These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies aka pumpkin gob, feature moist and soft pumpkin cookies sandwiched together with a luxuriously fluffy cream cheese filling. These irresistibly tender cake-like cookies are the perfect fall treat!
This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own.
✔️ The Perfect Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe
It’s that time of year again, and I couldn’t be more excited. The fall season is my favorite and not only because of the weather. We also get to enjoy the flavors of the season and that means all things pumpkin spice!! (hello pumpkin spice latte, we meet again!)
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are cake-like cookies that combine pumpkin puree, the warm flavors of pumpkin spice and orange zest sandwiched together with a sweet, fluffy and rich cream cheese frosting.
⭐️ Why You’ll Love This Whoopie Pie Recipe?
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is super easy, comes together quickly and doesn’t require any special equipment or fancy molds.
- Taste and Texture: A cookie-sandwich with soft cake-like, but firm texture are held together by fluffy, sweet cream cheese filling…do I need say more?
- No Mixer Needed: These tender pumpkin cookies can be made by hand. Since they will become one of your favorite treats, you may want to make a double batch! In that case, you can make them in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment).
🔎 What Are Whoopie Pies?
Whoopie pies also known as gobs are a hybrid between a soft-baked cookie and the springy top of a cupcake.
Traditional whoopie pies are usually cake-like, chocolate cookies filled with marshmallow fluff. The good news is that you can make them in any flavor and fill them with sweet cream cheese frosting or a completely different frosting such as buttercream.
The origins of this recipe are unclear. It was created in either New England, Pennsylvania or Maine.
Main insists the creation is theirs and that they have been selling them since 1925 at Labadie’s Bakery, and have gone as far as declaring Whoopie Pies the official state treat.
Some others say that Pennsylvanian Amish women created this treat from leftover cake batter and frosting. Amish men would find these delicious cookies in their lunch boxes and would shout “whoopie!” I am not sure if this story is accurate, but I love it, so I am sticking to it! What do you think?
✔️ Whoopie Pie Recipe Ingredients
For the complete list of ingredients and quantities, check the printable recipe card below.
✔️ For the Whoopie Pie Cookies
- Flour: I use all purpose flour in this recipe. You can substitute with gluten-free flour to make gluten-free pumpkin cookies, although the texture may change slightly.
- Brown Sugar: I recommend using dark brown sugar, which adds depths of flavor.
- Leavening: I use both baking powder and baking soda for this whoopie pie recipe.
- Warm Spices: To get that pumpkin flavor, you’ll need Cinnamon, Ground Ginger and Ground All-Spice.
- Oil: You can use any neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Pumpkin Puree: You can use store-bought or homemade pumpkin puree. Just make sure to purchase 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling comes pre-sweetened and mixed with other ingredients.
- Eggs: I use large eggs for most of my baking.
- Flavorings: For this recipe, I used Taylor and Colledge Organic Vanilla Bean Paste with seeds and orange zest.
✔️ For the Whoopie Pie Filling
- Cream Cheese: For richness and the best texture, I use full fat cream cheese.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Or powdered sugar gives the frosting its silky smoothness.
- Butter: I use unsalted, softened butter.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer to use vanilla paste, but you can absolutely use vanilla extract.
🔎 How Do You Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies?
Here’s the quick version of how to make these easy soft cookies. Find all of the details, including temperatures and timings, check the printable recipe card below.
✔️ To Make The Cookies
- Prep: Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and all-spice together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree and orange zest and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla paste and mix until combined.
- Combine the batter: Sprinkle the flour mixture over the wet mixture and whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Scoop the batter: Using a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet at about one-inch apart.
- Bake: Bake for 15- 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cookies comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.
✔️ To Make The Filling
- In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it’s completely smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and beat until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla paste and beat until smooth. Don’t over beat as the filling can separate.
🔎 Assemble Your Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of creamy filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies.
- Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling (like a sandwich cookie).
- Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie.
🔎 Why Do My Whoopie Pies Came Out Flat?
Whoopie pies can come out flat for a few reasons. The first one could be that the batter is too thin, meaning it has too much liquid and it spreads too quickly when baking. The second and probably main reason is over mixing the cookie batter. When folding the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, do not over mix.
🔎 Why Are My Whoopie Pies Sticky?
To prevent the whoopie pies from becoming sticky, keep them in the fridge. Remember, these are made with pumpkin puree so they can get sticky if kept at room temperature.
🔎 How To Store Homemade Whoopie Pie?
You can keep whoopie pies at room temperature on your kitchen counter for about 5 days. Keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
🔎 Do Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Need To Be Refrigerated?
You can refrigerate your homemade whoopie pies. Wrap them each individually in plastic wrap and then pack into freezer bags. They will keep longer refrigerated and they are actually quite tasty when chilled.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix your pumpkin whoopie pie batter or the filling.
- Make sure the brown sugar doesn’t have any clumps.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of the different spices listed in the recipe.
- You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time. Place the filling in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to use, allow the filling to become soft before using it.
- You can use a piping bag to pipe the cream cheese filling.
- To keep your whoopie pies from spreading, try chilling your batter for about 20 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- Try to keep all of your whoopie pies the same size using an ice cream scoop so they can cook even.
Take A Look At These Other Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
For The Cream Cheese Filling
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and all-spice together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree and orange zest and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla paste and mix until combined.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets at about one-inch apart.
- (Optional) Alternatively, you can use a medium size ice cream scoop or a piping bag and pipe round mounds of batter that are about 1-ounce in volume.
- Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack while you make the filling.
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it’s completely smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla paste and beat until smooth. Don’t over beat the filling or it may separate.
Assemble:
- Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
Notes
- Don’t overmix your pumpkin whoopie pie batter or the filling.
- Make sure the brown sugar doesn’t have any clumps.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of the different spices listed in the recipe.
- You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time. Place the filling in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to use, allow the filling to become soft before using it.
- You can use a piping bag to pipe the cream cheese filling.
- To keep your whoopie pies from spreading, try chilling your batter for about 20 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- Try to keep all of your whoopie pies the same size using an ice cream scoop so they can cook even.
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