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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Candied Pecans

Leslie Goff
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients
  

For the cakes:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (15 oz.) can puréed pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the pecans:

  • 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ Tbsp. water
  • ½ cup pecans

For the filling:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. bourbon (or substitute 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

Instructions
 

For the cakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
  • Mix together sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until well combined, then stir in flour mixture.
  • Using a 1-oz. cookie scoop or Tbsp. measure, drop a scant scoop’s worth of batter or 2 scant Tbsp. of batter onto a lined baking sheet to form 1 mound. Make 15 more mounds, arranging them 2 inches apart.
  • Bake until springy to the touch, 14-18 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack to cool.
  • Form and bake remaining batter on the other parchment-lined sheet. It should yield about 32 cakes.
  • Leave oven on.

For the pecans:

  • Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Stir together sugar, salt, and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Stir in pecans.
  • Spread mixture on lined sheet pan and bake until coating is bubbling and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  • Cool completely on pan on a rack.
  • Coarsely chop candied pecans.

For the filling:

  • Beat cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Add confectioners’ sugar and bourbon and mix on low speed until smooth.
  • Chill filling until firm enough to hold its shape when spread, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

For assembly:

  • Spread 1 heaping Tbsp. of filling on flat side of a cooled cake, then top with another cake. Repeat with remaining cakes.
  • Gently press pecans onto filling around the middle of each whoopie pie to help them adhere to filling.
Keyword autumn, cream cheese, fall, pecans, pumpkin, whoopie pies