Description
Delightfully soft and spiced pumpkin whoopie pies paired with a creamy, rich cream cheese filling. These pumpkin treats are perfect for fall gatherings, combining the warm flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a moist cookie sandwich.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar (440g)
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil (160ml)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (113g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves until evenly combined. This ensures your spices and leaveners are distributed throughout the dough.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Form the Dough: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix to prevent dense cookies.
- Scoop Cookies: Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon measuring about 2 tablespoons, drop scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookie centers appear dry and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Filling: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add Sugar to Filling: Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar on low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl and then beat on medium speed until the filling is fluffy and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Assemble Whoopie Pies: Pipe or spread the cream cheese filling onto the flat side of half of the cooled cookies. Press another cookie on top to create a sandwich.
- Chill: Chill the assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the filling before serving.
- Storage: Store the assembled whoopie pies covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
- To prepare ahead, make and refrigerate cookies and filling separately, then assemble just before serving to avoid squished filling.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling to prevent the filling from melting and becoming sticky.
- If you don’t have a cookie scoop, try to make cookies as evenly sized as possible for balanced sandwiches.
- Adjust the size of the cookies with your scoop to make smaller or larger pies; baking time may vary.
- Choose a thick, high-quality pumpkin puree like Libby’s for best flavor and consistency; note that some brands are more watery.
- Use soft, moist light brown sugar for best results; hard brown sugar can be softened by placing in an airtight container with a slice of bread or microwaving briefly.
- Measure flour accurately using a scale or by fluffing and leveling to prevent dry, tough cookies.
- Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing to ensure better incorporation.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cookies tender and light.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 whoopie pie
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
