Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles are stuffed with cream cheese filling, enhanced with aromatic fall spices, and rolled into a simple cinnamon-sugar coating. A cozy cookie with a taste of fall!

Pumpkin spice and everything nice, that’s what these pumpkin snickerdoodles are made of! But seriously, what’s not to love about these chewy cream cheese stuffed cookies? They’re just perfectly sweet with a generous amount of sugar and lots of interesting components happening.

They’re chewy on the outside, fluffy with each bite, and the cream cheese filling inside is ah-mazing. The thing that makes these pumpkin snickerdoodles top-notch is that they’re rolled in a brown sugar and cinnamon combo. The flecking of sugar and spice makes these so much prettier and tastier!

I’ve seen this recipe floating around a lot lately, so I decided to try it out for myself and see how well it holds up to high altitudes. The verdict? A++! 

If you love all things pumpkin as much as I do, take a look at my Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Bread or my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!

A note on the ingredients:

• Pumpkin Puree: I use 100% canned pumpkin. Just make sure the only ingredient listed is pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling).
• Butter: 2 sticks, unsalted, at room temperature.
• Egg: You can replace the egg with a flax egg if making egg-free or vegan. See the FAQ section.
• Brown Sugar: I like the flavor of dark brown sugar, but light brown also works.
• Cream Cheese Filling: The filling consists of softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. You can also omit it entirely to just make a plain pumpkin snickerdoodle.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

1. Begin by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set the bowl aside.

2. In a separate large bowl, beat together two sticks of softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until everything is well-incorporated.

3. Now, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low after each addition. Continue until all of the dry ingredients are *just* incorporated into the wet—don’t forget to scrape down the sides while mixing! Cover the dough a chill for at least one hour.

4. If making the cream cheese filling, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until very creamy. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

5. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon-sugar coating by stirring together cinnamon and granulated sugar.

6. Once all of your ingredients have chilled, you can start assembling the cookies. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it into a disc and add a dollop of cream cheese filling. Take another tablespoon of dough, flatten, and lay it on top of the cream cheese. Seal the edges together and gently roll the dough into a ball.

7. Roll the top of the dough in the cinnamon-sugar coating and place onto a baking tray. Use the bottom of a glass cup to slightly press down the cookies. 

8. Bake the cookies for 12-18 minutes until they are somewhat firm and the tops begin to crack. Cool them on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I have to chill the dough?

Yes!! Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle when rolling and stuffing with cream cheese, also the fat (butter) will be solidified which will help prevent your cookies from spreading into thin, flat discs. This rings especially true if you’re at high altitude. I really advise against skipping this step.

Can I make these without the cream cheese filling?

Absolutely. If that isn’t your thing you can just skip that step entirely. (And a word of advice: don’t substitute with the storebought cream cheese frosting… that won’t work.)

How can I make this egg-free or vegan?

To make egg-free, substitute the egg with a “flax egg” consisting of 1 tablespoon ground flax and 3 tablespoons lukewarm water and let it thicken in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. For vegans, use the flax egg, vegan butter,  and vegan cream cheese (like Daiya).

High Altitude Modifications:

These cookies work well at high altitudes! I would recommend all of your ingredients be at room temperature before starting, and to cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light in color and super creamy. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix on high until it looks similar to like whipped cream.

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