Pumpkin Cream Cheese Stuffed Cookies
Soft pumpkin cookies with warm cinnamon and nutmeg, a cream cheese center, and a light cinnamon sugar coating. They're a great fall cookie when you want something a little more special than a classic pumpkin cookie.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Stuffed Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- 1
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- 2
Cream the butter and sugars. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until combined.
- 3
Add the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Don't overmix.
- 4
Scoop and chill. Scoop the dough into 12 portions, about 2½ tablespoons each, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill for 1 hour.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- 1
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
- 2
Scoop the filling into 12 portions, about 1 tablespoon each, and place them on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet.
- 3
Freeze for at least 45 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.
Make the Cinnamon-Ginger Sugar
- 1
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Assemble & Bake
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- 2
Take one chilled portion of cookie dough and gently flatten it in your palm.
- 3
Place a frozen portion of cream cheese filling in the center. Bring the dough up and around the filling, completely enclosing it. Roll gently into a smooth ball, making sure there are no gaps.
- 4
Roll each stuffed cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar.
- 5
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently flatten the tops.
- 6
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft.
- 7
Let cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a container. Store the finished cookies in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese filling.
Lauren's Note
- For smaller cookies: For about 17 smaller cookies, use approximately 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of dough and ½ tablespoon of filling per cookie. Follow the same assembly method, but start checking them a little earlier since they'll bake faster.
- Chill the dough: Pumpkin makes cookie dough softer and stickier, so don't skip the chilling step. It makes the cookies much easier to fill and shape.
- Freeze the filling: The cream cheese needs to be firm enough to tuck inside the dough. If it starts getting soft while you're assembling, pop it back into the freezer.
- Don't overbake: The centers should still look slightly soft when you take them out. They'll continue to set as they cool.
- Storage: Because of the cream cheese filling, store the baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Make ahead: The stuffed, unbaked cookies can be assembled ahead of time and kept chilled until you're ready to bake.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. The recipe makes about 17 smaller cookies when using approximately 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of dough and ½ tablespoon of filling per cookie.
It makes the filling much easier to handle and prevents it from blending into the cookie dough while you're assembling them.
No, but it adds a nice little spiced finish and keeps the outside from tasting too sweet. You could also use just cinnamon sugar if you prefer.
