Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
This recipe is delicious and easy to make, a mix between a soft cookie and a cake with a sweet cream cheese filling. This is a great way to start if you have never tried whoopie pies and like fall flavors. They are ready in under an hour and can be frozen.
Servings 25 medium whoopies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree fresh or canned
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the cookies:
- In a bowl, mix ½ cup sunflower oil with ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¾ cup brown sugar. Add 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree and mix.
- Add 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground gingerpinch of ground nutmeg and pinch of ground cloves and incorporate very well.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon baking soda) in 2 parts and mix without beating. You will have a soft mixture. Sift the flour mixture before or have it measured and sift it directly over the pumpkin batter, as I do.
- Spoon tablespoons onto the prepared sheets, leaving an inch or two between them.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until dry and puffed. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Fill half the rounds with 2 teaspoons per cookie and cover with a plain round, making a sandwich. They are squishy.
- Leftovers can be left covered at room temperature or refrigerated (my choice).
For the filling:
- Beat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 tablespoons cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar little by little until it is very thick. Add more sugar if you want a thicker mixture.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Pumpkin: fresh or canned puree, both work. And you can use butternut squash puree. Here's the perfect homemade recipe for pumpkin puree.
Instead of the spices in the recipe, use 1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice mix.
Oil: I use a neutral oil, like sunflower, but this recipe works with coconut oil, canola, or even a mild olive oil.
Preparing the pan: I find that parchment paper works very well. Another option is a buttered and floured cookie sheet.
Cooling down: these are sticky and similar to soft cookies, so let them cool a bit before trying to remove them from the pan. Cool them completely on a wire rack before filling.
Refrigerated dough: I have baked this immediately after mixing the batter and refrigerating it for 12 hours. I had pretty much the same result.
