Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Published September 18, 2022
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies – a delicious seasonal cookie made with plenty of pumpkin, warm spices, and a sweet cream cheese frosting. These tender, cake-like, decadent sandwich cookies are a tasty highlight of fall!
Perfect Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
We all love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but have you tried pumpkin whoopie pies yet?
They are very similar but rather than being dotted with dark chocolate chips two cookies are layered and meld together with a rich cream cheese frosting in the center. So it’s like an irresistible cake but in single serve cookie form, and they’re easier to make!
These soft and fluffy cookies are delicious rolled in chopped pecans or walnuts which also adds a light crunch. Or you could try adding some chocolate chips to the cookie dough for an extra decadence.
Try them at least once this fall, you won’t regret it!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (248g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
- 6 oz cream cheese, nearly room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, nearly room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (210g) powdered sugar
- Chopped pecans (for rolling, optional)
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer
- 18 by 13-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Scroll down for recipe with full instructions. Here is a brief summary of the steps to make them:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk try ingredients including flour, leavening and spices.
- Mix brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, egg and vanilla.
- Blend the to mixtures together with a spatula.
- Scoop dough out 1.5 Tbsp at a time and drop onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are set, about 14 to 16 minutes.
- Cool a few minutes on baking sheet then cool completely on wire rack.
- Mix frosting ingredients, chill frosting to firm up slightly.
- Pipe frosting over cookies (or spread frosting over with a butter knife).
- Sandwich cookies together and serve.
Possible Substitutions and Variations
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for all the spices listed (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves). Use 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- Alternate oil: Canola oil, liquid coconut oil, or light olive oil will also work well in place of vegetable oil.
- Different frosting: Optionally try a different frosting in this recipe. You can use a marshmallow filling, vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, or caramel frosting.
- Cookie dough mix-ins: For more flavor and texture add chocolate chips or chopped walnuts or pecans to the cookie dough batter.
- Chocolate finish: Or for drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies and let it set in the fridge.
- Homemade pumpkin puree: I like to use canned pumpkin when baking cookies for a consistent consistency but homemade will work here as well. If you find it’s runny just spread over paper towels and wrap to remove some of the moisture before measuring.
Storage
- Pumpkin whoopie pies should be stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese filling and because they are a moist cookie with all the pumpkin.
- They’ll store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Keep them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
- These cookies can also be frozen up to 2 months.
Helpful Tips for the Best Whoopie Pies
- Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients if possible for the most accurate results.
- Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling in this recipe! It has added sugars and spices and will throw the recipe off completely.
- Be careful not to over-mix the dough so it’s not runny and cookies are fluffy.
- Chill the frosting. Cream cheese frosting can be runny at room temperature so it’s helpful to firm the butter and cream cheese back up in the fridge especially since it’s a filling and will run right out when bitten into if not set.
More Pumpkin Favorites to Try
- Best Pumpkin Roll
- Decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Follow Cooking Classy
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
A delicious seasonal cookie made with plenty of pumpkin, warm spices, and a sweet cream cheese frosting. These cake-like, decadent sandwich cookies are a highlight of fall!
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (248g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese, nearly room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, nearly room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (210g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans or walnuts (for rolling, optional)
Instructions
- For the cookies: Set oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- Add brown sugar to a separate large mixing bowl. Break up brown sugar with fingertips to ensure there are no clumps. Add pumpkin, vegetable oil, egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk mixture until well combined.
- Pour flour mixture into pumpkin mixture then stir and fold with a rubber spatula until mixture is combined.
- Scoop dough out with a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets spacing 2-inches a part.
- Bake one sheet at a time until cookies have set completely, about 14 to 16 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet for several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.
- For the filling: In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer whip together cream cheese and butter on medium-low speed until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and whip mixture on high speed until light and fluffy for several minutes. Transfer to freezer to firm up, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe frosting over bottom side of half of the cookies then top with a second cookie. If frosting is runny transfer to fridge to set.
- Store cookies in the fridge in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 309
Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 151mg7%
Potassium 120mg3%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 3210IU64%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.