Pumpkin Whoopie Pies — 🎃🙌🎉 Soft and tender pumpkin cookies with a thick layer of sweet buttercream sandwiched between them will make you scream “Whoopie!” for one of these fun pies. They’re easy and fast to make, moist, and rich!
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Best Ever Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe
Whoopie!!! That’s what I want to say when I bite into one of these pumpkin whoopie cakes.
If you’ve never eaten a homemade whoopie pie, it’s essentially rich buttercream filling that’s sandwiched between two very soft and tender cookies. It doesn’t get much better!
I just wanted to pick off these little morsels and squish them between my fingers. The cookies are soft and remind me of my days squishing Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies as a kid.
Buttercream is layered on thick and in plentiful abundance. The only way frosting and fillings should be!
Love Pumpkin Spice Treats?
My soft and puffy pumpkin spice cookies are full of sweet pumpkin spice flavor and are perfect for a crowd.
And my pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting is easy to make and perfect for holidays and celebrations!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
To make this spiced pumpkin whoopie pie recipe, you’ll need:
Whoopie pies:
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Pure pumpkin puree – Make sure to use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added spices and sweeteners!
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Spices
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
Buttercream filling:
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar (also known as confectioner’s sugar)
- Unsalted butter
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Making homemade pumpkin whoopie pies with buttercream frosting is much, much simpler than you might think! Here’s an overview of the baking process:
- Whisk the wet ingredients and dry ingredients for the whoopie pie batter like you would cupcakes. Then, use a spoon or small ice cream scoop to scoop it out onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat using a 1/4 measuring cup. Don’t worry if the batter is soupy! It’s supposed to be.
- Bake the cookies just until set, noting that they’ll firm up as they cool.
- While the cookies cool, combine the buttercream-filling ingredients in a large bowl. A stand mixer is useful for this! The filling should be light and fluffy.
- Allow the pumpkin whoopie pies to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Pipe or spoon the filling onto the flat side of half of the whoopie cakes. Then, stack the remaining cakes on top, creating a sandwich. Enjoy!
Use a Different Filling
Not a fan of classic buttercream? Feel free to swap out the filling with marshmallow buttercream, cream cheese filling, or chocolate frosting for a unique twist on this delicious pumpkin-flavored fall treat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, some people make the filling with vegetable shortening, but I prefer butter in my buttercream because the flavor can’t be beat. However, the advantage to using shortening is that it has much more structure than butter and so the filling is firmer, holds up better, and has more density and less squish than a butter-based buttercream.
Yes, you can freeze the assembled homemade whoopie pies or freeze the cookies and frosting separately. If freezing the assembled pumpkin whoopie pies, be sure to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then seal them in a freezer bag. This prevents the buttercream filling from oozing out and also prevents the cookies from sticking to each other.
Yes, you can freeze the assembled homemade whoopie pies or freeze the cookies and frosting separately. If freezing the assembled pumpkin whoopie pies, be sure to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then seal them in a freezer bag. This prevents the buttercream filling from oozing out and also prevents the cookies from sticking to each other.
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheets
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Quarter Cup Measuring Cup
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the Buttercream Filling
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted and divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine first 11 ingredients, up to the salt, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until just combined; don’t overmix. Batter will be soft and runny.
- Using a one-quarter cup measure, scoop the batter onto prepared baking sheets, six round mounds of batter per sheet; this may also be done with a pastry bag if preferred.
- Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until tops have set. Cookies will be very soft and may look underdone, but firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before moving them to rack to finish cooling.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before filling and sandwiching them together. While they cool, make the filling.
For the Buttercream Filling:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the milk, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar, then mix on high speed until the mixture is creamy and light.
- Add butter and remaining cup of sugar, and whip on high speed until very light, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Apply a generous dollop of frosting to 6 of the cookies. Sandwich them together with the remaining unfrosted 6 cookies, creating 6 whoopie pies.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Pumpkin Desserts:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake — Takes five minutes to make the batter by hand and it’s one of the moistest cakes I’ve ever had and will be a favorite for years to come!
Pumpkin Roll – With my EASY pumpkin roll recipe and clear specific directions, you’re going to be a pumpkin roll pro! No dish towel required to roll up my classic pumpkin roll cake that’s full of rich pumpkin spice flavor and tangy cream cheese frosting!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread— This is without a doubt the BEST pumpkin bread recipe! This pumpkin cream cheese bread tastes like it has cheesecake baked into the middle. You’ll definitely want a second slice!
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting— Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!
Fudgy Pumpkin Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze — Bars so soft they’re like biting into pumpkin fudge! The glaze is ahh-mazing!
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars – Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — Super soft, moist, rich pumpkin flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s the best!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars — Classic cheesecake bars get an autumnal makeover in this recipe! Sweet, pumpkin spiced, CREAMY bars with a graham cracker crust for fabulous texture! PERFECT for fall gatherings or Thanksgiving!
I have finally perfected basic pumpkin pie with home made crust-delicious:) A friend of my husband’s drives to the Pennsylvania Dutch country every fall to buy pumpkin whoopie pies and bring them back to us….maybe I should try making them instead?
These are sooo fast b/c no mixer, no pie crust, nothing fancy! Your pie sounds great!
I mad a pumpkin banana bread, I didn’t follow a recipe just made it up!
Averie i just saw that you were named one of Huffington Post’s 10 best food blogs!!! You go girl—I am so proud to know you!!
I’m proud to know you…and your delicious recipes! Such great stuff my friend!! :)
I can not wait to read her book. Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe.
These look great. I may try these for Thanksgiving.
I HAVE SO MANY FAVORITE PUMPKIN RECIPES. My very first pumpkin favorite was a mouthwatering pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe that was passed onto me from a friend in high school. And by friend, I mean, a guy who had a huge crush on me made me a batch of those muffins! The muffins were there to stay, but unfortunately I didn’t have feelings for the guy. My family still makes the muffins from that recipe, and so does his family. (He’s married now, and we’re still acquaintances.) :)
I just made these (I know, I’m fast!), but didn’t make the buttercream filling. I am just eating them as cookies. Very delicious–thanks for the recipe!
Oh wow, now THAT was fast and I am glad you like them! The buttercream adds an extra touch but the cookies themselves are great, too.
My favorite pumpkin recipe is my grandmother’s homemade pumpkin pie!
How do you pick just one favorite pumpkin recipe?! I do love some pumpkin muffins though. I just made some the other day, here is the recipe: https://aspoonfulofsunshine.com/2012/10/08/pumpkin-crumb-muffins/
…and I repinned this recipe on Pinterest. Can’t wait to try this tomorrow.
I made pumpkin butter from scratch (tho’ I think maybe the next time I do it I’ll just go ahead & use canned pumpkin, we’ll see — now that it’s fall I don’t mind running the oven so much) and have been using it every single morning in my oatmeal breakfast shake, and holy smokes is it good! Only downside is drinking something so cold on an already chilly morning!
Oh I bet these taste amaaaazing. My favorite pumpkin recipe so far (because you know things can always change) is a brand new muffin recipe I put together just last week. Eek.
YES i DO know how that changes…like, weekly! Lol Every time I think, now THIS is it. Then the next week I find a new one I’m just as in love with!
the pumpkin bread recipe from the king arthur flour cook book
Hi Averie,
I just found your blog and am so happy I did! I’m totally pumpkin obsessed, and these little nuggets look too good to resist! Thanks for pumping up the cinnamon factor to–it’s a must!
Here’s my current pumpkin addiction. Made these for friends and the hubby almost teared up when I sent them home with the scant few we had leftover. Hope you enjoy!
https://www.thelawstudentswife.com/2012/09/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html
cheers!
Erin, your latest subscriber!
Thanks for subscribing and for saying hi and those cinn rolls look crazy good!
Pumpkin Whipped Cream is one of my favorites…..
https://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2012/09/23/vegan-pumpkin-whipped-cream-recipe/
And that whipped cream has been on my radar for ages! I love coconut milk in any form…and pumpkin, too!
Yay for pumpkin whoopie pies and EVERYTHING pumpkin!! Gotta get my hands on Jenna’s FAB book :)