Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Prepare Your Station: Gather all ingredients. Line a tray and a baking sheet with parchment paper. (5 minutes)

Create the Cheesecake Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar (1/2 cup), and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fully combined. (5 minutes)

Portion and Freeze the Filling: Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, create 18 mounds of the cream cheese mixture on the prepared tray. Freeze until solid, approximately 1 hour. (1 hour 5 minutes)

Preheat and Prepare Pumpkin: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the canned pumpkin evenly on a plate in about a 4-inch square. (5 minutes)

Reduce Pumpkin Moisture: Press the pumpkin with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Repeat this blotting process with fresh paper towels until very little moisture remains, about 6 times. Set aside the prepared pumpkin. (10 minutes)

Combine Dry Cookie Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside. (5 minutes)

Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds until creamy.

Incorporate Sugars: Add the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar to the butter. Beat until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. (5 minutes)

Blend in Pumpkin and Vanilla: Add the prepared pumpkin and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until everything is thoroughly combined. (3 minutes)

Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually stir in the flour mixture using a wooden spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. (5 minutes)

Prepare Spice Sugar Coating: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of white sugar with the remaining 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. (2 minutes)

Portion the Cookie Dough: Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop or a rounded measuring tablespoon to portion the cookie dough into 18 equal pieces. (5 minutes)

Assemble the Cookies: Flatten a portion of the dough into a 2 ½- to 3-inch circle in the palm of your hand. (2 minutes)

Fill and Shape: Place a frozen ball of the cream cheese filling in the center of the dough circle. Gently press the dough around the filling, completely encasing it, then roll with your hands to form a smooth ball. (3 minutes)

Coat and Arrange: Roll each ball in the sugar and pumpkin pie spice mixture, then place it on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (5 minutes)

Bake: Bake the first batch in the preheated oven until the cookies are set, approximately 12 minutes. Chill the shaped cookies while the first batch is baking to help them maintain their shape. (12 minutes)

Cool Slightly: Let the baked cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet. (5 minutes)

Cool completely: Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Bake and cool the remaining cookies as directed. (10 minutes)