These pumpkin cheesecake cookies are a Halloween showstopper: soft pumpkin-spice cookies wrapped around a creamy cheesecake center, then topped with buttercream pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns. They take a little extra work, but every step is simple and easy to split into stages, and kids can take over the fun parts: rolling, coating, and decorating.

Perfect for Halloween parties, trick-or-treaters, or simply a seasonal indulgence for the time of falling leaves, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies bring together autumn flavors and Halloween fun in every bite. With a hint of spice and a creamy surprise in the center, these cookies are sure to be a hit.

How to Use Canned Pumpkin Purée in Cookies

Though pumpkin is an extremely popular fall ingredient, many bakers don’t differentiate between its different flavor profiles and forms. This Halloween cookie recipe uses canned pumpkin purée, which is unsweetened, as opposed to pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-seasoned. The recipe also calls for drying the moisture out of the pumpkin so the cookies don’t become cakey and too thick.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

They’re doable. This is a weekend baking project rather than a quick one, but nothing in it is difficult, and you can make the cheesecake centers ahead in the freezer. They’re fun. Kids roll the dough around frozen cheesecake centers, coat the balls in pumpkin-spice sugar, and decorate the finished cookies with buttercream pumpkins. And they’re impressive. Each cookie has a creamy cheesecake surprise inside, and the decorated tops look like they came from a bakery.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies for School, Parties, and Trick-or-Treaters

A Halloween Party Dessert Kids Can Decorate

These cookies are made for a Halloween party at home or at the office. Bake and cool them ahead, then set out the icing and let guests decorate their own pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns. They shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for more than an hour or two, so they’re not great for sharing at school or for trick or treating.

Plan Your Baking: Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies in Stages

Breaking the recipe into stages makes it much easier, especially with kids. Start with the cheesecake centers, since they need to freeze until very firm. Then blot the pumpkin, mix and shape the cookies, bake, and cool. Make the icing while the cookies cool, and decorate once they’re completely cool.

Ingredient Notes: Cream Cheese, Pumpkin, and Buttercream

Cream cheese. Cream cheese is an American story. In 1872, a New York dairyman named William Lawrence made a richer version of the French cheese Neufchâtel by adding cream. In 1880, a distributor began selling it as “Philadelphia Cream Cheese” because Philadelphia had a reputation for fine dairy, even though it wasn’t made there. Here it becomes the creamy surprise in the center of each cookie.

Canned pumpkin purée. Choose plain purée, not pie filling. Blotting it dry keeps the cookies from turning cakey.

The buttercream. The icing is an Italian-style meringue buttercream. Hot sugar syrup is drizzled into whipped egg whites, and then butter is beaten in for a silky, stable frosting that’s ideal for piping pumpkins.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin on a plate, cover it with paper towels, and lightly press to absorb the liquid. Repeat at least four more times, until hardly any liquid transfers to the towel. The pumpkin should reduce from ½ cup to just under ¼ cup. It may seem odd, but it’s the only way the cookies bake properly and don’t turn out cakey.

Freeze the centers first. Scoop the cheesecake filling into 16 portions of about 2 teaspoons each and freeze them until very firm. Keep the centers in the freezer until you’re ready to use them for each batch of cookies.

Cover the center completely. Flatten each ball of dough slightly, place a frozen cheesecake ball in the middle, and close the dough around it, rolling it into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough.

Bake in small batches. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 12 to 13 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Keep whipping the icing. If the buttercream looks curdled or thin, keep mixing. It may take a few more minutes to become thick and smooth. Draping a towel over the mixer keeps the butter from splattering.

Use the extra yolks. The cookies use 2 egg yolks and the icing uses 5 egg whites, so if you separate 5 eggs, save the extra yolks for another recipe.

How Kids Can Help Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Kids can blot the pumpkin with paper towels, whisk the pumpkin-spice sugar, scoop and roll the dough, and roll the cookies in the spiced sugar. Once the cookies are cool, they can decorate with the icing. Adults should handle the electric mixers, the oven, and the hot sugar syrup for the icing (it reaches 245°F). 

Looking for more? Try our Halloween Pumpkin Pastries, Halloween Candy Bark, and Monster Rice Krispie Treats. See our easy Halloween treats to make with kids, and browse TABLE’s Fall recipes and Cooking with Kids recipes.

Storing Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Because of the cream cheese center, store the iced cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

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• Author: Anna Franklin
• Total Time: One hour, not counting freezing time
• Yield: 16 cookies 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Pumpkin-spice cookies with a frozen cheesecake center, baked golden and topped with buttercream. A Halloween bake kids can help roll and decorate.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Cheesecake filling (See below)
• Pumpkin spiced sugar (See below)
• Icing (See below)

For the cheesecake filling:

• 6 oz cream cheese, cold
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla

For the pumpkin spiced sugar:

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

For the icing:

• 2 cups sugar separated into 1 cup each
• ¼ cup water
• 5 egg whites
• 1 lb room temperature not soft unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon pieces)
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

For the cheesecake filling:

1. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a small bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
3. Scoop the cheesecake filling into 16 portions of about 2 teaspoons each onto the lined sheet.
4. Freeze the cheesecake balls until they are frozen and very firm.

For the pumpkin spiced sugar:

1. Add the sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside.

For the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Dry your pumpkin to get rid of excess moisture. Spread the pumpkin on a plate and place paper towels over the top. Lightly press to absorb the liquid.
3. Repeat at least four more times, until hardly any liquid transfers to the paper towel. (It needs to reduce to just under ¼ cup from ½ cup.) Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the dried pumpkin and combine on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and combine on low speed.
6. Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Slightly flatten each one, then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center.
7. Close the dough around the cheesecake ball and roll into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough balls in the pumpkin spiced sugar. (Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer until ready to use for each batch of cookies.)
8. Transfer the cookie dough balls to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 12 to 13 minutes.
9. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the icing:

1. Separate the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites with 1 cup of the sugar until they form stiff peaks.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the other cup of sugar and the water to a boil and allow the temperature to come to 245°F.
3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the syrup mixture into the whipped egg whites with the mixer on medium speed.
4. Once you’ve added all the syrup, bring the speed up a bit and mix until the bowl is cool to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Place the flat paddle blade onto the mixer. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time with the mixer on high. Drape a towel over the mixer so it doesn’t splatter.
6. Keep adding the butter while the mixer is going, and continue to mix until all the butter is incorporated and the frosting is smooth and creamy.
7. If it looks curdled or thin, keep mixing. It may take a few more minutes to become thicker and smooth. Finally, add the vanilla, then pour into a container with a lid.
8. You will have some extra icing left over. Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

To decorate:

1. Ice the cooled cookies using a pastry bag and an Ateco 864 medium star tip to achieve the ridged texture in the photo. 

• Prep Time: 45 min
• Freeze Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 12 to 13 minutes per batch
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 320

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies FAQs

Why do I need to dry the pumpkin?

Drying the pumpkin removes excess moisture, which is the only way these cookies bake properly and don’t turn out cakey.

Should I use pumpkin purée or pumpkin pie filling?

Use canned pumpkin purée, which is unsweetened. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-seasoned.

How many cookies does this recipe make?

The recipe makes 16 cookies, each with a frozen cheesecake center.

Can kids help make these cookies?

Yes. Kids can blot the pumpkin, whisk the spiced sugar, roll the dough and the cookies, and decorate. Adults should handle the mixers, the oven, and the hot sugar syrup.

Can I give these cookies to trick-or-treaters?

Yes, for friends, neighbors, and families you know. Because they contain a cream cheese center, keep them chilled and hand them out fresh rather than leaving them out all night. Add an ingredient tag, and check labels for allergens.

About the Recipe Author

Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. She is also the founder of Bazaaa Sauce, a Pittsburgh hot sauce microbrand. Read more of her work at TABLE.

About the Photographer

Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.

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