If you’re a pumpkin lover, you’ll fall head over heels for the best soft pumpkin cheesecake cookie recipe. These chewy pumpkin cookies have a creamy cheesecake filling and a pumpkin spice sugar coating, making them a perfect fall treat for pumpkin season.

Cheesecake Filling In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth with no lumps. Refrigerate the cream cheese mixture while you prepare the pumpkin cookie dough.

Pumpkin Cookie Dough In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy

Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree, mixing until smooth. Gradually mix in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. If your pumpkin cookie dough feels too sticky, refrigerate it for 15–30 minutes to make it easier to handle.

Sugar Coating In a small bowl, stir together the sugar coating: granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all-spice. Assembly Use a cookie scoop to portion out about 1 tablespoon of dough, rolling it into cookie dough balls. Press a small well in the top of each cookie form

Place about ¾ teaspoon of cheesecake filling in the center. Take another tablespoon of dough, create a small indent, and place it over the filled cookie. Press the edges together, roll gently in your hands. Roll each cookie in this pumpkin spice sugar. Arrange on your prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 3 inches apart.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 13–17 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. After they are completely cooled, store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.