Description
Soft, buttery cookies meet a creamy pumpkin cheesecake center in this irresistible fall treat. These pumpkin cheesecake thumbprints are a delicious addition to holiday cookie trays, Thanksgiving celebrations, and cozy autumn afternoons.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 g) pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon (2.6 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Press an indentation into the center of each ball with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon.
- Bake for 10–13 minutes until the edges are set. Gently reshape the indentations while the cookies are warm if needed.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree and mix until creamy.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of cheesecake filling into each cooled cookie.
- Refrigerate the filled cookies for 20–30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Cooking
- Cuisine: American