Spiced Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
User Reviews
4.5
Spiced Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Description
These whoopie pies are built from pumpkin cookies that incorporate traditional autumn spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, offering a tender, spiced cake-like texture. The dry ingredients include leaveners for lift, and the batter is combined carefully to maintain a moist consistency. Once baked until lightly springy to the touch, the cookies cool before assembling.
The filling is a browned butter frosting that incorporates softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and matching ground spices. The butter is browned to add a nutty, toasted flavor that complements the pumpkin's earthiness and the warmth of the spices. When spread between two cookies, the frosting forms a sweet, creamy contrast to the tender spiced cookies.
The recipe yields 36 whoopie pies, allowing ample servings for larger groups or storage for later enjoyment. These treats suit seasonal occasions and are rich and filling, making them dessert or snack-worthy.
Cooling the cookies thoroughly before frosting is important to prevent melting the filling. Calorie information is calculated per assembled pie, helpful for portion control.
Ingredients
PUMPKIN COOKIES
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves ground
- ground nutmeg pinch
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 egg
- 2 3/4 cup pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling, canned
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING
- 5 Tbsp butter
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt pinch
- ground cloves pinch
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make pumpkin cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk and set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer (or another large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer), add melted butter, oil, and brown sugar and beat on LOW speed until combined.
- Add in eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla, and beat about 1 minute.
- Add in the flour mixture in thirds, beating on MED LOW speed until just combined after each addition. The mixture will look like thick cake batter at this point.
- Use a small cookie scoop or 1 Tbsp measuring spoon to scoop dough onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. When done, the tops of the cookies should spring back when touched lightly.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting.
Make browned butter maple frosting
- In a small saucepan over MED LOW heat, add 5 Tbsp butter. Continue heating the butter, low and slow, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will melt, then get foamy, and then as it begins to brown, the foam will start to recede to the outer edges of the saucepan and you can see the milk solids from the butter turning a light golden brown color.
- Set saucepan off of the heat to cool for about 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer), add the cream cheese. Add cooled browned butter and beat on MED speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves and mix on LOW until just combined.
- Add in powdered sugar in thirds, beating after each addition.
Assembling whoopie pies
- Take one cooled cookie and spread about 2 tsp of the frosting over the flat surface. Top with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and frosting.
- Place whoopie pies on a wax paper lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
- The recipe makes approximately 36 fully assembled whoopie pies.
- Allow sufficient time for cookies to cool completely before frosting to maintain filling integrity.
- Calorie counts are based on one assembled pie (two cookies with filling).
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 36whoopie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 175 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 175kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 139mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 90mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 3057IU | 61% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 30mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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