Mini Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated October 9, 2025

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Ready In
1 hr 10 min
Rating
4(19)
Comments
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These pies require a fairly simple ingredient list — cream cheese, canned pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice and other baking staples — but one stands out: The butter, melted and browned until the milk solids toast, adds an intoxicating nutty flavor and aroma. The simple step takes the filling to the next level. The flavor of browned butter can easily be lost when mixed into batter and baked, so here, the fragrant butter is instead whipped into a classic cream cheese frosting. Sandwiched between two fluffy, delicately spiced pumpkin cakes, it really shines.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 whoopie pies

For the Cakes

  • 1 ½ cups/192 grams all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • 6 tablespoons/85 grams salted butter, at room temperature

  • ½ cup/105 grams packed dark brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • ¾ cup/188 grams canned pumpkin purée

  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

For the Filling

  • 4 tablespoons/57 grams salted butter

  • 4 ounces/113 grams cream cheese, at room temperature

  • ¼ cup/30 grams powdered sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

32 grams carbs; 61 milligrams cholesterol; 283 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 206 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add egg and pumpkin purée and beat until combined. (Your batter may look like it has separated slightly, and that’s OK.) Add the dry mixture and mix just until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

  2. Step 2

    Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, setting them about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the cakes are puffed and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to racks. Set aside to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the filling: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the milk solid bits are tan and smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl, making sure to scrape out all of the browned bits at the bottom of the pan and chill until semi-solid, about 20 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add the cream cheese to the bowl with the chilled brown butter. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat the mixture until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. 

  5. Step 5

    Spread a generous tablespoon of filling on the flat side of half of the cakes. Top with the other halves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. The whoopie pies are best the day they’re made. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
19 user ratings
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Comments

Jennifer C

The brown butter mixed into the cream cheese filling is a mind-blowing delicious surprise. Wow!

Kendra

Just made these and they’re fantastic. The cookies are similar to a muffin texture. The browned butter in the frosting adds the perfect nuttiness. Next time I will doubled the amount of frosting but I’ve just been spreading it on top and not making sandwiches. I will also increase the salt in the cookies. Will definitely make them again

Debbie

Made these last night. They are good, but I do not love them; not a huge fan of the texture - though friends and neighbors who tried them loved them. I do prefer them chilled; they were better this morning, I thought. The filling set a bit, which was good, and I preferred the chilled texture of the cookie/cake. They look great when dusted with the powdered sugar. I do love the filling - and had quite a bit left over.

Adam

Very easy to make, but I found the browned butter to be overpowering in the filling. If I made it again, I'd likely not brown it and go with a more traditional cream cheese frosting. The whoopie pie cakes were delicious.

L S Paul

The filling was great, flavor ok, texture unpleasantly dense. I made them the day before as suggested, which improved the taste, but will never make them again. Well, might use the filling for something else in the future.

Therese M

How big is a cookie scoop, please?

lawmom

@Therese M Cookie scoops are different sizes, but this recipe calls for a 2 Tablespoon scoop!

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