Pumpkin cheesecake cookie cups are made with warm pumpkin spice cookie cups filled with no-bake cheesecake filling.
These pumpkin cheesecake cookie cups are the perfect little fall dessert! They’re made with soft, chewy pumpkin spice cookie cups filled with a light and fluffy no-bake cheesecake filling. Each one is topped with a cute pumpkin candy for a festive finishing touch.
They’re great for Thanksgiving dessert tables, fall parties, or anytime you’re craving something pumpkin-flavored. Plus, they’re easy to make ahead, so you can have the cookie cups and cheesecake filling ready to assemble before serving.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Pumpkin Purée
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Egg Yolk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Salt
- Pumpkin Candies, optional topping
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Cups
Cookie Cups
- Add the pumpkin purée to a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. It should be reduced to a thick paste with no shine left, about 3 tablespoons. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the cooled pumpkin paste, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Divide the cookie dough evenly among the muffin tins, using approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per tin. It’s easiest to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop. Press the dough evenly across the bottoms and halfway up the sides to create a well in the center. Use the end of a wooden spoon, if needed.
- Bake for approximately 11-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown and the cookie dough appears set.
- Immediately after removing the muffin tin from the oven, use the end of the wooden spoon to gently press down the centers again, creating deeper wells for the cheesecake filling.
- Allow the cookie cups to cool in the muffin tin. Removing them while they’re still warm can cause them to break. Carefully loosen the edges with a butter knife, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat the heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag fitted with a large open tip. Pipe cheesecake filling into each cooled pumpkin cookie cup.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and then add pumpkin candies. Otherwise, the moisture from the cheesecake can cause the candy colors to run.
Tips for Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Cups
Cook down the pumpkin purée. Reducing the pumpkin purée into a thick paste removes excess moisture, which helps prevent the cookie cups from becoming too soft or cakey. Stir frequently to prevent burning, and let the paste cool completely before mixing it into the dough.
Grease the muffin tin well. Even if you’re using a nonstick mini muffin pan, lightly coat the bottoms and sides with cooking spray. This makes removing the delicate cookie cups much easier.
Create a deep enough well. Press the cookie dough evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of each muffin cavity. The dough will puff up while baking, so gently press the centers down again immediately after removing them from the oven to make plenty of room for the cheesecake filling.
Let the cookie cups cool before removing. The pumpkin cookie cups will be delicate while they’re warm. Allowing them to cool in the muffin tin helps them firm up and prevents them from crumbling or breaking.
Add the pumpkin candies just before serving. Moisture from the cheesecake filling can cause the colors of the pumpkin candies to bleed. For the prettiest presentation, wait until you’re ready to serve before adding the decorations.
If you love pumpkin desserts, be sure to try my pumpkin cheesecake drop cookies, pumpkin cheesecake bars, and pumpkin cheesecake muffins. For even more fall baking inspiration, check out my collection of 39 easy pumpkin desserts. I also have recipes for cherry cheesecake cookie cups and peanut butter cookie cups.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Cups
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookie Cups
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Pumpkin Purée reduced to approximately 3 tablespoons
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Cheesecake Filling
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream cold
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 6 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin Candies optional topping
Instructions
Cookie Cups
- Add the pumpkin purée to a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. It should be reduced to a thick paste with no shine left, about 3 tablespoons. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the cooled pumpkin paste, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Divide the cookie dough evenly among the muffin tins, using approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per tin. It's easiest to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop. Press the dough evenly across the bottoms and halfway up the sides to create a well in the center.
- Bake for approximately 11-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown and the cookie dough appears set.
- Immediately after removing the muffin tin from the oven, use the bottom of a small measuring cup or rounded spoon to gently press down the centers, creating deeper wells for the cheesecake filling.
- Allow the cookie cups to cool in the muffin tin for 11-14 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges with a thin spatula or butter knife, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat the heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag fitted with a large open tip. Pipe cheesecake filling into each cooled pumpkin cookie cup.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and then add pumpkin candies. Otherwise, the moisture from the cheesecake can cause the candy colors to run.
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