Description
Homemade pumpkin whoopie pies blend warm autumn spices with creamy filling between two moist cake-like cookies. Sweet layers of seasonal comfort invite seasonal indulgence and delightful sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (709 ml / 24 fl oz) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (680 g / 24 oz) chilled pumpkin puree
- 1 cup (237 ml / 8 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g / 7 oz) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g / 8 oz) dark brown sugar
- 3 cups (340 g / 12 oz) powdered sugar
- 2.5 tbsps (37.5 ml / 1.25 fl oz) pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp (5 ml / 0.17 fl oz) baking soda
- 1 tsp (5 ml / 0.17 fl oz) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml / 0.17 fl oz) salt
- 2 tsps (10 ml / 0.33 fl oz) vanilla extract (for cookies)
- 1 tsp (5 ml / 0.17 fl oz) vanilla extract (for filling)
- 0.5 cup (118 ml / 4 fl oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsps (45 ml / 1.5 fl oz) maple syrup
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper, ensuring complete surface coverage.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl to create a uniform blend.
- Wet Mixture: Cream granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Incorporate pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract, blending until smooth and consistent.
- Batter Composition: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring until no flour streaks remain, being careful to avoid overmixing.
- Portioning and Baking: Use a cookie scoop to drop uniform batter portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges turn golden and centers set.
- Cooling Process: Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Filling Preparation: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth, then gradually mix in powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until light and spreadable.
- Assembly: Flip half the cookies flat-side up, pipe or spread cream cheese filling, then sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently to distribute filling evenly.
- Finishing Touch: Refrigerate assembled whoopie pies for 45-60 minutes to set filling and meld flavors before serving.
Notes
- Measure Precisely: Accuracy in ingredient measurements guarantees perfect texture and taste for whoopie pies.
- Room Temperature Matters: Ensure eggs, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better incorporation.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients to prevent tough, dense cookies that lose their soft, cake-like texture.
- Cooling is Crucial: Let cookies cool completely before filling to prevent cream cheese frosting from melting and losing structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg