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Two pumpkin whoopie pies sitting on a white dessert plate.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fall baking recipe, how to make whoopie pies, Pumpkin recipes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cooling and assembling: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 399kcal
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are such a wonderful celebration of fall baking and Halloween sweet treats! They are somewhere between a cake and a cookie, but we call them pies! And you won't believe how simple they are to prepare!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1⅓ cup brown sugar light or dark
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Filling

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk and stir until completely combined.
  • Working in batches, stir in the flour. Keep adding and stirring until just combined.
  • Use a medium ice scoop, or a large spoon, to add about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the parchment paper. Use a spoon to spread the dough to about a 2-inch diameter. Continue with the remaining batter, leaving about 1 inch between each round of batter.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, switching the baking sheets halfway through.
  • Remove the baking pans from the oven and let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully peel the cookies away from the parchment paper and allow them to cool on racks completely, about another 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the Filling and Assemble the Whoopie Pies

  • While the cookies are cooling, make the filling by adding the softened butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer (electric works well) to cream the butter together with the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and carefully mix on low, gradually increasing the speed until fully combined.
  • Turn half of the cookies over and pipe in the cream cheese filling or spread with a spoon and/or spatula. Top with the remaining cookies.

Notes

See our video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance.  If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. 
You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by combing together 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp ground cloves. 
Be sure to bake the cookies for the full 15 minutes.  Otherwise, the cookie/cakes will be somewhat we and stick to each other and the platter when being served or stored. 
The whoopie pies will keep in an air-tight container on the counter for several days, they will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.   They can be frozen but will lose some of the spongy texture after thawing.  These are really best served fresh. 

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 422IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg