PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES (WITH CREAM CHEESE CENTERS)

close up of freshly baked cookies with pumpkin spice on a crinkled piece of parchment paper
Home » Recipes » Sweets & Treats » COOKIES WITH PUMPKIN SPICE

Pumpkin spice cookies filled with cream cheese? If that sounds like the perfect fall dessert to you, its because they are! Soft and chewy, tender and delicious, these Cookies with Pumpkin Spice are what’s missing from your classic fall baking routine!

These are the ultimate pumpkin spice cookies and they make a great fall dessert! They’re soft, fluffy, perfectly spiced, and absolutely delicious. These giant cookies are filled with pumpkin spiced cream cheese and are baked to tender and chewy perfection.

Dunk one in a glass of milk for your morning breakfast, midday snack, or after dinner dessert. Either way, these warm and flavourful pumpkin spice cookies deserve a spot on your fall baking list. Like, ASAP. They’re going to be a hit with the entire crowd!

freshly baked cookies with pumpkin spice on a piece of parchment paper, cinnamon sticks, bowl of frosting and glass of milk around, one cookie is broken in half

Are you in the fall baking spirit yet?! I don’t know if it’s the excessive amount of halloween baking shows on the Food Network I just so happen to be watching these last few days. Or, if it’s just the way I can’t deny how good my house smells when I bake anything that has ANYTHING to do with pumpkin spice.

But I am…I’m in the fall baking spirit.

And, if you wanna be, and you’re just looking for your sign to finally start. Look no further, my friend. COOKIES WITH PUMPKIN SPICE AND CREAM CHEESE CENTERS. And that’s not just any ol’ cream cheese centers, either. We’re talkin’ pumpkin spiced cream cheese centers! Because, it’s fall. And can there ever really be enough pumpkin spice to go around?!

These cookies with pumpkin spice actually (unintentionally) came out ginormous. But, I ain’t complaining. They’re perfectly soft, tender, and incredibly chewy. You can decide to make smaller versions, if you wanna and bake up more. Or, keep them big like I did. Either way, when you bite into one of these babies, your taste buds are surely in for a treat!

close up of a pumpkin spice cookie, frosting in the background, cinnamon stick in the front

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

ingredients for cookies with pumpkin spice - flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, pumpkin purée, butter, cream cheese, pumpkin spice, egg, sugar
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

With only 11 simple ingredients, these pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese filling need to be on your fall baking list. Like yesterday. Here’s what you’ll need in a little bit more detail:

  • Pumpkin Purée: For that nice pumpkin flavour and keeps these cookies nice and moist. For time and convenience, I used canned pumpkin purée. However, if you’re feeling a little adventurous, feel free to make your own pumpkin purée out of sugar pie pumpkins. You will need one cup for this recipe (and will likely have to squeeze out the excess moisture to avoid soggy cookies). PRO TIP: If using the canned stuff, be sure to grab pure pumpkin purée and NOT pumpkin pie filling.

  • Cream Cheese: THE cookie filling. The cream cheese is spiced with a little bit of vanilla, pumpkin spice, and sugar and then portioned out and frozen. When the cookie bakes in the oven, the cream cheese filling makes them soft, chewy, and extra delicious.

  • Butter: Adds flavour and texture. Makes these cookies soft and moist. Unsalted is best since we add a pinch of salt ourselves and you don’t want to risk them becoming too salty. Room temperature butter is way easier to work with and whip and is usually best in most baking recipes!

  • Flour: For stability and texture. I used whole wheat here to keep these cookies on the lighter side. But, you can use regular all purpose white flour instead, if you prefer. I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten free flour at the time of writing this post. So, if you beat me to it, let me know how it goes in the comment section down below!

  • Sugar: For sweetness, of course! Balances out the warm flavours of the pumpkin spice and pumpkin purée.

  • Vanilla: A popular baking staple! For sweetness and to enhance the flavours of the rest of the ingredients.

  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Each play their own roles in getting the cookies to rise/expand in the oven as they bake.

  • Pumpkin Spice: Where most of the warm, fall forward flavours come from! Of course, we easily make our own pumpkin spice at home. However, if you absolutely must, you can substitute store bought (1:1). Essentially, pumpkin spice is a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves and really make these cookies scream fall!

  • Egg: For texture, flavour, and structure. Since the pumpkin purée already accounts for a lot of the moisture in this pumpkin spice cookie recipe, we only need one egg.

  • Salt: A little goes a long way in baking! A single pinch will enhance the flavours and really balance out the taste of the overall cookie.
stack of cookies with pumpkin spice, more cookies and cinnamon sticks in the background next to a small bowl of frosting

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES (KEY TIPS)

hand holding a pumpkin spice cookie split in half showcasing a thin cream cheese filling, other cookies in the background

You can find full instructions for how to make these cream cheese filled pumpkin spiced cookies in the recipe card down below, but here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:

  • Chill the cream cheese filling for at least one hour and then work quickly once it’s out of the freezer. The only way you’re going to be able to efficiently work with the cream cheese filling is if it’s chilled enough to handle. That way, you can easily enclose it in the cookie batter. EXTRA TIP: The cream cheese, even though frozen, will melt at a fast speed once taken out of the freezer. Work as quickly as you can to ensure it doesn’t melt before you’re able to get to it. If you notice that it’s starting to soften, simply pop it back in the freezer and work from there (this should be easy to do, since you’re washing your hands between each cookie, anyway).

  • Chill the cookie dough. Since we handle the dough a lot in an effort to “fill” it with the cream cheese, the best way to do this is to chill the cookie dough before attempting to form or shape it. A chilled dough will be way easier to work with. Chilling it for at least one hour will give you the best results.

  • Use a cookie scoop, tablespoon, ice cream scoop or another form of measurement to ensure that each cookie is uniformly shaped with the same amount of batter in each. That way, they’ll all bake up in the same amount of time and look the same after they do. For smaller cookies, use about 1.5 heaping tbsps of batter (I used an ice cream scoop, so for reference, that’s one scoop). And for the giant ones you seen in the pictures, use 3 tbsps of batter (2 ice cream scoops).

  • Wash your hands in between rolling each cookie into balls. It’s a sticky batter and washing your hands in between forming each cookie (aka having clean hands before moving on to the next one) is crucial in order to ensure the dough doesn’t become a sticky mess.

  • Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan and work in batches if you have to. The cookies need room to breathe as they will expand quite a bit as they’re baking up in the oven. Make sure you leave enough room (about 3 inches) in between them to allow this to happen and for air to circulate so they can cook all the way around and through.

  • Cool the cookies on a wire rack before serving. They’ll harden/firm up a bit as they cool. EXTRA TIP: Allow them to cool for 10 or so minutes on the baking sheet straight out of the oven. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Trying to move them too quickly while hot straight out of the oven might break them.
freshly baked cookies with pumpkin spice on a crinkled piece of parchment paper

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH THESE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES?

These cookies make a great fall or winter breakfast, snack, or dessert all on their own! But, if you’re looking to get somewhat fancy or crazy with it, a little Irish coffee with Baileys or a classic espresso martini never hurt anybody, now did it?! A scoop of ice cream, a dollop of pumpkin spiced whipped cream, or a plain ol’ glass of milk for dipping are also great serving options.

DO PUMPKIN COOKIES NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?

Since these pumpkin spice cookies have cream cheese centers, I recommend storing any leftovers in the fridge where they’ll last the longest and stay the freshest. Keep them in an airtight container and they’ll be good for up to 5 days.

CAN I FREEZE THESE COOKIES WITH PUMPKIN SPICE?

These cookies are best freshly baked straight out of the oven! However, you can still freeze them for up to 2 months, they just might lose their soft and tender chewiness. Individually wrap them and let them sit at room temperature until thawed when ready to eat.

Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough balls (follow the recipe up until step number 9) and then bake as needed. Perfect for quick fall treats at any time as there is no need to thaw the cookie dough before baking. Simply bake in a 320°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until soft and baked through. Follow the recipe card directions for cooling before eating or serving.

close up of a pumpkin spice cookie next to two cinnamon sticks

If you know someone who loves cookies, try my cookies in a jar recipe! It makes a great gift and can be customized to suit any holiday! (HINT HINT: Halloween or Thanksgiving!

MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES YOU’LL FALL IN LOVE WITH

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

WHOLE ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP

KETO FRIENDLY PUMPKIN MUFFINS

ROASTED PUMPKIN WEDGES

CREAMY PUMPKIN MOUSSE (KETO)

LOVE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!

pin for pumpkin spice cookies
cookies with pumpkin spice freshly baked on a parchment lined baking sheet

COOKIES WITH PUMPKIN SPICE (AND CREAM CHEESE CENTERS)

Cookies with pumpkin spice. Filled with pumpkin spiced cream cheese. Cause can you ever really have too much pumpkin spice?!
no ratings yet
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 10 Cookies
Calories 423 kcal

Ingredients
  

FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

  • 2.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1.5 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Pumpkin Purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter softened
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tbsp Pumpkin Spice
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp Salt

FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICED CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • 6 oz Cream Cheese
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Pumpkin Spice

FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR DUSTING

  • cup Sugar
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Ginger

Instructions
 

  • MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the cream cheese filling (cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin spice).
    bowl with dry baking ingredients
  • Blend with a hand mixer until well combined.
    hand with an electric mixer mixing frosting in a bowl
  • Portion the cream cheese mixture out into 1 tbsp portions, set in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten a bit with your fingers. Place in the freezer for at least one hour to chill (this will make them way easier to handle when you try and fill the cookies).
    parchment lined baking sheet with frozen balls of cream cheese
  • While those are chilling, make the cookie dough.
    In a large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, butter, egg, and vanilla.
    mixing bowl with pumpkin puree, egg, butter, vanilla
  • Blend until well combined.
    electric hand mixer above a mixing bowl full of mixed orange batter
  • In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pumpkin spice.
    bowl of dy baking ingredients such as cinnamon and baking powder
  • Whisk until well combined.
    bowl of mixed dry baking ingredients
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and blend until well combined. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for about an hour so it's easier to handle.
    mixing bowl and rubber spatula with a neat orange batter in a ball
  • MAKE THE CINNAMON SUGAR DUSTING: In a small plate or bowl, add the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.
    plate with ground cinnamon, ginger and sugar
  • Whisk until combined.
    plate with cinnamon sugar
  • WHEN READY TO BAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove the chilled dough and cream cheese filling (you must work quickly as the cream cheese will soften the longer it sits at room temperature)*. Measure out the desired amount of cookie dough per cookie using either a cookie scoop, tablespoon or ice cream scoop (which is what I used, for reference). For smaller cookies (yield will be about double), you'll need about 1.5 tbsp of batter per cookie. For giant ones, like the ones you see in the photos, you'll need about 3 tbsp of batter per cookie. Line the portioned cookie dough out on a piece of parchment paper.
    dollops of raw cookie dough on a piece of parchment paper
  • Individually pick each portion up and use your hands to flatten and shape. Place one piece of the chilled cream cheese in the center.
    hand holding flat raw cookie dough with spiced cream cheese in the middle
  • Use your hands and fingers to wrap the dough around the cream cheese and enclose it. Rub the ball between your hands to smooth it out. Wash your hands before moving on to the next dough portion.
    hand with a big ball of raw cookie dough
  • Repeat until all portions are filled with the cream cheese and rolled into balls.
    parchment lined baking sheet with 6 large cookie dough balls dipped in cinnamon sugar (pre-bake)
  • Roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar dusting until they're coated all the way around.

    hand rolling a large cookie dough ball into cinnamon sugar on a plate
  • Place the balls on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet with enough space (about 3 inches) in between them to breathe and expand as they bake. You'll probably have to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan (I had to do mine in 2 separate batches). Gently press each ball down just a little bit and then bake for 15-20 minutes or until the outer edges are golden and set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
    6 freshly baked cookies with pumpkin spice on a parchment lined baking sheet

Video

Notes

If you notice the cream cheese filling softening too quickly once you take it out of the freezer, pop it back in and work from there since you’re washing your hands between each roll anyway.

Nutrition

Serving: 1CookieCalories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 274mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 4gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 4354IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cookie recipe, Cookies, Cream Cheese, easy cookies, fall baking, fall cookies, fall desserts, filled cookies, halloween dessert, pumpkin, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice, pumpkin spice cookies
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

The links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting HipHipGourmet!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating