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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin whoopie pies with soft, pumpkin-spiced cookie rounds and a fluffy cream cheese filling. The cakes bake until set, then cool completely for easy sandwiching.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 18 whoopie pies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cakes
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp vanilla
For cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets for easy release. You should be ready to bake as soon as the dough is portioned.
  2. Beat the softened unsalted butter with the packed brown sugar until smooth. The mixture should look creamy and evenly combined.
  3. Add the eggs, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stop when the batter looks thick and cohesive with no streaks.
  4. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together. Stir until the dry ingredients are evenly speckled.
  5. Fold the whisked dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix just until no dry pockets remain.
  6. Drop 2-tablespoon rounds of dough onto the lined baking sheets. Space them evenly so they spread slightly while baking.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F until the rounds look set. The centers should no longer look wet.
  8. Cool the cakes completely. Use a visible room-temperature cue—no warmth should remain—before filling.
Make the cream cheese filling and assemble
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. The texture should be lump-free and spreadable.
  2. Beat in the softened unsalted butter, then add the powdered sugar gradually. Mix until the filling is thick, smooth, and easy to spoon.
  3. Mix in cinnamon and vanilla for flavor. The filling should look uniformly colored with no cinnamon clumps.
  4. Sandwich a generous spoonful of cream cheese filling between two cooled pumpkin cakes. Press lightly so the filling reaches the edges without squeezing out.

Notes

For neat sandwiching, make sure the pumpkin cakes are completely cool before filling so the cream cheese doesn’t melt. Store assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze assembled pies up to 2 months (wrap well, thaw overnight in the fridge). For a dairy-light option, use a plant-based cream cheese and plant-based butter in the filling.