Pumpkin Cheesecake Filled Cookies

Soft sugary pumpkin cookies with a creamy cheesecake filling!

When it comes to adding pumpkin to recipes in autumn, I'm all for it. However I find it quite hard to locate cans of pumpkin purée here in the UK and every year I find myself having the same problem. Why is it we don't stock canned pumpkin as easily as the US do? Pumpkins are everywhere here in autumn. So as my search became a disappointment and with a couple of pumpkin recipes already up my sleeve, I had to resort to making pumpkin purée myself. So firstly, if you too are struggling on finding canned pumpkin, I am preparing you as of NOW that for this cookie recipe and others on my blog, you will need to make the purée. Please don't let this put you off, its really very easy you just have to allocate additional time. 

Now for these cookies, they require a bit more labour than your usual cookie recipe (I'm really selling them to you aren't I?). Only because they've got a softer cookie dough than usual, and that's necessary if you want them to be soft and slightly chewy. Plus because of the use of pumpkin in the recipe, its difficult to avoid this texture. But I promise they are so delicious, you'll be glad you made them. And the cheesecake filling is just the cherry on top, and that parts super easy! Before baking, the cookies also get a nice coating of cinnamon sugar and I think the texture goes really nice with the softness of the cookie. I hope you like these cookies, they're very moreish and worth the effort I promise. 

If you love cookies and pumpkins....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

• Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Layered Cake
• Vegan Gingerbread Molasses Cookies

Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes + overnight chilling time

Cook: 12 minutes

Serves: 15

Notes

• If you can't find canned pumpkin purée in shops, you'll have to make it yourself but its not too hard. Simply buy a medium sized pumpkin. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Place face down onto a roasting tray and roast at around 200 ℃ for 50 minutes or until soft. 
• Leave to cool, then scoop out the flesh and place into a blender. Blend until smooth. 
• Drain the pumpkin of any liquid through a sieve. 
• Weigh out how much pumpkin you need for the cookie recipe then pat it dry with kitchen roll to soak up excess moisture.
• With the remaining pumpkin, I like to divide it into a couple of Tupperware boxes and freeze it - its great for making pumpkin sauce for pasta, stirring into porridge or making other recipes like my vegan pumpkin spice sheet cake. 

Ingredients

Filling

• 160g cream cheese
• 40g caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Cookies

• 120g pumpkin purée
• 230g plain flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp ginger 
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 165g butter, room temp
• 220g light brown sugar
• 40g egg yolks, room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Sugar dusting

• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
  

Method

1. If you haven't bought canned pumpkin purée, see instructions above (in the notes section) on how to make your own. Do this first to give it a chance to cool down.
2. Then make the cheesecake filling. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the two together until combined and smooth. 
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use two spoons to scoop out 15 portions spread out onto the lined tray.
4. Place in the freezer till ready to use. 
5. Make the cookie dough.  In a large bowl or standing mixer add the butter and brown sugar. Beat together with an electric whisk or the paddle of the mixer until combined and fluffy. 
6. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix, then add the vanilla. 
7. Mix in the pumpkin purée.
8. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients for the cookies. Then gradually add this into the wet ingredients mixing well. 
9. Line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or baking paper.
10. Scoop 15 portions of the cookie dough onto the lined tray. If the dough is stiff enough you can lightly shape them into balls but if not don't worry you will do it when the filling is inside.
11. Leave the cookie dough to chill overnight or at least 4 hours till soft but not sticky.
12. The next day, remove the cookie dough and the cheesecake portions.
13. Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan. 
14. In a small bowl add the sugar and cinnamon for dusting and mix.
15. Gently flatten each cookie dough portion and place a cheesecake ball inside.
16. Roll into a ball with your hands then place into the small bowl with the cinnamon sugar and coat the whole outside of the ball.
17. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
18. Line the cookies onto a tray making sure to space them apart - on my trays I can bake about 7 cookies at a time. 
19. Bake in the oven for 11-12 minutes until lightly brown. if there's any cinnamon sugar leftover sprinkle more onto the cookies as soon as they are baked. 
20. Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes then move onto a wire rack so they don't go soggy.
21. These cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Christina

xx