Pumpkin Whoopie Pies: soft, chewy cookies filled with smooth cream cheese frosting—the ultimate fall treat!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
I can’t believe I’ve only just started making whoopie pies, especially after testing and making this amazing pumpkin version—I’m totally in love! Get ready for lots of new whoopie pie recipes soon.
These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies feature two big, soft pumpkin cookies with a layer of sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting in the middle. They’re incredibly soft, like pumpkin cake, and bursting with delicious pumpkin flavor.
Ingredients
- Flour: Provides structure to the cookies.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Help the cookies rise.
- Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice: Add more for a more intense pumpkin flavor.
- Salt: Even a pinch enhances all the flavors.
- Granulated & Brown Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and adds moisture.
- Butter: Gives richness and helps in creating a tender texture.
- Pumpkin: Make sure you’re using pure pumpkin puree.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and adds structure.
- Cream Cheese & Butter: Use at room temperature so they mix together well.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Enhance the flavor.
How To Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Preheat Oven: Preheat to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, spice, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Mix butter and sugars, then add pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and the dry mix.
- Scoop Dough: Place on the sheet and flatten slightly.
- Bake: Bake for 8-13 minutes and let cool.
- Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Assemble: Frost half the cookies and top with the rest.
Tips For Success
- Baking Time: Slightly underbake for soft, moist cookies. Overbaking can ruin their texture and taste.
- Pumpkin Type: Use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s® is best for its smoothness.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop from the bag.
- Baking Surface: Use a Silpat® liner or parchment paper for even baking and to stop the bottoms from getting too brown. Avoid foil.
Storage
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Whoopie Pies?
- Baked Cookies: Store at room temperature for one day. Freeze leftover unfrosted cookies to stop stickiness.
Unbaked Cookies: Freeze dough balls on a baking sheet, then move to an airtight container with parchment for up to three months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-3 minutes, or thaw in the fridge.
Note: Don’t freeze cream cheese frosting; it can separate and make cookies soggy.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles spiced and delicious
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread with greek yogurt
- Starbucks copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer
- Pumpkin Poke Cake so simple and delicious
- Pumpkin Cake with the best cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are the ultimate fall treat: soft, chewy pumpkin cookies with smooth cream cheese frosting sandwiched in between.
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″)
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2-1/2 cups flour see note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, not melted
- 1 cup canned pumpkin not an entire can; not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese block cream cheese, not spreadable; softened, not melted
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, not melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare a large sheet pan by lining with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat to avoid burned cookie bottoms. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to a large bowl; whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1 cup pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Beat until mixture is creamy. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as it will create dense cookies.
- Optionally, cover tightly and chill dough for 30 minutes up to 10 hours. Chilling is not necessary, but it makes dough much easier to work with and intensifies flavors.
- Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop out balls of dough onto the lined sheet pan. Try to smooth or round the balls, but it’s okay if they’re a bit bumpy. (Chill in the fridge for additional time if needed to make it easier to get cookie dough balls on a tray). Leave 2 inches between each cookie (I only bake 8–10 cookies at a time) and flatten balls of dough slightly.
- Bake for 8–13 minutes (9–10 minutes is perfect for my oven), watching carefully to avoid over-baking. I like these slightly under-baked and soft, but the tops shouldn’t be shiny or wet looking at all. Remove and allow cookies to stand for 3–5 minutes on the sheet pan before moving to a wire cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl and a hand mixer), beat softened (not melted) cream cheese and butter until creamy for about 2 minutes at medium-high speed. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until combined and frosting is soft and creamy. Avoid over-beating the mixture or you’ll get whipped frosting.
- Generously frost half the cooled cookies. Sandwich the other half of the cookies on top.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour, you will pack in way too much flour; use a spoon to scoop it into a measuring cup, then level the top with the back of a table knife.
Storage: Do not store the cookies in plastic containers. Store on plates loosely covered with foil in the fridge. Best eaten same day or within 1–2 days. After that, they soften too much and the texture degrades. Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months; bake straight from freezer for an additional 1–3 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 1663IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So…cookies? I want one that isn’t too cake (more chewy, like a brownie) but…cookies? Persuade me.
These are more cake-like. For a chewy, brownie-like pumpkin cookie, you’ve got to try these: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/non-cakey-pumpkin-spice-chocolate-chip-cookies/ be careful to not pack in the flour and you’ll get nice and chewy cookies!
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..more wait .. ?
Thank You!
I first discovered your Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, which are incredible, so when looking for a chewy pumpkin cookie I came to you and this did not disappoint!!! They really are thick, chewy and soft, not cake-like or like pumpkin bread. Thank You!!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed these Lynn! 🙂
I baked my cookies; can I freeze them without filling them?
Yep!
Loved this recipe!!! Turned out great!!1
Will make again 🙂
So glad to hear that! Thanks Bob 🙂
Very good recipe!! Cookies turned out great!! Loved them:)
Thrilled these were a hit 🙂