![Pumpkin whoopie pies with candied pecans in the filling.](https://assets.epicurious.com/photos/64ff74bbe4ce143bad3f3cd1/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Pumpkin-Whoopie-Pies_RECIPE.jpg)
-
Active Time
45 minutes
-
Total Time
1½ hours
Pumpkin pieandpumpkin breadare rightfully iconic, but sometimes you crave that telltale pumpkin flavor in a different fall-ready form. [This pumpkin whoopie pie recipe has entered the chat.] The batter gets a waft of flavor from the usual array ofpumpkin pie spices(ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) combined with canned pumpkin purée—notpumpkin pie filling–to create a cookie with a moist, cake-like crumb. Now’s the time to use acookie scoopif you have one; for a clean look the cookies must be uniform. If you don’t have a scoop, be sure to match up the cookies by size and shape before you start sandwiching them.
We’ve paired the pumpkin cookies with a fluffy cream cheese filling, but you can swap inmaple buttercreamorany frostingyou like. Whatever you choose, you must let the cookies cool before you start assembly—otherwise the filling could melt and cause a mess. For crunch you’ll roll the edges of the assembled whoopie pies in candied nuts, calling to mind the flavors of another autumnal icon,pecan pie.
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
-
Small Rimmed Baking Sheet
$28 At Amazon
-
Sheet Pan
$23 At Amazon
-
Medium Cookie Scoop
$11 At Amazon
-
Mixing Bowls
$40 At Target
-
Parchment Paper
$30 $16 At Amazon
-
Canned Pumpkin
$16 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes 16 sandwich cookies
Cookies
Candied Pecans
Filling and Assembly
Cookies
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
Whisk together1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour,1 tsp. ground cinnamon,½ tsp. baking powder,½ tsp. baking soda,½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt,½ tsp. ground ginger,¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, and¼ tsp. ground clovesin a medium bowl.
Step 3
Whisk1 large egg,one 15-oz. can pumpkin purée,1 cup (packed; 200 g) light brown sugar,½ cup vegetable oil, and1 tsp. vanilla extractin another medium bowl to combine. Add to dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Step 4
Using a 1-oz. ice cream scoop (2 Tbsp.), portion out dough onto prepared baking sheets (16 cookies per baking sheet), spacing 2" apart.
Step 5
Bake until springy to the touch, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.
Step 6
Bake cookies until centers spring back when gently pressed, 12–18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Keep oven on.
Candied Pecans
Step 7
Line small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 8
Stir together2 Tbsp. (packed) light brown sugar,pinch of kosher salt, and 1½ tsp. water in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, swirling occasionally to dissolve sugar. Immediately stir in½ cup raw pecansto coat.
Step 9
Using a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape pecans onto prepared baking sheet and spread out into a single layer. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, then coarsely chop.
Filling and Assembly
Step 10
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature,6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, and apinch of saltin a medium bowl until smooth. Stop mixer and add1½ cups (165 g) powdered sugarand1 Tbsp. bourbon or 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until smooth. Chill until firm but spreadable, 30–60 minutes.
Step 11
Turn half of cookies bottom side up; spread 1 heaping Tbsp. pie filling over the flat sides. Top with remaining cookies to form whoopie pies. Chill just long enough to firm up pie filling again if needed, about 30 minutes.
Step 12
Gently press candied pecans into filling of each whoopie pie.
Do ahead:Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead, and kept on racks at room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel. Filling can be made 1 day ahead, and chilled, covered. Pecans can be candied 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Editor’s note:This recipe was first printed on gourmet.com and first appeared on Epicurious in November 2011. Head this way for more ofour best pumpkin desserts→
Leave a Review
Reviews (51)
Back to Top美味,在聚会上。我使用一个管道包and silpats with the circles to get perfectly round cookies, and they're all the same size. I also sprinkle the pecans on the filling before sandwiching, rather than pressing them on the edge.
Elle
California
2/27/2022
These were perfect for a Halloween party! I followed the recipe as is, although I didn’t have any brown sugar so I subbed maple sugar. I also just used 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices as listed. They were attractive and very pumpkiny and very delicious! Will definitely make again!
Melissa Pierce
Montpelier Vt
10/28/2021
These were good and very easy to make. A few minor changes - used the whole block of cream cheese because I didn't read and just reduced the butter by 2 TBSP. And took a shortcut on the nuts and just heated them in a skillet with a little white sugar. Did half of the pies with nuts on the edge and the other half with chopped dried cranberries. The cookies and filling were very simple to make and the cookies were moist with great pumpkin flavor. Would definitely make them again!
Anonymous
Texas
10/19/2020
I've made these for years! The recipe is great. I've made them as written and I've changed the filling a bit. I substituted some mascarpone for some of the cream cheese. So delicious!
allurechocolatier
Wisconsin
9/5/2020
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Made the recipe and I didn’t change a thing . Made 3 batches for a Thanksgiving luncheon. They flew off the tables and my coworkers raved for days about them.
OvenHappyLady
Bay Head, NJ
6/23/2020
Well I've never had a woopie pie until this week and I love them! I've made this recipe twice in two days because everybody loved them. This next batch I'm going to swap out most if not all the sugar in the filling for molasses to up the fall factor.
barnaut045625
El Dorado County, Ca.
9/28/2018
真正的秋天的天堂!我的丈夫喜欢whoopie pies, but the store-bought ones are rarely fresh and contain dubious filling ingredients. This recipe produces an outstanding, moist whoopie cake with a nice balance of pumpkin and warm spices. It's worth noting that a respected cooking magazine recently reviewed various brands of canned pumpkin, naming the One Pie brand as the best in flavor and texture. The cake recipe is spot on, my only alternation being the addition of another scant teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. I omitted the pecans so as to not "gild the lily," but boy the idea of chopped, toasted pecans is still on my mind.... I noted others' comments about the baked cakes emerging the same way they looked when dolloped onto the cooking parchment -- craggy. To create an attractive surface appearance, I used a water-moistened finger to swirl the top layer of the batter into a somewhat neater arrangement. The cream cheese + butter filling is fabulous; my alteration here was to reduce the sugar to 1 cup. Some bakers reduced the quantity further, but I wanted the volume to that I could amply fill all my little pies. Sure enough, I had just the exact amount to create 9 pies. I took a melon baller to place a ball of filling on each half before smoothing together. Scrumptious, and I will definitely make these beauties again.
massfamilytravelers
Boston, MA
10/30/2017
I've made this recipe twice and love the flavors. I reduced the sugar in the cookies by 25% and thought they were still sweet enough. My only complaint is that the texture of the cookies become sticky when they are left for any period of time. The first time I baked these, left overnight and frosted them in the morning before taking to work - and the cake-cookies become really tacky/sticky. Yesterday I made these for a dinner party - baked in the morning and frosted in the evening - and then again they were sticky by the end of the night. I followed the directions by leaving them on the cooling racks and covering with a towel.
christymaxfield
Minneapolis
10/29/2017
For those with nut allergies, what about chopped toffee pieces? I am going to try these for Thanksgiving. I have made the Red Velvet Whoopie pies on this site and they get raves!!!
yolocat
Gulf Breeze, Florida
11/11/2016
Gah, these were so good! Almost too good. I skipped the pecans out of laziness (though I think they would have added a nice touch) and everything came together in probably about 30 minutes. The cookie-cakes were so moist and delicious and the frosting -- well what could be bad about butter, sugar and cream cheese? I ate two for dinner, dreamt about them all night, and had one for breakfast. Big hit with everyone in my house, too.
tpetrovna
Brooklyn, NY
10/28/2016
every one below is gay
indianman69
india
10/26/2016
Hulo, I didnt make dis resepi but it lux discustin. i usually refer to viginas as "Whoopie Pies" u r all grus ppl
indianman69
a tin shack in india
10/26/2016
This recipe may seem complicated because it has multiple components, but all of the components are easy to put together and the end result has a nice wow factor. I skipped the pecans because of nut allergies in the family and I used homemade pumpkin puree. To shape the cookies, I used the medium OXO scoop (1.5 tablespoons), which yielded 35 2-inch cookies. As others have mentioned, these cookies do not spread so you don't need that much space between them. I reduced the sugar in the filling to one cup and thought it was just right.
brownieluv
Portland, OR
10/25/2016
This is a great recipe. Does anyone have any suggestions for a substitute for the pecans. I want to make again for Thanksgiving but allergies to nuts is a problem! Thx!
KarenmNaughton
Westwood, MA
10/21/2016
These were delicious! I roasted my own pumpkin (left from the Halloween decoration). 1 1/2 cups of confectionars' sugar is way too much for this quantity of cream cheese and butter so I cut it to 1/2 cup and added 1 tbl spoon of maple syrup. This gave the perfect sweetness for my taste. And, I didn't use candied pecans (again it would be too sweet for me); instead, I just roasted them. I don't think I'd be able to eat them if I didn't cut down the sugar. They were perfect like this. Other people said that they had too much filling but I had just the right amount. Would make them again!
snovalija
Montreal, Canada
11/18/2015