Pumpkin Whoopie Pies bring the flavors of fall to this classic treat. Wedged in the middle is a delicious layer of cream flavored with either maple or vanilla – so good!
Who grew up in or near the Northeast? Bet you are familiar with a small chocolate cake-like cookie with a creamy middle called a Whoopie Pie! Anyone looking for a twist on that classic chocolate treat that is perfect for fall are these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.
Getting Ready for Fall Holidays
Online memes are telling me that it is time we start getting out those holiday decorations soon! Halloween will become a ghostly memory and before you know it, Thanksgiving is here!
Being in the kitchen creating traditional holiday recipes is one of my favorite things to do. Although recipes from my mom’s cookbook are used every year, we also love to discover our own as well.
Pumpkin Spice Isn’t Just for Lattes
I was raised up north, so pumpkin was part of the family from October through December in our house. Mom was a fantastic cook and she could make a pumpkin go from the soup course through to dessert! As a kid, I was more impressed with how well you could carve a pumpkin, not cook with one. Now that I am a mom, I totally get it!
While we do love a Pumpkin Spice Latte (see our recipe for an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte), we have a few other favorite pumpkin recipes perfect for fall:
Easy Fall Desserts
Because I’m all about easy holiday desserts, this Pumpkin Whoopie Pies recipe is right up my pumpkin alley! The basic cookie is full of sugar and spice and lots of everything nice.
Cream cheese filling brings a little tang to the mix. Adding maple syrup is optional, making it versatile for different tastes in the room. (I suggest making a batch of each to cover your bases!)
This recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree, but you can also make your own homemade with our easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree Recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
(See recipe card below for measurements)
flour; spooned and leveled
baking soda
baking powder
salt
cinnamon
ground ginger
allspice
ground nutmeg
dark brown sugar; firmly packed
olive oil
pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
vanilla
large eggs; room temperature
For Maple Cream Cheese filling:
unsalted butter, room temperature
cream cheese
confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
maple syrup
vanilla extract
How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Add in the oil and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix on medium-low until well incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium-low, and be careful not to over mix.
3. Spoon the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter into 3/4 to 1-inch rounds on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheets or use the macaron template as a guide. Leave a little room between cookies as the batter does spread a little.
4. Bake the whoopie pies for 10 minutes. Once fully baked, the pies should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the whoopie pies from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Instructions for the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
Place the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Add the confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing at low speed until incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for two minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
How Do You Feel About Maple Syrup?
Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed until incorporated. If you’re less of a maple fan and more of a traditional vanilla kind of person, you can just skip the maple syrup in this step.
Place frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. If frosting becomes too soft and warm, place it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and then resume filling the whoopie pies.
Putting it All Together
To assemble the whoopie pies, place a dollop or swirl of maple cream cheese frosting on the flat side of one pie and then top with the flat side of another whoopie pie. Gently press together to create a sandwich.
Place the assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to chill, allowing the frosting to set.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies bring the flavors of fall to this classic treat. Iin the middle is a delicious layer of cream flavored with either maple or vanilla - so good!
Ingredients
For Whoopie Pies
- 3 cups all purpose flour; spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups dark brown sugar; firmly packed
- 1 cup olive oil
- One 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
For Maple Cream Cheese filling:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz block cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions for the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Add in the oil and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix on medium-low until well incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium-low, and be careful not to over mix.
3. Spoon the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter into 3/4 to 1-inch rounds on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheets or use the macaron template as a guide. Leave a little room between cookies as the batter does spread a little.
4. Bake the whoopie pies for 10 minutes. Once fully baked, the pies should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the whoopie pies from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
To assemble the whoopie pies, place a dollop or swirl of maple cream cheese frosting on the flat side of one pie and then top with the flat side of another whoopie pie. Gently press together to create a sandwich. Place the assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to chill, allowing the frosting to set.
Instructions for the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. Place the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
2. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing at low speed until incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for two minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed until incorporated. (For a traditional vanilla filling, you can skip the maple syrup.)
3. Place frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. If frosting becomes too soft and warm, place it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and then resume filling the whoopie pies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g
Nutrition is calculated automatically and may not be accurate.
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