Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Pumpkin cream cheese cookies are a delicious holiday treat that everyone will love! Combining the sweet and creamy flavor of pumpkin with the rich, tangy taste of cream cheese, these cookies have all the classic flavors of fall and make perfect additions to any holiday gathering.
I have said before that I’m known for two things; my cocktails and my cookies. When I make cookies as either gifts or for my holiday cookie tray, these pumpkin cream cheese cookies, as well as my pistachio cookies and ginger molasses cookies get eaten up first.
Whether they are plain or dipped in white chocolate, people can’t seem to get enough of them.
I like to believe the reason people get excited when they see me arrive at holiday parties is because of my sparkling personality. But I’m okay if it’s mostly because of the cookies I bring.
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helpful
Tips
- Do not over-mix the dough. Mix until just combined.
- Use organic whenever you can. It tastes better and it’s not much more expensive than non-organic.
- Take the butter out to soften at least an hour before you start the recipe.
- As everyone’s oven is different, your timing might be different from mine. My cookies take 14 minutes. Set the timer for 13 minutes and add additional minutes until done.
- These pumpkin cheesecake cookies freeze really well, which means you can make them at least 3 months before the holidays. Here’s what I do: I place them in two layers in a gallon freezer bag with a piece of parchment paper between the two layers. Lay them flat until they are frozen.
- My sister makes these cookies and spreads cream cheese frosting on the cookie, but I prefer to dip some in the white chocolate.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cream Cheese – I use organic. You can see the color is richer than regular cream cheese and it tastes divine.
- Butter – I always use real butter because I don’t trust the ingredients in margarine. I do use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Sugar – I use white sugar in these cookies, but cane sugar or light brown sugar works well also.
- Egg – I like to use organic free-range large eggs.
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you read the ingredients on the can. Pumpkin should be the only ingredient listed. Do not use a can of pumpkin pie mix.
- Flour – I use sprouted spelt flour because I love the texture, but all-purpose flour is absolutely fine. If I do use white flour, I use organic and unbleached.
- Pudding mix – Vanilla flavored. If they had pumpkin pudding mix, I would have used that, but they didn’t. Vanilla is a nice addition.
- Cinnamon – I use ceylon cinnamon because I enjoy the taste.
- Cloves – One of the most distinctive smelling spices out there. I love cloves in cookies.
- Nutmeg – I use organic. It’s worth the price increase because a little goes a long way and it will last a long time.
- Baking powder – An ingredient that helps baked goods rise.
- Salt – Helps with the flavor and the rising of the cookie.
How to make pumpkin cream cheese cookies
Take out the butter at least a half hour before starting the recipe. I usually take it out an hour before and cut it into pats in the mixing bowl. You want the butter to be room temperature.
Pre-step
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Get your stand mixer (or electric mixer), baking sheets and medium cookie scoop.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – cream cheese, butter, egg, canned pumpkin and vanilla pudding mix.
Step two
Place cream cheese, sugar and butter in mixer. I usually cut the butter in pats to help it mix easier. (A)
Step three
Using the medium-high speed, mix until just combined. (B)
Step four
Add pumpkin and egg and mix them until just combined.
Step five
Add cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the mixture.
I include this photo to show that it’s okay not to have the batter totally mixed. Don’t worry; in the next step, you add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step six
Gather the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla pudding mix.
Step seven
Add flour, salt and pudding mix and mix on low until combined. Remember not to over mix the batter. I transferred the batter to a glass bowl so you could see it better. It is a fairly wet batter.
Step eight
Fill a scoop with the cookie dough and place it on the cookie sheet. When the cookies bake, they will spread somewhat, so make sure there’s room between the cookie dough balls, and only put 12 on each cookie sheet.
Step nine
Bake for 14 minutes. Cookies should be slightly brown around edges and slightly soft to the touch.
Step ten
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack.
Step eleven
This next step is optional. I like to dip some of the pumpkin cream cheese cookies in white chocolate. Christopher likes his plain so I only dip a handful of cookies into the chocolate.
Place 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips in a small sauce pan and melt on low heat. It takes around 5 minutes.
Dip as many cookies as you like in the melted chocolate and place each one on a piece of parchment paper to harden.
If you are a pumpkin lover, you’re going to love these cookies. I had to take a bite.
Yum.
I hope you enjoyed this pumpkin cream cheese cookies. They are perfect for your holiday tray.
More Cookies recipes
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks – softened and cut into pats)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
- .75 cup sugar (white sugar)
- .75 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 2.25 cups spelt flour (or all purpose white flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- .50 teaspoon cloves (ground)
- .25 teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- .50 teaspoon salt
- 3.4 ounces vanilla pudding mix (1 package)
For Dipping
- .50 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Before starting the recipe, take the butter out at least 1/2 – 1 hour prior. I cut it in pats and place it in the mixer receptacle.1 cup butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- If you haven't added the butter to the mixer, add it now. Add the cream cheese and sugar and mix on medium-high until combined.8 ounces cream cheese, .75 cup sugar
- Add egg and pumpkin puree and mix until just combined..75 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and mix on low until just combined.2.25 cups spelt flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, .50 teaspoon cloves, .25 teaspoon nutmeg, .50 teaspoon salt, 3.4 ounces vanilla pudding mix
- With a medium cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough on to the cookie sheet. Only 12 to a sheet as they tend to spread out a little.
- Bake for 14 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- (Optional) Melt white chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat (should take around 5 minutes). Dip as many cookies halfway in the chocolate and place on parchment paper to set.
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
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- Do not over-mix the dough. Mix until just combined.
- Use organic whenever you can. It tastes better and it’s not much more expensive than non-organic.
- Take the butter out to soften at least an hour before you start the recipe.
- As everyone’s oven is different, your timing might be different from mine. My cookies take 14 minutes. Set the timer for 13 minutes and add additional minutes until done.
- These pumpkin cheesecake cookies freeze really well, which means you can make them at least 3 months before the holidays. Here’s what I do: I place them in two layers in a gallon freezer bag with a piece of parchment paper between the two layers. Lay them flat until they are frozen.
- My sister makes these cookies and spreads cream cheese frosting on the cookie, but I prefer to dip some in the white chocolate.
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