of your recipe more than you know.
- Chill your cookie dough for one hour or up to overnight before portioning out. This step isn’t necessary but will help keep your cookies from spreading out too much. It’s a great idea for bake sales or holiday parties.
- Use the spoon and level method for your dry ingredients. Accurate measuring is essential to help the cookies rise just enough without getting dry.
- Be sure that your pumpkin puree isn’t runny since too much moisture will affect the recipe. This is especially important if you make your own puree.
Can I Substitute Fresh Pumpkin for Pumpkin Pie Filling?
Pumpkin pie filling already has the perfect spice ratio and works beautifully in this recipe.
If you only have pumpkin puree and/or fresh pumpkin meat on hand, you can make it work. The important thing is to properly prepare the pumpkin and add extra pumpkin spice mix.
Since this recipe only uses a little bit of pumpkin pie filling, you can check out this list of ideas on how to use up leftover pumpkin pie filling.
How Do I Get Perfectly Soft Pumpkin Cookies?
The secret is the correct ratio of leavening agents. Baking soda does the trick for this recipe by allowing the cookies to rise.
Be sure to use the spoon and level method for all dry ingredients. This will help you avoid dry cookies while avoiding excess moisture.
How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Store any leftovers easily in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Good luck keeping these pumpkin goodies around. They may just disappear immediately!
More Cheesecake Cookies
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Pumpkin Dip
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Pie Recipe Without Condensed Milk
- 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread Made with Cake Mix
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- 1 stick ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ¼ cup pumpkin pie mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs divided
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice divided
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the Cheesecake Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie mix
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
- Add the softened butter and light brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy– about 2 minutes.
- Next, add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Mix again until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Next, add 1 ¼ cups of graham cracker crumbs, along with the flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Mix just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated– you don’t want to overmix!
- Scoop out 2 tablespoon sized portions and roll them into smooth balls.
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ½ cup graham cracker crumbs and ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Roll the cookie dough balls in the graham cracker crumbs and then place them on the parchment lined baking sheet (make sure to place them at least 2” apart). Press each dough ball into a ½” thick disc.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies are set. For chewy cookies, make sure not to overbake!
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet. When the cookies are cool, make the cheesecake frosting (below).
For the Cheesecake Frosting- Add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and pumpkin pie mix to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined– about 1 minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy– about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip (I’m using a Wilton 12).
- When the cookies are cool, pipe the frosting over the cookies and sprinkle with any remaining graham cracker-pumpkin pie spice mixture. Enjoy immediately.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Hi Samantha – I’m from the UK so we can’t get pumpkin pie mix here unfortunately. I’m a little confused, I can find ingredients to make pumpkin pie spice but is the pumpkin pie mix a can of pumpkin purée? I’d love to make pumpkin these cookies!!
Hi Julie, the pumpkin pie mix is a little different than pumpkin puree since it has some of the pumpkin pie spices inside of it already. You can use the pumpkin puree in this recipe, but I recommend looking up a homemade pumpkin pie spice to make. It’s pretty easy and uses spices such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice.