Making whoopie pies is a fun kitchen activity the kids will love, or just a delicious treat to serve with all your other football party snacks! These pumpkin whoopie pies are miniature, so they make great single-serve fall treats.
Why this recipe works
You’re baking a soft cookie and combining it with a tasty cream cheese filling. This means they look complicated, but they’re not!
These mini pumpkin whoopie pies are fun for an after school treat or to take along to a harvest festival.
Related Recipe – Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
Prepare cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Use a mixer to beat shortening, sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
- Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
Prepare filling:
- Use mixer to beat softened cream cheese, softened butter, and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whip until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.
Baking Tips & FAQs
- This recipe makes 46 small cookies, so 23 whoopie pies. If you prefer them larger, simply bake the same and increase the time by a minute or so if needed.
- Be sure your cream cheese has been softened so you don’t end up with any little bits of cream cheese in your filling.
You’ll love these soft chocolate whoopie pies stuffed with pumpkin cream cheese filling. A delicious dessert or snack for fall!
More Fun Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Trifle
- Pumpkin Pie Dip
- Pumpkin Chicken Pot Pie
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Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup canned solid pack pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling*
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
Things You'll Need
Before You Begin
- This recipe makes 46 small cookies, so 23 whoopie pies. If you prefer them larger, simply bake the same and increase the time by a minute or so if needed.
- Be sure your cream cheese has been softened so you don't end up with any little bits of cream cheese in your filling.
Instructions
Prepare cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Use a mixer to beat shortening, sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
- Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
Prepare filling:
- Use mixer to beat softened cream cheese, softened butter, and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whip until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Jude says
Wow that’s a crazy amount of whoopie pies. Wish I could’ve snatched a few,
Ingrid says
That’s awesome that you stuck with it and kept trying until you got it right! I would have just thrown in the towel!
I like the shot of all three sizes together. It’s like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This one is too big, this one is too flat, but this one is just right! :-)
~ingrid
nicole says
Ohhh I love these kind of cookies.
Amanda says
carol – thanks! They didn't last long around here :)
prudy – can't wait to see yours oh Cookie Queen! :-D
jacque – I'll be watching for your post about them. I agree just like devil's food cake :)
bunny & tami – Thanks! The different sizes were funny, just wish I had ended up with more of the right size LOL
jin hooi – I'm sorry they didn't work out for you!
marie, debbie, leonor, baking blonde, mysweetestday, blonde duck, andrew – thank you all so much!
cristine – sorry about your filling, it was the batter I had problems with. I did refrigerate my filling while I was waiting for all the cookies to bake and cool
Andrew Abraham says
These cookies look unbelievable… I am so glad you posted this cookie recipe…thanks
Andy
http://www.recipebuddys.com
The Blonde Duck says
Those are so cute! I love them!
Cristine says
Great job! Your filling seems thick, too. Mine was a tad runny and I had to refrigerate the cookies. Welcome to the carnival!!! :)
mysweetestday says
thanks for the heads up about the flour. ill be making these this week :)
bakingblonde says
Those look so great, perfect for fall! I love whoopie pies and have been meaning to make some soon, those pictures have me drooling!
Leonor de Sousa Bastos says
Your cookies are pure madness!!
I wish I could have one of these right now…
beautiful!
Amanda says
I went and watched the Martha video (this is a recipe from her show and site) on this and made sure that the directions were correct and they were. I don’t know why I ended up needing more flour but I did. The video is worth watching for the guest star alone, TRUST ME! http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mini-pumpkin-whoopie-pies
:)
Megan says
Yea, you joined the carnival. :)
I have to get on my cookies, hopefully today! I’ve never made Whoopie pies and I’m excited to try. I’ll watch my flour!!! I think yours look great.
Debbie says
I love the idea of pumpkin whoopie pies!!! They look soooo good!
Marie says
Those look so good Amanda. I love whoopie Pies!
Jin Hooi says
well done !! Mine turned out to be like a giant ball and also the filling was too thin and runy.Yours looks great !!
Tami says
I love jacque’s comment that your cookies look like a family picture! What a great analogy! I love the different sizes, too! :)
Bunny says
I like all the different sizes Amanda, they all look good to me! I would really like that cream cheese filling!!
Jacque says
I just made these today… they tasted exactly like devil’s food cake, I thought. I like your different shaped cookies… almost like a family picture, lol. Nice work!
Prudy says
Those look fabulous. YOu’re my first cookie carnival stop-I gotta make these.
carol says
YUMMY!!! Your pictures have me drooling! OH these look good!!! I have the same problem with how much flour in whoopie pies when I want to make them mini too..they crack on top and I say oh well..they still taste great. I always figure as long as they’re not dry as a bone, it’s all good!