Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted By: lukeshowell December 2, 2025

By: Layla Roop

This holiday season, we are excited  to share a recipe from IRHS Culinary Arts teacher , Chef Gowan. In previous years, we’ve shared some of Chef Gowen’s favorite recipes,  including her delicious Pumpkin Roll for the fall season, which is an IQ staff favorite.  Baking can be a meaningful way  to enjoy time with friends and family, or even a relaxing way to spend time on your own. We hope you give this a try, and enjoy holidays with these recipes. 

If you try this recipe at home, feel free to reach out to us on Instagram and share your photos, we’d love to see how it turns out and hear your feedback!

According to Chef Gowan, the origins of the whoopie pie trace back to the Amish. She states that Amish cooking is all about old recipes passed down through families over generations. These whoopie pies were once considered a “special treat,” made only when families had leftover batter. The first whoopie pies were sold in 1925 at Labaddie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Maine. Shockingly, Labadie’s still remains in the same location today.

Servings

18 servings

Total Time

52 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 (15-ounce/425g) can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar (440g)
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil 160ml
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature (113g)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g)

Instructions

For the Cookies:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
  • In another mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla, until well combined. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until well combined and no dry streaks remain.
  • Using a small ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the dough onto the prepared pans about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake one pan at a time for 12 to 15 minutes or until the centers appear dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

For the Filling:

  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a piping bag if desired.
  • Pipe or spread frosting on the flat side of half of the cookies. Press another cookie onto the frosting creating sandwiches. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Store whoopie pies covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.