Confession Time: Why I Keep Coming Back to Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake Cookies

Alright, full disclosure – the first time I made these Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake Cookies was because I had way too much pumpkin butter left in the fridge (honestly, I’d bought it on sale thinking I’d use it on toast… two slices later, I was over it). So one bumbling autumn afternoon, with one kid doing homework and another asking if “regular cookies” could just have less actual cookie in them, I tossed together what I thought would be a bit of a mess. Guess what? Now they’re an almost nonnegotiable Thanksgiving week treat. You ever stumble on a recipe that just sticks forever? Same. My cousin Jake even asked for these instead of pumpkin pie last year, which, honestly, I wasn’t ready for emotionally.

Why I’m So Obsessed With These Cookies

I make this whenever I want to smell like I’ve spent hours in the kitchen (spoiler: you don’t need to). My family basically hovers around the oven as these bake, like moths to a cheesecake-flavored flame. The best part? They taste fancy, but they’re actually pretty simple, and – look, I get irrationally annoyed when cheesecake filling leaks from a cookie, but I’ve figured out a sneaky freezing trick to help. Also, you know those weird chilly days in October when you just want to eat something that makes you feel like you’re wearing a sweater inside your body? That’s this cookie.

What You’ll Need (But You’ve Definitely Got Options)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (if you only have salted, just use it and go a smidge lighter on the salt later, nobody’s judging)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (sometimes I use coconut sugar if there’s some floating in my pantry)
1 large egg (room temp but truthfully, I’ve used one straight form the fridge more than once)
1 tsp vanilla extract (my grandma swore by McCormick, but store brand won’t hurt anyone)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice also works in a pinch—just makes it a tad spicier)
1/2 cup pumpkin butter (tried homemade once, honestly just used Trader Joe’s after that…)
CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp pumpkin butter
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar (give or take if you like it less sweet)

Let’s Bake! (Don’t Panic, It’s Supposed to Look Like That Sometimes)

First, stir up your cheesecake filling: grab a small bowl, mash together the cream cheese, pumpkin butter, and powdered sugar till pretty smooth. On second thought, a mixer does make this less messy. Scoop out 16 little teaspoon-sized dollops onto a plate, then stick them in the freezer for 30 mins. (This is where I usually manage to get cream cheese on my shirt.)
Cream the butter and both sugars till fluffy. Stand mixer is ace, but hand mixer or even biceps and a spoon will do (just takes longer; it’s a workout though!)
Mix in the egg and vanilla. No need for perfection.
Stir together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon in another bowl. I never sift; maybe I should, but honestly I can’t be bothered.
Add dry ingredients to the wet, mix gently, and then fold in the pumpkin butter till it’s marbled in. It gets kinda streaky—don’t worry about that. Swirls are good.
Scoop out about 2 tablespoon blobs of dough onto a parchment-lined tray. If the dough’s too sticky, refrigerate for 15-20 mins. (And yes, you can eat some of the dough. Life’s too short.)
Once chilled, flatten each dough blob a little, tuck a frozen cheesecake blob smack in the middle, wrap the dough around, and roll gently into a ball. Doesn’t have to be Pinterest-perfect. Set balls a couple inches apart.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 11–13 minutes; they’ll look a tad underdone and that’s exactly right. If they crack a bit, all the better, the filling peeps out and looks inviting.
Cool for at least ten minutes before moving or biting. The filling’s lava-hot right out of the oven—learned that the hard way…twice, actually.

Lived-Through Notes So You Don’t Have To

If your kitchen’s cold, cream cheese won’t soften on the counter like the internet claims. Zap it for 10 seconds (but don’t get cocky and do 30).
I overmixed once—cookies turned flat instead of chewy. Just mix till combined, then stop. It’s like overwatering plants.
If you forget to freeze the filling, it’ll leak out a bit, but actually that’s not a disaster—just kinda rustic.

Wild Experiments (& One That Flopped)

Tried adding chopped pecans—yum.
Swapped out half the flour for oat flour: hearty, more breakfast-y (but my kids noticed!).
Used apple butter instead of pumpkin butter—actually not bad, just a touch sharper.
Did a batch with low-fat cream cheese… nope. Came out watery and weirdly sour, so I wouldn’t do that again.

Do You Really Need Special Gear?

Look, I used to think a stand mixer was essential (love my rickety old KitchenAid) but a wooden spoon works—just takes more elbow grease. If you’ve got no cookie scoop, two regular spoons will do. I’ve even shaped these with my hands when in a rush, like rolling playdough for grownups.

Storing (But, Like, They’ll Probably Vanish First)

Store in an airtight tin for 2-3 days, assuming your family’s not like mine where a batch disappears before the evening news comes on. Fridge works if you want them a bit chewier, especially if the weather’s going bonkers hot. They freeze decently too, just thaw before eating or zap in the microwave for a real treat.

How I Love to Serve These (But You Do You)

I always dust a little extra powdered sugar on top—looks like the first flurry of snow. My sister swears by a drizzle of maple syrup; I think it’s overkill, but you can try it. Oh, and if you serve these alongside hot apple cider, you’ll basically be everyone’s favorite for a week.

Lessons Learned (Or, How Not To Wreck Your Cookies)

Once, in a haze of multitasking, I skipped chilling the cheesecake filling. It oozed out nearly every cookie. Tasty, but messier than my sock drawer.
Don’t skip the parchment. Cleaning cookie trays is my least favorite hobby.
Patience is key. Tried eating one right out of the oven—burned my tongue and had to wait for the rest. Oops.

Questions I Get (A Few Real, A Few… Not So Much)

Can I double the recipe?: Yep—just use two trays or bake in batches. Don’t overcrowd or they get moody and merge together. (Yes, I speak from experience.)
Is pumpkin butter the same as pumpkin puree?: Nope! Pumpkin butter is sweet and spiced—closer to apple butter. But if you only have puree, add extra sugar and a hefty shake of spices and make your own version. Here’s a great cheater’s guide from Simply Recipes.
Can I make these gluten-free?: Probably, using a 1:1 GF flour like King Arthur’s. Haven’t tried it yet but my friend Liz swears by this trick.
Do I really need to chill everything?: Actually, I find the recipe is way less sticky and easier to work with if you do—but you could speed things up and just deal with goopier dough. Not the end of the world.

By the way, if you’re a pumpkin fiend in general (guilty as charged), you might want to check out these soft pumpkin cookies I reference whenever I’m out of cheesecake ingredients. Gotta have an escape plan, you know?

Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake Cookies