I have had a yearning to make whoopie pies almost since I first ate one a long time ago when we purchased some at Booth’s Corner Farmers Markets at Boothyn, PA just across the DE border. We lived in Wilmington, DE and went to this market for all the Amish produce, eggs, etc. almost once a week. Many years ago while living in DE I was listening to an interivew on NPR about a book by a couple who traveled around the country eating local foods. Their discussion was so interesting that I promptly ordered the book entitled “The Farmhouse Cookbook.” In this book were little discussions of each area they visited and recipes of some of the foods they enjoyed on their travels. In it I found whoopie recipes, but the book languished on the shelf and the recipe went untried. But as my cooking magazines started arriving I found recipes for whoopie pies in one of them. That prompted me to look at a number of recipes online as well as the old cookbook stashed away in seldom used ones. Just before thanksgiving when I was preparing hubbard and butternut squashes for the holidays I decided to try a pumpkin whoopie pie recipe. The recipe I settled on was one from Martha Stewart’s living which follows. The recipe below will make 12 regualar size whoopie pies, but I halved the recipe and made mini pies and got around two dozen.
For the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
2 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil or a mix of butter & oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients and mix in oil (or oil & butter) until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and blend well. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine well until everything is well incorporated.
Using a small cookie scoop (1 T) drop dough onto parchment paper about one inch apart. Flattened each one slightly and then bake until they start to crack on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Note: The first time I made these I put in 2 T applesauce to make them more moist, but didn’t do this the second time and didn’t notice a big difference and found both to be plenty moist. Let cool on a rack completely while you prepare the filling.
Cream Cheese Filling
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer beat butter until smooth, then add cream cheese and beat until well combined/ Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla beating until just smooth. (this can be made up the day before and refrigerated, but let stand to reach room temperature before using).
To assemble the whoopie pies put the filling in a pastry bag if available or drop a dollop of the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies and then top each one with one of the remaining cookie halves pressing down slightly to spread the filling evenly. Place on parchment paper line tray and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. These are good for up to three days after making.
The above picture shows half of the first whoopie pies I made just before Thanksgiving using half of the above recipe. I shared these with my local family members as a taste test and everyone agreed they were really good. I made them again when we went to Delaware for Thanksgiving and again they were a huge success. These pumpkin whoopie pies were very moist and tasted great.
My next plan was to make Chocolate one for the Christmas holidays, however I had seen an idea to roll them in crushed peppermint candy canes. Since I really don’t like hard candy I had the bright idea to try using sugar stick candy. After several shopping trips looking for that type of candy, I went online and located a place that had it. I put in my order by mid-December and eagerly awaited the shipment. Unfortunately by the time we left to spend the holidays in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the candy had not arrived. So I ended up skipping the chocolate whoopie pies but hoped to make them when we returned on Dec. 30th. However, the candy still had not arrived and on checking further it was determined they had been delivered to my closest neighbor ‘by accident and she had taken them to UPS to be returned to the seller. Eventually my candy was delivered again.
I made chocolate whoopies following the recipe based on Martha Stewart’s that I found online and were filled with the cream cheese filling above and for others I made half the recipe of peanut butter filling I found given below.
Chocolate Whoopie Pies recipe makes about 20 – 22 mini whoopie pies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare two parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
1 3/4 c Flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda 3/4 c cocoa
1 c sugar 1/2 c butter (1 stick) 1 egg
1 c buttermilk 1 t vanilla
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cocoa and set aside.
Cream sugar and butter (a mix of butter and olive oil may be used to cut down on fat) using an electric mixer until well blended.
Then add egg, buttermilk and vanilla mixing well.
Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing them in well with each addition until all is mixed in.
Using a one Tablespoon scoop drop on parchment lined cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake about 10 -12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center and when center are starting to crack.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before assembling pies. To assemble them put a dollop of filling on flat side of one cookie half and then top with other half pressing down slightly to spread filling evenly. Then roll in crushed candy if desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving or they may be kept for up to three days.
Peanut butter filling
1/2 cup soften butter (1 stick), 2/3 cup peanut butter (recipe says creamy, but I like crunchy so used it instead) and 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar.
Beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer smooth and then add confectioners’ sugar little by little mixing in each time using a lower speed until it is all incorporated.

Whoopies in back are ones filled with cream cheese filling and rolled in crushed wintergreen stick candy. Ones in foreground are peanut butter filled except for the light one which is cream cheese filling. These whoopie pies tasted very good, but the cookie is less moist than the pumpkin cookies and more crumbly. I think adding a tablespoon or two of applesauce might make them more moist. I might try that although this recipe certainly tasted good.
I think rolling in crushed candy adds a little different taste and makes the cookie look more festive so it would be a nice addition around the holidays.
I have seen other recipes calling for bananas and I found that very interesting since I was thinking of making some using paw paw puree that I have frozen for my next wildfoods luncheon. When I make them I will post a comment about them.