Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Delightful fall treat with pumpkin and spice in soft, cake-like cookies, sandwiched with creamy filling.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree to the butter mixture, beating until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set and lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling
- For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until fluffy. If desired, add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Spread or pipe 1-2 tablespoons of the filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to form sandwiches.
Serving
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature for the best mixing results. Don’t overmix the dough; mix until just combined for soft cookies. Try using a cookie scoop to ensure uniform cookie sizes for even baking. Feel free to add chocolate chips or nuts to the cookie dough for extra flavor and texture! You can modify the filling by adding spices like nutmeg or ginger for different flavor twists.