This easy recipe is sure to be loved by the whole family and makes a wonderful treat for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any cozy Autumn weekend. What is a Whoopie Pie? Is it a cake? A cookie? Well, it’s neither. And it’s also both! Whoopie Pies are in a dessert category all on their own. These divine treats are like hand-held miniature cake sandwiches, filled with a creamy frosting. This recipe will teach you how to make a delicious pumpkin-spiced variation on the basic chocolate and vanilla whoopie pie recipe. These whoopie pumpkin pies are completely perfect for fall, with all of the best flavors of the season. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are filled with a rich and luscious cream cheese frosting because cream cheese frosting is perfect with all things pumpkin spiced! If you like this recipe, be sure to try my Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Cake Roll, Easy Pumpkin Cake, and Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting. And if you’d like to make a less pumpkin-y version of this recipe, go ahead and grab my recipe for Vanilla Whoopie Pies!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Here’s what you need to make these fun fall treats:
Pumpkin: Be sure to buy plain, pure canned pumpkin for this recipe, and avoid pumpkin pie filling, which includes sugar and spices that we don’t need here. Eggs: I always recommend letting your eggs come to room temperature before mixing them into your dough and batter recipes. This simple step will ensure that your whoopie pie dough is perfectly smooth. Brown Sugar: The molasses flavor in the brown sugar is so good with pumpkin. Plus, the brown sugar helps to keep the cookies moist and soft. Vanilla Extract: Use your best quality pure vanilla extract for a rich, warm flavor. Baking Powder and Baking Soda: This recipe is more like a cake than a cookie, so both of these are needed to make the whoopie pie shells light and fluffy. Pumpkin Spice: This spice blend typically includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Buy it pre-made, or learn how to make your own pumpkin spice mix, especially if you love to bake pumpkin desserts! Cream Cheese Frosting: The filling for pumpkin whoopie pies is a simple mixture of softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. You can also use my cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe if you like a little bit of extra spice.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Get ready to bake by setting your oven to 350°F (180°C) and lining four baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the trays aside while the oven preheats and you mix up the batter.
Recipe Tips
Try to make the dough balls the same size. Once baked, you’ll want both the top and the bottom of each whoopie pie to match. A cookie scoop will help you portion the batter perfectly. Let them cool. Adding cream cheese frosting to warm pumpkin cookies would be a disaster! Be sure that the cookies are completely cool before adding the filling. Adjust the filling. Replace a small amount of the heavy cream with pure maple syrup to create a maple cream cheese filling. I’ve also heard of filling pumpkin whoopie pies with a mixture of marshmallow cream that’s been thickened with powdered sugar. My white chocolate buttercream would also be tasty here.
Whoopie Pie Storing Tips
Store your pumpkin whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If kept this way, they will stay fresh for 4-5 days. After that, they will start to dry out. Let the whoopie pies sit at room temperature for a bit before eating so that the frosting can soften. You can freeze whoopie pies for longer storage too! They freeze quite well. It’s best to wrap each whoopie pie individually with plastic wrap, then place the wrapped cookies in a zipper bag or freezer container. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let frozen whoopie pies thaw on the counter for 30 minutes before enjoying. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are such a fun and different pumpkin dessert! Everyone will be so impressed that you made these from scratch, which makes them perfect for all of your social occasions this season. © Little Sunny Kitchen
