Pumpkin Whoopie Pies w/ Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
Fall officially starts in T-minus 3 days – so you know what that means?! Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING! I’m kicking off Fall with these Pumpkin Pie flavored Whoopie Pies! These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies feature two soft baked pumpkin cookies that are perfectly spiced with all the essential warm spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger, which are sandwiched over a layer of Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling! Yes, they are as good as they sound!
What is a Whoopie Pie
While it’s pretty obvious that these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are delicious in all sense of the word – if you’ve never tried a whoopie pie, then you are in for a serious treat! A Whoopie Pie, otherwise known as Mallomars or Moon Pies, are a classic American baked good that involves 2 mini cake mounds that are filled with some sort of creamy filling. The cake mounds can range in flavor from pumpkin, like in these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, to red velvet, to funfetti, but the classic flavor is chocolate. The filling is just as versatile as the type of cake used as well! The texture of whoopie pies is should be pillowy and soft, and the filling should be creamy and smooth. As I love whoopie pies, and pumpkin-flavored-anything, I thought it was a no-brainer to create a Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipe!
How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Making the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies is similar to making any other type of cookie, however it does require a short refrigeration period! Other than that, these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are a relatively quick and simple dessert to make!
1.Beat sugar and oil together: In a large mixing bowl, add the oil and brown sugar, and beat on medium-high with a hand-mixer, until well combined.
2. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla: Add all of the pumpkin puree, alongside the vanilla, to the mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low until well combined and smooth.
3. Add eggs: Add the eggs in one at a time. It is important to add them in one at a time, and allow each to incorporate before adding the next, because you don’t want any chunks of eggs that haven’t been properly mixed in! Now, beat the eggs until the mixture looks smooth.
4. Whisk the dry ingredients together: In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the spices. Whisk them together until well incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl: Carefully pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, then beat on low, until the mixture is just combined and smooth. Don’t over beat!
6. Flatten any bumps or peaks: Dip your finger into a bowl of water and use your wet finger to press down any ridges, bumps, or peaks on the pumpkin cookies. This ensures that the final Pumpkin Whoopie Pie has flat, even tops.
7. Bake: Place into the oven to bake for about 15 minutes. When they are done, they should be springy on the top (just like cake).
8. Cool the Pumpkin Cookies: Before you begin filling the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, make sure that the pumpkin cookies are fully cooled! Otherwise it could lead to a pretty messy situation.
9. Fill the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies: After the pumpkin cookies have cooled and the brown butter cream cheese filling has been made, add the filling to a piping bag, then pipe on top of a cookie, then simply grab another cookie and place it on top to make a cookie sandwich!
Making the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
Creating the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling starts with making brown butter! You want to add the unsalted, cubed, room temperature butter to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Then essentially boil the butter and continue to boil, stirring constantly to promote even cooking, until the colour is a beautiful nutty brown and ultra-fragrant. It is important to note that after browning the butter, it is essential to let it cool though. I simply pour the brown butter into a measuring cup and place it in the fridge or freezer to cool. When ready to use it should be just beginning to harden, but still be malleable – similar to the consistency of softened butter. This will take about 1 hour in the fridge.
Now, onto the cream cheese filling! Beat the cream cheese and soft but cooled brown butter together on medium-high until they begin to look slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then, add in the confectioners sugar in batches, continuing to beat on low, until well-combined. Add in the vanilla, mix to combine, then beat the frosting on high for 2-3 minutes. The Pumpkin Whoopie Pie filling should look creamy and light.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
Pumpkin Whoopies Pies
- 2 cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 ½ cups Pumpkin Puree,, chilled
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour,, properly measured†
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp All Spice
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Cream Cheese,, at room temperature
- 2 cups Confectioners Sugar
- 1/2 – 1 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
Instructions
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a large mixing bowl, add vegetable oil and brown sugar. Using a hand-mixer on medium, beat until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Whisk until smooth.
- Using a sieve, sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use the hand-mixer to mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix only until everything is incorporated, ensuring not to overmix.
- Using a small cookie scoop (I used one that is about 1oz), scoop little mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets (12 per sheet), ensuring there is about 2” of space between each.
- (Optional) Alternatively, if you do not have a cookie scoop, you can use a piping bag and pipe round mounds of batter that are about 1oz in volume.
- Place baking sheets into the oven and bake for 11 minutes. When done, the cookies should have a springy top, and a toothpick should come out clean. Allow to cool completely before filling.
- Before filling, find “perfect pairs” of cookies. Then using a piping bag, cover one cookie with the filling, then place the other half on top. Place into the fridge to ‘meld’ together for 2 hours before enjoying.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small sauce over medium heat, add butter and bring to a boil. Continue heating over medium heat, constantly stirring until the butter has turned a nutty brown color. It may be hard to see the color if your butter is foaming a lot, so periodically take it off the heat to check the color. Remove from heat, place into a heat proof glass and then into the fridge to cool off for 1 hour. When ready, the butter should have the texture of softened butter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add cream cheese and cooled but soft brown butter. Beat together with the hand mixer until well combined and smooth looking. Add confectioners sugar, in batches, and beat until smooth. Next, add the vanilla and heavy cream, then beat until creamy and smooth.
Notes
Source: Adapted from All Recipes
The instructions say “Add to prepared backing sheet,” but there are no instructions for preparing a sheet. Is it greased or do you use wax paper?
Parchment or silicone mats are best!
Incredible