The Best Soft & Easy Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
A festive, fall-inspired recipe for ‘Whoopie Pumpkin Pies.’ This dessert features soft, cake-like chocolate cookies that are sandwiched together with a sweet and tangy pumpkin cream cheese filling. The rich chocolate cookies are made with a buttermilk batter, and the filling is a simple, no-cook blend of cream cheese, butter, pumpkin puree, and cinnamon. The finished whoopie pies are a perfect handheld treat.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 12 whoopie pies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Cookies:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of kosher salt
- For the Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- Drop scoops of batter, about 2 tablespoons each, onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. You should have 24 cookies total.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, until the edges are set but the cookies are still soft. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Filling: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and salt and beat until the filling is smooth and combined.
- Assemble the Whoopie Pies: Spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich it with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
Notes
- Using room temperature ingredients for both the cookie batter and the filling is important for achieving a smooth, well-incorporated final product.
- The cookies should be soft and cake-like, not crisp. Be careful not to overbake them.
- Ensure the cookies are completely cool before filling them to prevent the cream cheese filling from melting.
Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/pumpkin-whoopie-pies/