Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

5 from 2 votes

Pumpkin whoopie pies combine warmly spiced cakey cookies, with or without vegan chocolate, with a decadent plant-based cream cheese frosting filling – a guaranteed fall favorite! Plus, they’re so easy to make vegan and gluten-free!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Refrigerate25

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: whoopie pies

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Toni

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
⅓ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
1 cup of pumpkin puree
⅓ cup of brown sugar
⅓ cup of neutral oil
2 (3.9-ounce) packages of unsweetened apple sauce
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

For the Filling:

¼ cup of vegan butter at room temperature
2 ounces of vegan cream cheese at room temperature
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
Optional pinch of pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

For the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice.
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, apple sauce, and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well.
Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, lightly flatten them with a spatula, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool them completely.

For the Filling:

In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer), whisk the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Mix for one minute.
Add the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice (if using) and mix until fully combined.
Lay down half of the cookies and add some of the vegan frosting (diving equally). Top with the other half of the cookies.
Place them in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Measure the flour properly: To avoid dense cookies. Fluff it in its bag, spoon it into a measuring cup, then level it with a knife.

Let the vegan cookies cool: Otherwise, the filling will melt and create a mess.

Use a scoop: It’s important to make the vegan cookies as evenly sized as possible, for even plant-based pumpkin cookie sandwiches.

Nutrition