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Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are a fresh take on a classic cookie! Delightfully soft and filled with tangy cream cheese, these cookies will be sure to get a “WOW!” from your friends and family!

I love any recipe that I can add pumpkin to and these cookies are no exception! If you love pumpkin as much as I do, go ahead and try some of these Muffins, this Bread Pudding, and the most Perfect Pumpkin Bread! You will go crazy for them all!

A stack of 5 pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodle's. The top one has a bite out of it and you can see the filling.

Ooey-Gooey and Soft Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

A pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodle is a twist on your classic snickerdoodle and takes it to the next level. Filled with all of the same sweet cinnamon flavors, these cookies are something that you will love! Not only do these pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles taste amazing, all soft and chewy, but the smell! It is incredible, and it makes me ready to welcome fall.

This recipe is perfect for an after-school snack, a game day treat, or just bringing a treat to your neighbors. Whatever you do, I suggest making more than one batch. They are so good, and they will be eaten up in no time!

Ingredients You Need to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

This delicious ooey-gooey recipe is going to become a staple at your house. Because the base flavor is delicious cinnamon, once you add in some pumpkin and cream cheese, you are making the perfect fall treat! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredients.

  • All-purpose flour: This combines your ingredients and helps thicken the dough.
  • Baking powder: This helps the cookies to rise.
  • Salt: This enhances the flavors of all of the ingredients.
  • Cinnamon: You can’t have snickerdoodles without a delicious cinnamon taste.
  • Nutmeg: Brings that delicious earthy flavor that we all know and love!
  • Butter: It’s best to use unsalted butter that is at room temperature for these cookies.
  • Sugar: Adds sweetness to the cookie dough.
  • Brown sugar: This is the best type of sweetener, and the flavor can’t be beat.
  • Pumpkin puree: Don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie filling!
  • Egg: Use an egg that is at room temperature.
  • Vanilla extract: This adds some flavor to the sweetness.

Filling Ingredients

  • Cream cheese: Make sure to set your block out so that it is softened before you use it!  
  • Sugar: Sweetens up the tangy cream cheese.
  • Vanilla extract: Adds some flavor to the sugar’s sweetness.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • Sugar: Adds sweetness to the spices!
  • Cinnamon: Use ground cinnamon and mix it well with the other spices.
  • Ginger: Ground ginger will work the best and add in an earthy flavor.
  • Allspice: This is the best spice to bring out that fall taste!

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

These homemade pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are easy to make! In fact, bake up a few batches at once so that you have some for later! It will be so simple, and once you see how fast they get eaten, you’ll be glad that you did!

Prep

  1. Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
  2. Beat butter, eggs, and sugar: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Blend and mix together: Blend in pumpkin puree, beat in egg, and then add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill the dough for an hour.
  4. Make the filling: To make the cream cheese filling, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together. Chill for an hour.
  5. Prep and baking sheets: Preheat oven to 350 and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices for the coating and set aside.

Bake

  1. Make cookies: To make the cookies, take a tablespoon of the cookie batter. Flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese in the center.
  2. Add cream cheese mixture: Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together, sealing in the cream cheese, and roll into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar coating and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
  3. Flatten dough: Repeat until the dough is gone, and flatten the cookie dough balls with a heavy-bottomed glass or measuring cup.
  4. Bake and cool: Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy! These pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are the best!
A process shot of pumpkin snickerdoodle dough flattened, each with a dollop of filling on top.

Baking Tips

Since these are a bit different than your traditional snickerdoodles, I have come up with a few baking tips to help these turn out just perfectly for you! They are seriously SO good! I can’t wait for you to try them!

  • Pumpkin puree: Sometimes, people think that pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree are the same thing… they are not! Pumpkin pie filling is mixed with spices and flavors, and you don’t want that for these cookies since you are adding those on your own. A can of pumpkin puree will be orange inside, and all that is listed on the ingredients will be “pumpkin puree.” So make sure that you are getting the right one!
  • Chill: Before you ball up the dough and put it in the oven, it’s best (at least in this recipe) to chill your dough and cream cheese filling. This will help your cookies stay fluffy and not spread in the oven!
  • Fresh ingredients: For the best results in your baking, make sure that all of your ingredients are fresh! This means that you should be replacing the baking ingredients in your pantry every 3-6 months. They start to lose their flavor and potency after that!
Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles on a cooling rack.

Storing Leftovers

If you have some pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles that didn’t get eaten all at once, here is how you can store them for later! That way, you can eat them all week long!

  • Refrigerator: Because these cookies have cream cheese in them, don’t store them on your counter. Place your cooled cookies into an airtight container and leave them in your fridge for up to a week!
  • Freezer: Store your cookies in a sealed, airtight container or freezer ziplock bag. Label the bag with the date, and then you can store them for up to 3 months! Just thaw them in the fridge before you want to eat them.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

4.07 from 16 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Pumpkiin cheesecake snickerdoodles are a fresh take on a classic cookie! Delightfully soft and filled with tangy cream cheese, these cookies will be sure to get a "WOW!" from your friends and family! 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies

Ingredients 

Filling Ingredients:

Cinnamon-sugar coating:

Instructions 

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Blend in pumpkin puree, beat in egg, and then add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Cover and chill the dough for an hour.
  • Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together to make the cream cheese filling. Chill for one hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices for the coating and set aside.
  • To make the cookies, take a tablespoon of the cookie dough. Flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese in the center. Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place it on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together, sealing in the cream cheese, and roll into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar coating and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
  • Repeat until the dough is gone and flatten the cookie dough balls with a heavy bottomed glass or measuring cup.
  • Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Originally Posted on September 26, 2013
Updated on August 28, 2023

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 76mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1565IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

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About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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297 Comments

  1. What a great recipe! Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂 I’m hoping to have time to noodle around with a vegan version!

  2. Ok….here goes …what a pain to make these delicious cookies!! Very time consuming so if your in a hurry, don’t attempt these cookies. The only way I could remotely manage the dough was by wetting my hands with cold water. This was the only way it wouldn’t stick all over my hands. My cookies were huge and I can’t imagine how you get them to regular cookie size.
    Were they good? Yes. Will I ever make these again? Sorry, but no. It’s not worth the hassle.

  3. I had high hopes for these cookies, especially after reading the reviews. After spending hours on these I wouldn’t make them again. Dough was sticky even after refrigerating for longer than recommended, first batch of cookies were huge and due to stickiness, I couldn’t seal the edges well. Expected big flavors and moist cookie – they were dry and didn’t pack much of a punch. Disappointed.

  4. I’ve always had bad luck with comes but this sounds wonderfully simple, definitely going to give it a try when I get my sugar pumpkins! !

  5. I’ve had this recipe saved for a long time, finally made them today! I read through the comments beforehand so was anticipating having a hard time/the cookies not coming out… but it went fine and the turned out perfectly!

    Tips:
    -Work in small batches and keep both the cream cheese and the cookie dough in the fridge in between batches.
    – I used a tablespoon scoop for everything, scooped everything out into dollups (even the cream cheese) onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerated that before assembling.
    – I flattened a cold ball of cookie dough into a disc, placed a cream cheese ball on top, covered with a second cookie disc and pinched the sides together as the directions say. I had no problem with this while everything was cold. As soon as things warmed up it got really sticky and difficult- hence small batches.
    – When things were cold, I didn’t need to flour my hands so the sugar mixture stuck well.
    – These are cakey-er than regular snickerdoodles, but that’s to be anticipated with the pumpkin…. if you’ve ever made pumpkin cookies you know that it makes them light and cakey.

    Hope that helps someone, don’t be afraid of this recipe, these are my new absolute favorite autumn cookie!!

  6. How do you get the dough to not be so sticky? I chilled them over an hour and still couldn’t get them to flatten out without half the cookie dough sticking to my hand.

  7. Every comment you didn’t answer is asking if they need to be refrigerated… How do you store the finished cookies? Thanks for your time answering. 😉

      1. Yes, I know I “can” refrigerate them, but I think people are wondering do they “have” to be refrigerated because of the cheese filling? Or can they be left in a sealed container?

  8. I just made these cookies, and they are amazing! Family and friends can’t get enough of them, I can’t wait to bring some to the office tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!

  9. I just baked these for the first time today. While they are good, mine are very blonde in color and no where near the intense orange color in the photo. When I looked at the original source of the recipe (Bakeaholic Mama), her picture is more accurately the color that mine are. The ingredients are the same, however. I wish the photo had been more accurate, since I am taking these to an event where I really wanted them to scream pumpkin visually like the picture here does. I will also say that the pumpkin flavor is very faint. I may try again adding more pumpkin and just a little more flour. They are very cakey, so perhaps more flour would not even be needed. Overall good recipe, but needs a little bump in pumpkin flavor.