Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Pumpkin whoopie pies are fluffy, moist pumpkin cookies sandwiched together with brown sugar cream cheese frosting. They're a quick, easy fall and holiday dessert recipe that everyone will love!

Prep Time45

Cook Time25

Chill Time30

Total Time1 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: whoopie pies

Calories: 290kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cookies

1¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or use extra cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
1 large egg room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup pure pumpkin puree canned, not pumpkin pie filling

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

4½ ounces full fat cream cheese brick style, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark, packed
2 cups powdered sugar sifted, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pumpkin Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until no flour streaks remain.
Chill dough (optional but recommended): Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for 20–30 minutes. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and bake up soft and puffy. If short on time, you can skip this step.
Use a #40 scoop (about 1½ tablespoons or 25 g) to portion dough onto the baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before filling.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined.
Add the brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar until thick and creamy.

Assembly

Scoop frosting (a #40 cookie scoop works nicely) onto the bottom of half the cookies. Gently press another cookie on top, just enough for the frosting to spread to the edges.
Refrigerate the whoopie pies for about 30-60 minutes before serving for the best texture. Dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.

Video

Notes

Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I recommend canned pumpkin for consistency.
Use a #40 cookie scoop for both cookie dough and frosting to make all your whoopie pies the same size. It also makes assembly super easy.
Chill the dough 20–30 minutes for thicker, puffier cookies (optional).
Cool cookies completely before frosting to prevent it from melting.
Filling options: Fold in 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the frosting for extra flavor and a little crunch. To enhance the flavor of the frosting, you could also add a small pinch of espresso powder to the frosting.
Leave a ¼-inch border when scooping frosting so it spreads nicely without overflowing.
Lightly press the top cookie onto the frosting—just enough to spread it, don’t flatten.
Storage: Store unfilled cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make the frosting up to 3 days in advance and keep in the fridge; let sit 15–20 minutes and stir before using. After filling, store whoopie pies in the fridge up to 3 days and let sit 10–15 minutes before serving. To freeze, wrap each pie in plastic, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition