This Pumpkin Whoopie Pies recipe is the perfect fall dessert! The classic New England dessert gets an update with pumpkin, spices, and maple.
Table of Contents
These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Are A Fall Staple
As I’ve mentioned on my website before, I grew up in New England, and the cuisine found there has made a lasting impression on me. Now that it’s fall and I no longer live in New England, I tend to get nostalgic this time of year.
New England, hands down, is the capital of fall: the crisp smell of leaves and apples that permeates the air, harvest festivals, apple picking, fried dough, apple fritters, and the fantastic fall colors.
Yup, I miss home.
In honor of my New England roots, I wanted to adapt a treat that originated there: the whoopie pie! Some people call them the new cupcake, and I think they’re every bit as good (and cute) as the cupcake, so they may have something there! This Pumpkin Whoopie Pies recipe uses a lot of spices, but I think that’s what makes them so good.
PRO TIP! If you gather all of the ingredients to make this recipe, then you should be set for the entire fall baking season as far as spices go! Enjoy!
The moist layers of this part cookie and part cake dessert are the perfect Fall treat you did not know you were missing! Move over, Pumpkin Pie; these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are here to stay!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe
- Flavor: These cake-like sandwiches are full of warm fall spices, and the pumpkin flavor layered between the cookies are perfect for enhancing the maple cream cheese frosting.
- Crowd Pleaser: Whoopie Pies are always a favorite wherever you take them.
- Bakery Style Recipe: This recipe rivals anything you can buy at your favorite recipe.
Ingredients and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.74
Recipe Cost: $17.82
- 3 cups all-purpose flour – $1.29
- 1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – $0.01
- 3 cups canned pumpkin puree – $5.13
- 1 teaspoon baking powder – $0.05
- 2 ½ Tablespoons pumpkin spice – $0.84
- 1 cup granulated sugar – $0.30
- 1 cup dark brown sugar – $0.74
- 2 large eggs – $0.20
- 1 cup vegetable oil – $0.65
- 2 large eggs – $0.72
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – $1.36
- 3 cups powdered sugar – $1.20
- ½ cup unsalted butter – $1.68
- 8 oz cream cheese – $3.00
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup – $0.84
NOTE: Recipe prices and the amounts needed are based on grocery store websites. Actual costs may vary depending on your ingredients. I updated the pricing for this recipe in September 2025.
Essential Cook’s Tools:
- large mixing bowls
- whisk
- baking sheets
- parchment paper OR silicone baking mats
- Cookie scoop
- Stand Mixer OR handheld mixer
- large piping bag
- large circle icing tip
How To Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Fillings
*Scroll to the recipe card below to see the recipe video.
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a medium mixing bowl, and set aside.
- Using a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugars and oil together.
- Then, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until no flour streaks remain.
- Using a 1.5-2-inch cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The dough should be about 1 inch apart.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for ten to twelve minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely, and repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Next, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, and then beat in the cream cheese.
- Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- To assemble the sandwich cookies, turn half of the cooled cookies upside down and pipe the cream cheese filling onto the flat side of the cookies.
- Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling, pressing down slightly. Roll the sides in sprinkles, if using.
- Finally, assemble the remaining cookies and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Recipe Tips
- If you gather all of the ingredients to make this recipe, then you should be set for the entire fall baking season as far as spices go!
- Chill the pumpkin puree before you add it to the batter.
- I do not recommend freezing these because of the cream cheese frosting and the outside of the whoopie pies will get stick when thawed.
- If the dough is too sticky, add an extra ½ cup of flour.
- If you don’t have pumpkin spice, then use 1 ½ Tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground ginger, and ¾ teaspoon of nutmeg and cloves.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pie
Video
Equipment
- large mixing bowls
- whisk
- baking sheets
- parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cookie scoop
- stand mixer or handheld mixer
- large piping bag
- large circle icing tip
Ingredients
FOR PUMPKIN COOKIES:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups canned pumpkin puree chilled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkles or jimmies for garnish optional
Instructions
MAKE PUMPKIN COOKIES:
- Move oven rack to middle positions, and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined.
- Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Use a cookie scoop with a 1.5-2 tablespoons capacity to drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
- Baking 1 cookie sheet at a time, bake 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
MAKE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth with no visible lumps.
- Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Add confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat filling, or it will thin out. If the filling is too loose, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
ASSEMBLE:
- Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling onto the flat side of overturned cookies.
- Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of filling. Press down slightly so that filling spreads to cookie edges.
- Repeat until all cookies are used. If you’re using sprinkles to garnish, hold each whoopie pie in your hand and sprinkle the garnish in the crack of the whoopie pie and turn until all exposed frosting is covered.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Storage and Freezing Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Store: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container, layered with parchment if needed. Best within 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap each pie in plastic wrap and freeze in a container for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the unfilled cookies separately and fill them later.
- Thaw: Place in the fridge overnight, or let sit at room temperature (still wrapped) for about an hour.
- Make ahead: Bake cookies in advance, freeze, and fill just before serving for the freshest taste.
Nutrition
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe FAQs
It is not named after Whoopie Goldberg, as some mistakenly believe! The first Whoopie pies were served at the Labadie’s Bakery in Maine in 1925.
Whoopie pies are two small cakes sandwiched together with buttercream. The cakes don’t form a crust on them as cookies do. Consequently, while you eat a whoopie pie, the cake gets a little sticky in your hands.
The most likely cause of the whoopie pies coming out flat is due to the batter being too thin. When the batter is too thin, it does not hold up well in the oven. A thicker batter will hold its shape and puff up as it should during the baking process.
Whoopie pie filling can be made of almost anything from chocolate to buttercream. For this recipe, I use a maple cream cheese frosting to complement the pumpkin flavor of the cake sandwich layers.
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Do you need to refrigerate the cookies? Could I bake them the night before and leave them out at room temp on a baking sheet wrapped in plastic wrap? Plan to do that and make the frosting one day later.
The cookies should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese filling, which can spoil if left at room temperature for too long. You can bake the cookies the night before and leave them out at room temperature on a baking sheet wrapped in plastic wrap. However, once filled with the cream cheese frosting, they should be stored in the refrigerator to ensure safety and freshness
I’m a little late to the game. I made my first batch in mid Sept and everyone loved them. I just now completed my third batch! They look wonderful too.
It says to refrigerate the pumpkin puree, do you do that before you mix it up or just refrigerate it all after it is done being made?
Hi Teresa, chill the pumpkin puree before you add it to the batter.
Why do you chill the pumpkin?
Chilling the pumpkin filling for whoopie pies helps to firm up the texture, making it easier to handle and assemble the pies. This step ensures that the filling maintains its shape and doesn’t ooze out when you sandwich it between the cookies. Additionally, chilling helps to meld the flavors together, enhancing the overall taste of the whoopie pies
Delicious! My whole family loved them and asked me to make more!
Absolutely love this recipe and everyone I make them for loves them! How long can they be refrigerated before they aren’t “good or ok to eat” any more?
These whoopie pies can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
I did add more cream cheese and maple syrup. The whole family enjoyed throughly them. I blinked and they were all gone.
The best recipe to make this season. These whoopie pies are soooo goood!
We love whoopie pies. These Fall flavored ones are a perfect addition for my Fall baking list.
These whoopie pies look absolutely amazing! All those flavors are so perfect for fall. I especially love the maple cream cheese frosting.
these were so delicious! i love anything pumpkin in the fall and these were great for my girlfriends lunch!
Delicious, Rich and creamy and best for a Tea Time Treat. My kids to love it.
Delicious and adorable. So easy to make. Never have to use the mixer for the batter. I used Jimmies on the edges. Really added to the overall appearance.
These came out AMAZING but were super sticky/moist the next day or so. Any advice on eliminating this?
Thanks!
Hi Michelle, add an extra 1/ cup of flour and this will make them not as sticky.
What is the brand of mixer you are using? I’ve never seen one like that! Making these with my kids today. I cannot believe I have never made them Whoopie pies before!
Hi Courtney, it’s a Bosch mixer.
do you make your own pumpkin puree or use something pre-made? if so, do you have a recipe you are willing to share?
Hi Kaiti,
I wish I had time to make my own pumpkin puree, but I do not. Therefore, I do not have a recipe. Sorry.
Have you tried a gluten free version?
Hi Alex, unfortunately, I have not. Sorry.
They’ll cook the same
Yes, I used my own pumpkin purée. So simple to make and so much tastier. If your homemade pumpkin puree seems too loose (which has only happened twice in 30 years) you can always let it drain in a strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. My whoopies tirned out great with it!!
Love them, sticky or not.
Can they be frozen?
They can be frozen, but I find they are way too sticky, so I do not recommend it.
These are one of my favorite desserts ever! The cream filling is delicious!! These are incredible.
So glad you love them!
DO NOT fix them the night before bc if you refrigerate them overnight they are extremely sticky and ruined before you ever even put the yummy icing on them.