I have been so excited about this recipe for WEEKS and now I finally get to post it! Just in time for your pumpkin spice October cravings, and just in time for Halloween!
Remember when I made these Chocolate Whoopie Pies? I thought those were good – but these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting have absolutely blown me away. Can’t. Stop. Eating. These.
The good news? They’re super simple to make! I guess that actually makes them pretty dangerous….because they are so addicting! The batter is similar to cake batter, but a little thicker.
That batter gets dolloped onto a baking sheet and baked. (I HIGHLY recommend this cookie scoop
– it works great for whoopie pies and cookies!) Once the whoopie pies are cooled….
We’re going to slather them in Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s literally the best frosting I’ve ever had. If you’re not using brown butter yet, this is going to change your baking life!
How to Make Browned Butter:
It’s a super simple addition to any baked good and the flavor payoff is INCREDIBLE. Melt your butter in a small pan and cook, stirring, it until it browns. That’s all there is to it! (The recipe below has a few more tips for this but that’s basically it!).
I mean, don’t you just want to go swimming in that frosting? To make matters even more delicious, I threw a little maple syrup in there too.
So, to sum up what we’ve learned here today:
- Brown your butter and add it to ALL THE THINGS
- Make these whoopie pies and let them change your life a little bit
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting are majorly addicting
Happy Baking, friends! May I suggest making these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for your Halloween festivities?
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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Whoopie Pies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or AP flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 and 3/4 cups canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tsp vanilla
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 stick butter I prefer salted
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted, for optimal frosting smooth-ness
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the whoopie pies: In a large mixing bowl, mix the oil, melted butter, and sugars together with an electric mixer. Add eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla and mix until combined. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (the flour through the cloves). Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing between. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Use 2 tbsp of batter for each whoopie pie - drop onto the prepared baking sheet and don't spread out - you want sort of a raised pile of batter. Bake for 12-13 minutes. If you gently poke the top of the whoopie pie and your finger leaves a dent, they need 1-2 more minutes. They should spring back when lightly poked. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Brown the butter + Make the frosting: In a nonstick pot or pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the butter - stirring constantly. The butter will get foamy, then turn golden, then start to turn brown and develop a nutty/caramely sort of aroma. Once it reaches a deep golden color, remove from the heat and let cool in the fridge for 10 minutes. Once the butter has cooled, beat it together with the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. The texture will seem weird at first but just keep mixing until it smooths out. Add half the powdered sugar and mix. Add the maple syrup, milk, and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for a few minutes while the whoopie pies finish cooling - it will make them easier to frost
- Assemble: Frost one whoopie pie piece and add a second one on top to assemble your whoopie pies! Dust with a little powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
- Store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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Rachel says
My pumpkin was watery (it didn’t come from a can) so the whole thing fell apart on me… I ended up making a cake instead ????…. but it is so good! I hope I can make actual whoopis pies next time, because this recipe is firrrrre!
Stephanie Simmons says
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that happened Rachel! What type of pumpkin did you use if not canned? I’m glad the recipe tasted good regardless of what it looked like in the end. 🙂 Next time I’d recommend using Libby’s canned pumpkin – I find it the best of all the canned pumpkin varieties and it’s not watery at all. Happy baking!
Katie Andrew says
AMAZING! This recipe is a huge favorite with my family and friends! Super simple and Stephanie does a great job of walking you through what you need to know to make it correctly!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that, Katie! And love hearing that the recipe directions were helpful for you. 🙂
Vicky says
I think I’m confused. This recipe has 3 cups of flour total, right? I dont have whole wheat so will just use all All Purpose.
Stephanie Simmons says
Yes, it’s 3 cups flour total. 🙂 So sorry that I’m just seeing this – the site stopped notifying me of new comments for some reason
Cheryl says
These were amazing, and my whole family loved them!! Great way to start off the fall baking this year!!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that Cheryl! These are always a favorite with my family too ?
Erin says
They were so easy to make and the brown butter made them extra delicious. I will be making these again for Thanksgiving.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Erin! So glad to hear you enjoyed these ❤️ They’re one of my favorite fall treats!
Venus says
These look amazing! Is it possible to make the batter and frosting beforehand and assemble them next day?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Venus! I wouldn’t recommend making the batter ahead without baking it right away – but you could bake the whoopie pies and store them in tupperware, make the frosting and store it covered in the fridge, and assemble the next day. The frosting will need to sit out at room temp to re soften a bit before using. Hope that helps!
Cindy says
These whoopie pies are so pretty, the colors I love it. I will be making these to take to my sons for turkey day. I bet they will be a big hit, Thanks for a new recipe
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks Cindy! ❤️
April says
I do have a few dishes that are addictive and I have a feeling this one will become one of them! The pies looks so yum that I don’t think I have seen anything similar before. Great recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks April!
Chef Mireille says
OMG – that frosting has me drooling – I love pumpkin in all sorts of savory and sweet dishes so this is definitely right up my alley!
Kari Heron | Chef and Steward says
To be fair, I am all “pumpkinned” out, but let me hasten to say, that this is a recipe that I would make an exception for. Those pies look so moist in the crumb! This would be great with coffee. Officially drooling.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much! ❤️
Mirlene says
I can see why these are addicting! Tbey look delicious. I like the fact you used real pumpkin to make these cookies. I have pinned it to try later. Great recipe!
Adriana Lopez Martin says
You always have the best recipes, this whoopie pies look so yummy and the perfect fall treat. I enjoy anything pumpkin so this is a must try in my list.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much Adriana! ❤️
Kelly Anthony says
My husband loves a good whoopie pie and the addition of the pumpkin will only make him more excited. Can’t wait to make these for my family.
Jess says
These look amazing! I love Whoopie pies! I just pinned this so I can try it later this week!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks Jess! ❤️
Jacqueline Debono says
These pumpkin whoopie pies look fabulous. I love all the ingredients and the fact that they don’t seem difficult to make! Going to pin for later!
Amanda says
I love all things brown butter and pumpkin spice, so these whoopie pies sound perfect! I’m definitely adding these to my baking list for the fall. Thanks for sharing!
Jakub says
What a great post! The recipe looks fabulous, the photography is great, and you’re funny! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much!! ?
Gloria says
These look so delicious. I am a pumpkin fanatic…and I know I would devour these for sure. My grandson loves pumpkin pie, so these cute little “pie cookies” would be the perfect after-school treat.
Stine Mari says
I’ve never tried a whoopie pie before, but they are so cute! And I agree 100% – brown butter is THE butter! These look heavenly, I just love pumpkin, spices and brown butter together.