pumpkin whoopie pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. ground ginger

Heaping tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice* (see note below on how to make your own with the spices you’re already using in this recipe)

2 cups, firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

3 cups pumpkin puree* (see note below on this)

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Note on pumpkin pie spice: I made my own because I didn’t want to spend $5 on a small container of it. I had all the spices in my pantry to make pumpkin pie spice and I have a lot leftover for another time. You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by combining 1/4 cup of cinnamon with 4 tsp. of ground ginger and 2 tsp. nutmeg!

Note on pumpkin puree: Apparently this is really hard to find. Last year there was that pumpkin shortage so I guess this made the pumpkin puree harder to find. I went down the baking aisle, the canned fruits aisle, and the canned vegetable aisle to no luck. The store manager had to come find it (it was in the organic section). They only had the organic kind. He said “that’s all we got” and there weren’t very many of them! Good luck with your find.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and powder, salt and all the spices together. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, blend together (with a hand mixer) the brown sugar and canola oil. Add in the pumpkin puree and blend until well combined.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla.
5. Slowly pour the wet mixture in the dry mixture. Split it up into 2-3 batches. Blend until it is all combined, scraping down the sides of your bowl to get everything in.
6. Line your baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
7. Use a tablespoon or a measuring cup (I used a 1/4 cup) and put the dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. You can make them as big or little as you want. I opted for a heaping 1/4 cup of batter to end up with the size of mine.
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes. I baked mine for 13 minutes and they were perfect. If your toothpick comes out clean, you’re good to go!
9. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup or 8 tbsp. softened butter

8 oz. light cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until well combined. It will be airy and fluffy. This may be made a day ahead and chilled until ready to use.