Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin whoopie pie: imagine two cakey, fluffy, perfectly-spiced pumpkin cookies sandwiched together with cream cheese frosting. *cue drool*
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe
First things first, let’s talk about what a whoopie pie is. Native to New England and sometimes erroneously referred to as homemade oreos, whoopie pies are, for a lack of a better description, an extremely cakey sandwich cookie. A traditional whoopie pie recipe takes two chocolate cake rounds and fills them with a buttercream/marshmallow fluff mixture to create a hand-held dessert sandwich. But today, states like Maine and Pennsylvania are famous for cranking out a wide variety of delicious flavors.
These pumpkin whoopie pies are my festive, autumn version of the popular treat. If you’re looking for a unique, but incredibly delicious, pumpkin dessert to try this Fall, look no further. With the textbook cake-like texture and a decadent cream cheese frosting filling, you’re going to fall in love with these perfectly spiced pumpkin whoopie pies.
Ingredients in Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Salted butter, partially melted – I always use salted butter! You can sub unsalted – just add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Brown sugar – Just brown sugar in this recipe so your cookies stay nice and moist.
- Egg
- Pumpkin puree – Please note this is pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
- vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch will help the whoopie pies stay nice and soft.
- Cinnamon – The cinnamon is what makes pumpkin things taste like pumpkin things! Don’t skimp here or else you’ll be sad with the flavor of the whoopie pies.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk – The buttermilk will react with the baking soda to give the whoopie pies that cake like texture. #science.
Cream Cheese Frosting Filling:
Note: I LOVE these with my browned butter cream cheese frosting. It’s a little extra work, but in my opinion, it is SO worth it. If you’d like to give that a shot, check out my browned butter cream cheese frosting recipe instead!
- Salted butter, softened – Again, salted.
- Cream cheese, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Heavy whipping cream
How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine the partially melted butter and brown sugar until combined.
- Add the egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla, mixing well.
- Next, add the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Slowly start mixing.
- As the dry ingredients are mixing in, slowly add in the buttermilk.
- Mix until a thick batter forms.
- Add the batter to a piping bag. Pipe round circles equal in size onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to bake and spread. Alternatively you can scoop the batter onto the pan.
- Bake at 375° F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have spread and no longer look wet and underbaked in the center of the cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until mixed thoroughly.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and then alternate adding the remaining filling ingredients, adding a portion of the powdered sugar and then some liquid, letting the mixer go on low until the powdered sugar is completely incorporated before adding more.
- Repeat this process until all of the ingredients have been added. Adjust the consistency of the frosting to your liking by adding more heavy cream to the frosting to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Pipe the filling onto the bottom of a cooled pumpkin cookie and top it with another pumpkin cookie to create the whoopie pie. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy!
How do I make neat whoopie pies?
A piping bag is your best friend here! Instead of scooping the batter onto the pan, Add your batter to a piping bag. Pipe round circles equal in size onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to bake and spread.
Then, once your cookies are cooled, add your filling to a piping bag and pipe it onto the bottom of one pumpkin cookie. Press a second pumpkin cookie on top to make your whoopie pie!
What’s the best way to store leftover pumpkin whoopie pies?
Once assembled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days! These cookies also freeze well and can be stored in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. I have a post all about how to freeze cookies if you’d like more guidance!
Other Desserts Like Whoopie Pies
- Pizookie
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Twisted Sugar Coconut Lime Cookies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter, partially melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting Filling
- 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- up to 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer combine the partially melted butter and brown sugar until combined.
- Add the egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla, mixing well.Add the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Slowly start mixing. As the dry ingredients are mixing in, slowly add in the buttermilk.
- Mix until a thick batter forms.
- Add the batter to a piping bag. Pipe round circles equal in size onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to bake and spread. Alternatively you can scoop the batter onto the pan.
- Bake at 375° F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have spread and no longer look wet and underbaked in the center of the cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until mixed thoroughly.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and then alternate adding the remaining filling ingredients, adding a portion of the powdered sugar and then some liquid, letting the mixer go on low until the powdered sugar is completely incorporated before adding more.
- Repeat this process until all of the ingredients have been added. You can adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding more heavy cream to this the frosting or more powdered sugar to thicken the frosting.
- Pipe the filling onto the bottom of a cooled pumpkin cookie and top it with another pumpkin cookie to create the whoopie pie. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy!
