Sourdough Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
October 23, 2025
🎃 Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies that Taste Like Pumpkin Pie 🎃💛
These sourdough pumpkin cheesecake cookies make you smile before the second bite and fills your kitchen with that warm cinnamon air that feels like home.
This recipe has been a little journey of its own, three rounds of tweaking, tasting, and just the right amount of patience. The first batch of these sourdough pumpkin cheesecake cookies were soft but crumbly, the second was too cake-like, and by the third, it became pure pumpkin perfection.
These cookies are everything I love about fall. They are soft and golden on the edges, filled with a creamy cheesecake center, and rolled in cinnamon sugar that sparkles like morning light. When my bestie took her first bite, she gasped and said, “This is the best cookie I’ve ever tasted.” I laughed, then I took a bite too, and she was right. Somehow it tastes exactly like pumpkin pie in cookie form.
Later that afternoon, while the cookies were cooling on the counter, she took another bite and said, “I wonder what it would be like to add a chocolate chip inside the cream cheese.” So we did. We pressed a few large cacao chips into the center of one and laughed. The combination of the cool cream cheese, the dark chocolate crunch, and the soft pumpkin cookie was such an unexpected surprise. It was pure fall bliss in one bite.
🍁 Make These Sourdough Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies Your Own
With this cookie, the possibilities are endless. Try folding in a handful of chopped walnuts for a little crunch, or stir a spoonful of maple syrup into the cream cheese for extra cozy sweetness. You could even drizzle a light maple glaze once the cookies have cooled for that bakery-style shine.
Every little variation tells its own story. Start with one batch, follow your curiosity, and let the next idea find you right there in the kitchen. ✨
🥰 Why You’ll Love These Cookies
🥛 Brown Butter – Adds a nutty, caramel depth that makes every bite extra cozy.
🎃 Soft and golden with a cozy cinnamon sugar sparkle
🍰 Creamy cheesecake center in every bite
🌾 Pumpkin spice and vanilla that fill your kitchen with fall
👩🍳 Soft, chewy, and perfectly cozy every time
🍁 Tastes just like pumpkin pie in cookie form
👩🍳 A Baker’s Tease
Took me three tries and a few messy mixing bowls, but it finally happened. The cookie that made my bestie gasp, “This is the best I’ve ever had.” 🎃💛
Here’s what I learned along the way. Never skip the step of blotting your pumpkin purée. It is the secret that changes everything. Too much water in the pumpkin makes the dough soft and the cookie spread too thin. Take a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and gently press out that extra moisture. You will see the difference right away. The dough holds its shape, the center stays creamy, and the edges bake up beautifully crisp.
Keep your dough soft and slightly tacky. That little bit of stick means moisture and magic inside. If it feels too sticky, chill it a bit longer until it is easy to roll between your palms. When you bake, look for that subtle puff and golden edge. That is your cue the cheesecake center is creamy and dreamy.
🎃 Pro Tip
Before inserting the cream cheese filling, dip the flattened cookie dough disc into cinnamon sugar. That light coating helps with tackiness, makes shaping easier, and adds a delicious caramelized edge when baked. ✨
🍪 Cooling Process (The Secret to the Perfect Texture)
Right out of the oven:
Let the cookies rest directly on the baking tray for 5 minutes. This allows the centers to finish setting gently from residual heat. If you move them too soon, the warm cheesecake filling can make the cookie collapse or leak slightly.
Next step:
After 5 minutes, carefully slide the entire sheet of parchment paper (with the cookies still on it) onto a cooling rack. This helps airflow under the cookies while keeping them stable.
Final rest:
Let them sit for another 20 to 25 minutes before handling or stacking. During this time, the cream cheese center finishes firming up to that soft, creamy texture you love.
By the 30-minute mark, your cookies will have perfectly crisp edges, a tender pumpkin crumb, and a center that is creamy but beautifully set.
🍁 Storage and Freshness Tips
⏰ Counter:
Let cookies cool completely, then keep them loosely tented with foil or parchment for up to 3 days. This keeps the edges crisp while the centers stay soft and creamy.
❄️ Refrigerator:
Place cookies in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature or warm slightly before serving.
🧊 Freezing Options
1️⃣ Freeze Before Baking (Best for Fresh-Baked Texture)
Assemble your cookies fully with the cream cheese filling inside.
Place them on a baking tray and freeze until solid, about 1 to 2 hours.
Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag, layering with parchment paper.
When ready to bake, thaw the cookies in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen at 340°F, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes.
2️⃣ Freeze After Baking (Best for Ready-to-Eat Cookies)
Let cookies cool completely on the counter.
Layer them between parchment sheets in an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes or warm in a low oven for 3 to 5 minutes to revive the texture.
This keeps their flavor amazing, but the edges will be slightly softer after thawing.
💡 Tip:
If you know you’ll want that “fresh baked” feel later, freezing before baking is the winner.
If you’re prepping for gifting or cozy cookie trays, freezing after baking is perfectly fine. 🍁✨
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Ingredients
Adjust Servings
| ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temp (soft but cool) | |
| ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed | |
| ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar | |
| ⅓ cup (80 g) unfed sourdough discard, room temp | |
| ⅓ cup (75 g) pumpkin purée, well-drained on paper towels | |
| 1 large egg yolk | |
| 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (for flavor + moisture) | |
| 1 tsp vanilla extract | |
| 1 ¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour + 1 ½ Tbsp extra flour added after chill | |
| 1 tbsp cornstarch | |
| ½ tsp baking soda | |
| ¼ tsp salt | |
| 1 tsp cinnamon | |
| ¼ tsp ginger | |
| ¼ tsp nutmeg |
Cheesecake Filling
| 1 cup (225 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened | |
| ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar | |
| 1 tsp vanilla extract | |
| 🍂 Cinnamon-Sugar Coating | |
| ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar | |
| ½ tsp cinnamon | |
| Pinch ginger |
Nutritional Information
Directions
🕰️ Prep Before You Start
Discard
Cream the butter and sugars
🥣 Prepare the Pumpkin Base
Whisk the wet ingredients
Combine the dry ingredients
Chill the dough
Prepare the cheesecake filling
Assemble the cookies
Bake
Cool for the perfect texture
Enjoy the cozy magic
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