1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift cake mix into a large bowl to remove any lumps and add pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

3. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

4. In a stand mixer (or using a handheld beater) combine cream cheese and powdered sugar.

5. Use a cookie scoop (or a regular spoon-see notes below recipe) and fill it 1/3 of way with cookie dough, then place a little bit of cream cheese filling over the dough and then top it off with more dough. Place the full dough ball onto your cookie sheet and repeat until all the dough is used!

6. Bake for about 14 minutes or until the top of the cookies "spring" back like a cake or muffin would.

7. Let cool. Like anything pumpkin, the flavors actually taste better the next day so these are great cookies to make the day before an event :)