These Oatmeal Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are a soft, chewy fall favorite: oatmeal pumpkin cookies wrapped around a creamy surprise of cheesecake in the center. If you enjoy pumpkin and cheesecake, these cookies are a delicious combination of both.
If you like these cookies, try the pumpkin thumbprint cookies or no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes for more pumpkin treats.
What You Need to Make These Cookies
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Old-fashioned oats (rolled oats)
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar (packed)
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin puree (blotted to remove excess moisture)
- Cream cheese (room temperature)
- Powdered sugar
Equipment:
- Baking sheets
- Medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons)
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and scale or measuring cups
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Wax paper
- Parchment paper (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Making the Dough
Step 1 — Blot the pumpkin. Pumpkin puree contains a lot of moisture. To prevent cakey cookies, place a bowl lined with paper towels, add the measured pumpkin, and press another paper towel on top to absorb excess liquid.
Step 2 — Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and old-fashioned oats. Set aside.
Step 3 — Cream the wet ingredients. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk, then the vanilla extract and the blotted pumpkin puree.
Step 4 — Combine and chill. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Scrape the bowl as needed. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour so it firms up for filling.
Forming the Cookies
Step 1 — Make the cheesecake filling. Beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar and mix until fully combined. Spoon heaping teaspoons of the filling onto a wax-paper-lined tray and shape them into small rounds as best you can. You should get about 28 small cream cheese balls. Freeze for at least 15 minutes to firm them.
Step 2 — Fill the dough. Keep the cheesecake balls frozen while you work. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled cookie dough and flatten it in your palm. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center, fold the dough completely around it, and roll into a smooth ball. Place each filled cookie on a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If dough softens, refrigerate briefly before continuing.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if desired. Bake the cookies 11–14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly tan and the tops no longer look wet. The centers will remain soft; allow cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe FAQs & Storage
No. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices, which will change the cookie texture and flavor. Use plain pumpkin puree and season as directed.
Yes. Chilling firms the dough so you can enclose the cheesecake filling without the dough becoming too sticky.
Not as written. You can try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats, but results may vary.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or frozen up to 1 month.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 3/4 cups (142 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (230 g) pumpkin puree, blotted
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and oats in a medium-large bowl.
- Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, then the blotted pumpkin puree and mix to combine.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Chill the dough at least 1 hour.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar. Portion into heaping teaspoons and form small balls on wax paper. Freeze at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough, flatten, add a frozen cheesecake ball in the center, and fully enclose. Roll into a smooth ball and place on a baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake 11–14 minutes until edges are lightly tan and tops are no longer shiny. Cool slightly on the sheet, then transfer to a rack.
Notes
Store cookies airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, refrigerated up to 1 week, or frozen up to 1 month.
Blotting pumpkin: Line a bowl with paper towels, add the pumpkin, then place another towel on top and gently press to remove excess moisture.
To make homemade pumpkin spice, combine: 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon ground allspice.
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