Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Chilled pumpkin puree:

Three cups, straight from the fridge. Cold puree keeps the batter thick so the cookies hold a domed shape instead of spreading.

Pumpkin pie spice:

Two and a half tablespoons, which is a lot and is meant to be — three cups of pumpkin needs it.

Vegetable oil:

Oil rather than butter in the cookies. It keeps them soft and slightly damp, which is exactly the texture a whoopie pie wants.

Cream cheese:

Full-fat block cream cheese at room temperature. Whipped or spreadable tub cream cheese has too much water and will not hold.

Maple syrup:

Pure maple, not pancake syrup. Three tablespoons is enough to taste clearly against the cream cheese.

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350F with racks in the middle positions, and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

2. 2

   Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.

3. 3

   In a second large bowl, whisk both sugars with the oil, then whisk in the chilled pumpkin puree until fully combined, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Chilled puree matters — at room temperature the batter spreads more and the cookies bake flatter.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until no flour streaks remain.

5. 5

   Drop the batter onto the lined sheets with a 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, spacing them about 1 inch apart. A scoop rather than a spoon is what keeps them matched in size, which matters when you are pairing them up later.

6. 6

   Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Baking one sheet at a time keeps the heat even; two sheets together gives you one pale batch and one dark one.

7. 7

   Cool on the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

8. 8

   Make the filling: beat the butter alone until smooth with no visible lumps, then beat in the cream cheese until combined.

   
9. 9

   Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stop as soon as it comes together — overbeating thins cream cheese frosting rather than stiffening it. If it is too loose to hold a shape, chill it 30 minutes.

   
10. 10

    Turn half the cooled cookies upside down and pipe filling onto the flat side of each. Top with a second cookie, flat side down, and press gently until the filling just reaches the edges.

11. 11

    Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. This firms the filling and lets the cookies soften into it, which is what makes a whoopie pie rather than two cookies with frosting between them.

    

Variations to try

• Roll the exposed filling edges in chopped toasted pecans or sprinkles.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger to the filling for more bite.
• Swap the maple syrup for browned butter beaten into the frosting.
• Make them small with a 1-tablespoon scoop for a party — you will get about 36.

Storage & make-ahead

Store assembled pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator, layered with parchment, for 3 to 4 days. To freeze, wrap each one in plastic and freeze in a container for up to 2 months — or freeze the unfilled cookies and fill them later, which gives the freshest result. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or about an hour at room temperature still wrapped.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my cookies spread flat?

The pumpkin puree was not chilled, or the batter sat too long before baking. Cold puree and prompt baking both keep the domes.

My filling is runny. What happened?

Overbeaten, or the cream cheese was too soft. Chill it for 30 minutes and it will firm up enough to pipe.

Can I make them ahead?

Yes. Bake the cookies up to 2 days ahead and store airtight, or freeze them unfilled and assemble on the day.

Do they need refrigerating?

Yes, the filling is cream cheese based. Take them out 15 minutes before serving so the cookies soften again.