its mid October. you're probably knee deep in pumpkin recipes by now. or, maybe you're like me. two or three for the season is just enough. regardless of where you land on the fall baking spectrum, there's always room for some spiced cookies. you will not find a trace of pumpkin in these delicious cookies. just lots of spice and a surprise creamy filling. one things for sure, you absolutely need to add these cheesecake filled pumpkin spice sugar cookies to your fall baking list!
these cookies are so many delicious things...
- perfectly chewy
- crispy edges
- creamy center
- sweet
- spicy
- toothsome
- completely irresistible and hard to put down!
super short + sweet ingredient list
what I love most about these cheesecake filled pumpkin spice sugar cookies is you can make them using relatively few ingredients. this is perfect for when that infamous sweet tooth craving strikes! they're made from pantry basics you most likely have already. but, if you're headed to the store, here's what you need:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- cornstarch
- salt
- pumpkin spice
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- cream cheese
using these ingredients you will make: pumpkin spiced sugar, a sweetened cheesecake filling and pumpkin spiced sugar cookies. in short, you're making some fabulously delicious cookies!
don't have a favorite pumpkin spice blend? try this!
at the beginning of the fall baking season, I make a big batch of my favorite spice blends. I've been using this pumpkin spice blend for the last couple of years and it is so good. if you don't have store bought pumpkin spice, or you just like to make sure own, give this version a try! here's what you need:
- ⅓ c ground cinnamon (32 g)
- 2 ½ tablespoon ground ginger (15 g)
- 2 ½ tablespoon ground ginger (15 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice (4g)
- 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (4g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamon (1g)
- mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until well combined
- store in an airtight container such as spice jar or small glass mason jar
tips and tricks
to get the perfect stuffed sugar cookie
- chill time: the dough needs to be cold. this helps many things, but mainly it helps:
- chewiness: chilling relaxes the glutens. this gives a chewier texture to the cookie
- firmness: the dough isn't structurally ready to hold the filling until it is chilled
- filling: the filling needs time to firm back up as well. 15-20 minutes in the freezer works great to get it back into shape.
- baking sheet color: the color of the baking sheet changes the how the bottom of the cookie sets.
- dark metal: set the bottom of the cookie faster. this prevents the cookies from spreading out as much
- light metal: set the bottom slowly. this can lead to more spread of the cookies. if you want less spread from the cookie while using a light color baking sheet, increase the baking temperature to 375F and decrease the baking time by a few minutes.
- baking times are a guide: ovens and baking sheets will vary from how the recipe was created. its more important to look for the visual cues to know when the cookie is ready. look for:
- golden brown tops
- set edges
- cracks across the top of the cookie
- baking tools: these are my favorite things to use when making the perfect cookie
- oven thermometer: even newer ovens run cooler/hotter than is shown on the control panel.
- cookie scoop: makes scooping even cookies so much easier
- parchment paper or silpat: promotes more even baking and a non stick surface for the cookies
- food scale: makes measuring out ingredients easier and more precise! I almost never use measuring cups anymore!
need more pumpkin spice in your life?
- pumpkin gingersnap icebox cake
- spiced walnut streusel pumpkin bread
- pumpkin tahini chocolate chip cookies
- caramelized white chocolate buttercream pumpkin bars
cheesecake filled pumpkin spice sugar cookies
Equipment
- stand or electric mixer (with paddle or beater attachments)
- mixing bowl
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
Ingredients
pumpkin spiced sugar
- ¼ c granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice see notes for blend, sub with preferred "fall baking" spice
pumpkin spice sugar cookies
- 2 ⅓ c (290g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp (5g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp (6g) baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 c (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c (200g) light brown sugar
- ¼ c (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
cream cheese (cheesecake) filing
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ c (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
pumpkin spice sugar cookies
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
- On medium high speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the egg, yolk and vanilla extract one at a time. Wait about 20 seconds before adding the next ingredient.
- On the lowest speed or by hand (my preferred way), add the dry ingredients to the wet ½ at a time. Cover the dough with plastic cling wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes. The dough is ready when the cookie firmly holds a ball shape. While the dough is chilling, make the filling, spiced sugar and preheat the oven to 350F.
cream cheese (cheesecake) filling and spiced sugar
- While the cookie dough chiils, make the filling. Using a spatula, spoon or electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and well combined. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes. To make the sugar, mix the granulated sugar with the pumpkin spice in a shallow bowl until well combined. Set aside.
assembly
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove dough and filling from the fridge. Have the dough, filling and spiced sugar nearby for easy assembly.Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough from the bowl. Flatten slightly into a disk. Scoop about a teaspoon of filling onto the center of the disk. Scoop another tablespoon of dough from the bowl. Flatten into a similar size disk.Place the second disk on top of the filling. Gently press the edges of the two disks together.Gently roll into a ball. Make sure the seems stay together and the filling isn't coming out from any part of the dough. Roll the filled cookie dough ball in the spiced sugar. Set on the prepared cookie sheet about 2" from the next cookie.Repeat for about 8-9 cookies per baking sheet. Keep any unused portion of the filling and dough in the fridge while the other batch bakes.
- Bake the cookies in the center rack for about 8-12 minutes. The cookies are finished when the tops are golden brown with cracks forming across the cookie.Remove baking sheet from the oven to cool on a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes. Remove cookies from the baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature on the cooling rack.
Notes
Make sure to leave a star review below
Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
Coreen says
These look delicious! How do you store them? Do they need to be refrigerated?
Megan says
Hi! They're fine to store at room temperature for the day. I would refrigerate them after that time. If you don't plan on eating the whole batch fairly quickly, I would make them and freeze the pre-made cookie balls for another time.
Karin S says
These are amazing! We did have a bunch kind of cave in, but they still taste great. We really appreciate that they aren’t too sweet. I will definitely make them again (I’m pretty sure my son will insist on it). Thank you!
Megan says
Hi Karin, thank you for the feedback. Sorry to hear some of the cookies caved. Maybe try popping the made cookies back in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. Sometimes, if the dough is too warm (from preparing the cookies) it can cause the cookies to spread and deflate. Please let me know how they turn out on the next try! 🙂
Jin says
Just made these and used your pumpkin spice recipe with significant measurement modifications (which means I guessed how to make it in a much smaller batch) and it still came out amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Megan says
Hi Jin! So happy to read the cookies turned out for you!