Spiced Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Soft and moist spiced pumpkin cookies sandwiched together with a browned butter maple buttercream that is out of this world delicious! They’re the perfect Fall baking treat!

This is one of my Dessert recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

This is a recipe that’s been on the website since 2015, and while the recipe is solid and amazing, the photos needed a bit of an update.

These cookies are super easy to make, yet look fabulous, so they’re perfect for Fall entertaining!  The pumpkin flavor is strong, but not overpowering, and perfectly paired with the sweet and slightly nutty browned butter maple cinnamon frosting.

If you’ve never done it, don’t let the browned butter scare you.  I know when I was first cooking and baking the idea of browned butter was just overwhelming.  

But when you break it down and really think about it, you’re just gently heating butter until it melts, and then continue gently heating the butter until it turns a beautiful golden brown color.  

The only trick is not to let it go too far… dark brown/black is burnt and will definitely not have the wonderful taste we’re going for. Fear not, I explain exactly how to do it, and what you’re looking for during each step.

So let’s make some amazing whoopie pies!

How to make spiced pumpkin whoopie pies?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, then whisk.
2. Beat butter, oil and sugar. I like to use my stand mixer, but a hand mixer and big bowl will work just as well.
3. Add other wet ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla.
4. Beat in flour. Do this in thirds, mixing until just combined after each addition.
5. Scoop onto baking sheet. A small cookie scoop, or 1 Tbsp measuring spoon are the perfect size.

1. Bake. This should take around 12-14 minutes.
2. Cool.
3. Brown the butter. The key here is to use a saucepan, or even a skillet, with a light colored bottom. It’ll be much easier to see what you’re doing if you can see the color the solids are turning.
4. Beat cream cheese and browned butter. Until creamy and light, about 2 minutes.
5. Beat in flavoring ingredients. This is the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves.
6. Beat in sugar. Just like the flour, do this in thirds.
7. Assemble whoopie pies. Add about 2 tsp of the frosting to the flat side of one cookie, then top that with another cookie.
8. Dust with powdered sugar.

Variations of this recipe

• Different fillings – try experimenting with different frosting filling flavors if you’d like. Cream cheese frosting is another one of our favorites.
• Drizzled – if you feel like being extra decadent, try drizzling some chocolate or caramel sauce (this homemade caramel is our favorite!) over the top of these whoopie pies!
• Doubled – this recipe is easily doubled if you need to make a large batch. A single batch of these cookies yields approximately 36 cookie sandwiches, so most of the time, a single batch will be all you need. Conversely, this recipe is also easily halved, if you only need about 18 cookie sandwiches. Just make sure you halve ALL the ingredients.
• Powdered sugar – the dusting of powdered sugar is delicious and recommended, but not mandatory. So if you’d rather not do it, or used up all your powdered sugar making the frosting, you can skip it.

Making whoopie pies ahead of time

The great part about this dessert is that it can be made ahead in various ways.

Assembled whoopie pies can be kept fresh in an airtight container (at room temperature), for 3 days. 

The pumpkin cookies can be made the day before, then sandwiched with the frosting the day of serving. 

Freezing

While I’ve not tested freezing the assembled whoopie pies, the pumpkin cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator, then frost, and you’re good to go.

Storage

Leftover whoopie pies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.