Name: Maple Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened, for filling); 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted, for filling); 3 tbsp pure maple syrup (for filling, grade A or B); 1 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk (for filling, add more as needed)

From the roundup: 24 Easy Fall Treats Recipes Your Family Will Actually Eat

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These maple pumpkin whoopie pies have been on my fall baking list for years, and the reason I keep coming back to them is simple: the batter is one bowl, the filling takes about five minutes, and the whole thing is done in just over half an hour. The pumpkin cookies bake up soft and a little cakey, which is exactly what you want when you are sandwiching them around a thick maple cream filling.

Active time is around 20 minutes. The rest is waiting on the cookies to cool completely before you fill them, and that part matters more than people expect. I have rushed it before and the filling just slides right out. Set a timer, walk away, and let the rack do its job.

The filling uses real maple syrup, not extract, and you can taste the difference. Grade A or B both work fine. If you are assembling these for a crowd or a school event, pair your cookie rounds by size before you start filling so every sandwich looks even and holds together cleanly.

How these ended up in my rotation

The first time I made these, it was a Sunday afternoon in October and I had half a can of pumpkin puree left from a soup I had made the night before. I needed something for my daughter’s class party the next day and did not want to run to the store. These came together fast enough that I had them in the fridge by 4 p.m., which almost never happens in this house.

What surprised me was how much better they tasted the next morning after a night in the fridge. The filling firms up and the cookies soften just a little more where they meet the cream. Now I try to make them the evening before I need them instead of the day of.

Why you will love this

One bowl for the cookie batter, so cleanup is fast even on a busy afternoon
The maple cream filling uses real maple syrup and whips up in about five minutes
They hold together well in the fridge, which makes them a solid make-ahead dessert
The batter is thick and easy to scoop, so the rounds come out fairly uniform without much fuss
They actually taste better the next day once the filling has had time to set against the cookies

Tips for success

Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) for every round. Eyeballing the portions leads to mismatched halves, and the filling will push out the side of any pair that is noticeably uneven.
Watch for the matte top, not just the timer. At 11 minutes the tops should look dull rather than shiny. If they still look wet in the center, give them one more minute. Overbaked cookies dry out fast and the texture suffers.
The cookies must be fully cool before filling. I mean fully, not just warm to the touch. If the center of the cookie still holds any heat, the butter in the filling will soften and the sandwich will not hold its shape.
Sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the butter. Skipping that step leaves small lumps in the filling that do not fully beat out, and the texture ends up a little gritty instead of smooth.

Common questions about this recipe

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which will throw off the balance of the batter.
My filling looks too stiff. What do I do? Add heavy cream or whole milk one teaspoon at a time and beat again on medium-high. It loosens up quickly, so add slowly.
Can kids help with this recipe? Yes, the batter mixing and the cookie pairing step are easy for older kids. Piping or spreading the filling is manageable with a spoon if they are not comfortable with a bag.
Do these need to be refrigerated? Yes. The butter-based filling needs to stay cold. Leave them out no longer than an hour or two at a party.

Substitutions

If you only have pumpkin pie spice on hand, use 2 teaspoons in place of the individual cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Coconut oil works as a swap for the vegetable oil in the cookies, though it adds a faint coconut flavor. For a dairy-free filling, a firm plant-based butter stick (not a spread from a tub) whips up reasonably well, though the texture will be slightly less fluffy than the butter version.

If maple syrup is not in the budget, pure maple extract works in the filling. Start with 1/2 teaspoon, taste, and adjust. You will need to add a bit more cream to make up the liquid. For anyone avoiding gluten, a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend can substitute for the all-purpose flour, though the cookies may spread a little more on the pan.

Make-ahead and storage

The cookie rounds can be baked up to one day ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Make the filling separately and refrigerate it in a small bowl, then let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and beat it briefly before assembling. Once assembled, store the whoopie pies in an airtight container in the fridge, layered with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. They keep well for up to 3 days and the texture actually improves after the first few hours.

The unfilled cookie rounds freeze well for up to 6 weeks. Wrap them in pairs (flat sides together, no filling) and store in a zip bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then fill just before serving. I would not freeze the assembled pies since the filling texture changes once it thaws.

Brittany Stage