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Cakey pumpkin cookies are sandwiched with a tangy cream cheese filling in these delectable pumpkin whoopie pies.
Guys, the weather is not at all cooperating with my need for all the fall things.
It’s still hot and I just want sweater weather! This time of year, all I want is to be in a cozy sweatshirt and adding all of the pumpkin syrup to my hot coffee.
Instead, I’m still in t-shirts and drinking shaken iced espressos.
Regardless of the weather choices, I’m still going to indulge in all of the pumpkin treats, starting with these pumpkin whoopie pies.
This recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies originally came from my friend Lizzy from Your Cup of Cake. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit over the years and thought it was time to remind everyone how much fun this one is!
What are whoopie pies?
Whoopie pies are made from two soft, cake-like cookies sandwiched together with a creamy filling.
Classic whoopie pies usually consist of chocolate cookies and a marshmallow filling. But there are a lot of different ways to make these fun cookie sandwiches.
This version is made with perfectly spiced, cakey pumpkin cookies. In place of the marshmallow filling, I used a tangy cream cheese frosting. You know I can never get enough of mild pumpkin flavor paired with cream cheese.
These pumpkin whoopie pies are like a super portable version of pumpkin cake! They would be so fun to take to a party or to whip up for delicious treat leading up to Halloween.
How to make these pumpkin whoopie pies
Like a lot of my sandwich cookies, these pumpkin whoopie pies look tricky but are so much easier than you’d think.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make the pumpkin cookies, you will need:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
I like to use my homemade pumpkin pie spice in these cookies. All of the warm spices work perfectly with the mild flavor of the pumpkin. If you’re out of pumpkin spice, apple pie spice will work in a pinch.
When you’re buying the pumpkin, make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling contains extra ingredients that we don’t need in the pumpkin cookie dough!
For the cream cheese filling, you will need:
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Making these whoopie pies
To get started, make the pumpkin cookies.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set this aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugars, pumpkin, and vegetable oil. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Slowly add the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Try not to over mix; you don’t want the cookies to become tough.
The mixture is going to seem more like cake batter than traditional cookie dough. That’s ok, that’s what we want!
Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Pipe into 3-inch rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure you leave space between each round for the cookies to rise.
Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking so the cookies bake evenly. Let the cookies cool on the pans before moving them to a wire rack.
Once the cookies have cooled, make the filling.
Beat the butter and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and 1 cup of the powdered sugar, mixing to combine.
Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
To assemble the pumpkin whoopie pies, spread or pipe the filling onto the flat (bottom) sides of half of the cookies. Top with a second cookie and enjoy!
Helpful resources
- Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Use the same method when measuring the powdered sugar for the filling. Getting this step right will help your pumpkin whoopie pies turn our perfect every time.
- Out of brown sugar? Make a quick 2-ingredient brown sugar substitute to use instead.
- If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, learn how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the store.
- Don’t stress if you’re out of powdered sugar. Use a simple powdered sugar substitute for the cream cheese filling.
- The butter and cream cheese for the filling should both be softened to room temperature. If you forget to set either of these out ahead of time, learn how to soften butter and how to soften cream cheese quickly.
Other filling options
It’s no secret: pumpkin and cream cheese is a combination I can’t get enough of. But that doesn’t mean that cream cheese frosting is the only filling choice you have for these pumpkin whoopie pies!
If you want to go a more traditional route, you could use my marshmallow frosting. You could also opt for the cream filling used in my oatmeal cream pies.
But feel free to think outside the box, too! Brown butter frosting would be lovely with the pumpkin, or try a whipped chocolate ganache for a less traditional, but delicious, option.
Pumpkin whoopie pie storage and freezing tips
Store pumpkin whoopie pies in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can serve them straight from the fridge or let them sit at room temperature for a little bit first to take the chill off.
If you want to prep the whoopie pies ahead of time, I suggest freezing the cookies and filling separately.
Make the cookies and allow them to cool completely. Freeze in an airtight container, separating layers with pieces of parchment paper, for up to 3 months.
Freeze the cream cheese frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw the cookies at room temperature for a few hours. Thaw the filling in the refrigerator overnight.
Let the filling come to room temperature, then beat for a few minutes with an electric mixer before assembling the whoopie pies.
Frequently asked questions
I have tried making this recipe with butter, but the texture was not quite right for whoopie pies.
Oil really is best for getting that perfect cake-like texture in the pumpkin cookies. If you don’t like baking with vegetable oil or canola oil, you can use your preferred neutral-flavored oil, such as avocado oil.
Yes, but I find that piping the pumpkin cookie batter results in rounder, more uniform cookies. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a gallon-size zip-top bag with the corner cut off.
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
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Using a stand mixer, beat sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vegetable oil together. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add in egg and vanilla extract and beat again. Scrape down the bowl to incorporate everything evenly.
¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup lightly packed brown sugar, 1 cup pure pumpkin puree, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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Slowly add in dry ingredients. Stir just until combined, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix.
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Transfer batter to a piping bag and pipe out batter in approximate 3-inch rounds, leaving space between for expansion during baking. You should be able to fit 12 per pan.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even baking. Let cool briefly on the pans, then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (they will be soft).
Make the Frosting:
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Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Continue to slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
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Frost the bottoms of half of your cookies to make your cookie sandwiches. Top with a “blank” cookie and serve.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving: 1whoopie pie, Calories: 471kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 266mg, Potassium: 113mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 3562IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
