Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Cream-Cheese Filling

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They're the ultimate fall treat!

Martha Stewart

Updated on October 9, 2024

Yield:

12 whoopie pies

The beloved whoopie pie gets a fall makeover. These pumpkin whoopie pies are always a hit with kids and adults alike at any autumn gathering. No one can resist the tender, fluffy pumpkin cookies sandwiched with cream cheese frosting. Even better, they’re easy to make—no mixer needed. Just whisk together the flour and other dry ingredients, then combine the pumpkin puree with eggs, oil, and vanilla, add dark brown sugar, then add in the dry ingredients. Use a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop) to ensure the cookies are all the same size, and bake. Pipe a dollop of filling on half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Wait 30 minutes before eating as these treats need a little time in the refrigerator to set up before you dig in.

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Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar

For the Cream-Cheese Filling

3 cups confectioners' sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven and prep baking sheets:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
Combine dry ingredients; whisk oil, puree, eggs, and vanilla:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
Add brown sugar to pumpkin mixture, then mix in dry ingredients:

Add brown sugar and whisk until combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Form and bake cookies:

Using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Use a scoop to form the cookies to make sure they are uniformly sized and baked evenly.
Make filling:

Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth.

Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.
Pipe filling on half of cookies:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies.
Assemble whoopie pies:

Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.