Pumpkin Whoopie Pies always sold out in my bakeries when I had them. I would only make them in the fall and people would look forward to them in the same way that people can’t wait for their first pumpkin spice latte of the season. I would usually fill them with vanilla buttercream and occasionally make “special editions” with caramel or chai spiced buttercream – recipe can be found here.
Traditionally Whoopie Pies are chocolate cakes with a sweet white filling that is either an Ermine buttercream (made with a flour roux), traditional American buttercream or sometimes, in New England, the filling contains marshmallow fluff. We always sold the traditional whoopie pies year-round but the pumpkin only made a short appearance in the fall which is part of what made them so special.
Whoopie Pies are an American thing, more specifically and East Coast American thing. The history of them is often debated with some people claiming that they are originally from Maine and others given credit to the Amish and the Pennsylvania Dutch (they are often called Gobs in Pennsylvania). You can read more about the history here.
This recipe will work with virtually all commercially available 1:1 gluten free flour blends or you can make your own from one of my recipes found here. As with all of my recipes, you can change the batch size by hovering over the number of servings on the print page and then changing it, the recipe will automatically adjust.
Ingredients
- 75 grams vegetable shortening (or unsalted butter)
- 280 grams brown sugar (can sub maple or coconut sugar)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 224 grams canned pumpkin puree
- 65 grams milk
- 280 grams 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (recipe here)
Instructions
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Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
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Mix the pumpkin and milk together, in a separate container, and set aside.
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In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Beat into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin milk mixture.
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Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls (I like to use a cookie scoop) onto parchment=-lined baking sheets, about two inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.* Bake 12-14 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched.
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Leave the cakes on the baking sheet, and place the baking sheet on a rack to cool.
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Make your filling (recipe here).
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When cookies are completely cooled, spread filling on half of the bottoms, and top with the remaining half of the cookies. Cover individually in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for two to three days -- or in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
*Pro Tip - lightly spray or rub the back of your spoon with oil before flattening the cakes.