Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Chai Buttercream
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Because I am exactly like other girls, the first autumn treat I baked up this year was full of pumpkin, spice and two different kinds of sugar. I wore a sweater and lit my cardamom candle and sweat into a puddle the whole entire time cause as it turns out, Reno was going through a heat wave lol. Just September things!
Anyways, I think I actually managed to will autumn into being because within a couple of days, the weather cooled down significantly and I got to eat these whoopie pies curled up on my couch while it rained outside. Just in time for spooky season, I used some kind of witchy powers to summon fall and one of my new favorite cookies ever.
As a trained pastry chef, I’ve made hundreds of ridiculously good autumn treats like pumpkin pie cups or these amazing pumpkin spice cheesecake bites. But these soft little cookies are a must-make if you’re in need of something pumpkin spice and everything nice.
Long story short, if you’ve never had a whoopie pie, they’re a cookie sandwich made up of cake-like cookies (usually chocolate) with icing or marshmallow-y filling. I basically think of them as an inside-out-cupcake but maybe even better because they’re suuuper soft and pillowy and the cake-to-frosting ratio is way more on point. These were made for people who like frosting-less cake a.k.a. me.
Canned pumpkin
I have made this recipe literally more than a dozen times and one thing is very clear. Canned pumpkin is not created equal! Most generic brands are way too watery. So even though I’m usually Team Generic, you really do need the good stuff here. I like Libby’s canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!). It’s nice and thick which is perfect for baking.
To make the cookies, you’ll also need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, Morton’s Kosher salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, neutral oil (canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.), brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The buttercream has unsalted butter, powdered sugar, whole milk, Assam tea, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and just a pinch of black pepper.
Piping bag
When I was testing the mini cookies, I tried both a cookie scoop and a piping bag to dole out the cookie dough. Even with my smallest scoop, the cookies came out too big. So I would definitely recommend using a piping bag and piping the dough into small dollops. It’s so much easier, I promise!
Don’t have piping bags? You can also use a zipper bag! Just cut a small hole in one of the corners.
Make the cookie dough
Don’t over-mix the batter. You want to stir everything together just until you have a nice, thick batter or the cookies will come out dry and flat.
Bake the cookies just until they’re set and spring back when you give the tops a gentle poke. Since they’re cake-like, the cookies will come out dry if you over-bake them!
Masala chai buttercream
A lot of ‘chai’ buttercreams don’t have tea in them! But like, ‘chai’ literally translates to ‘tea’ haha. So in this recipe, we’re definitely going to make sure to add some tea and not just the spices! You don’t need a lot of milk (we don’t want the filling to be too thin) so you’ll want to make sure to infuse the milk for a bit longer than usual to get a strong flavor.
Assemble the cookies
Full-size cookies
If you want to make full-size cookies like in the photo above, you totally can! Instead of using a piping bag to pipe the batter, scoop it with a #40 cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons). Space them at least 2 inches apart so they have time to spread.
Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes, just until the tops spring back when you give them a gentle poke. You should get about 32 cookies (or 16 cookie sandwiches) total!
Storing & freezing leftovers
Storing whoopie pies properly is key or they’ll stick together! To store them, line a large airtight container with parchment paper. Place the cookies in a single layer on the parchment paper, but make sure they aren’t touching. Do not stack the cookies or they will stick. They’ll be good for 2-3 days!
If you want to freeze the cookies, wrap each individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place them in an airtight container and pop them in the freezer for up to 2 months. To enjoy leftovers, just unwrap the cookies and let the cookies defrost for at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
Since whoopie pies are similar to cake, they tend to be pretty soft and fluffy. And, since there’s quite a bit of moisture in the batter, they’ll get just a tad sticky when they sit out. It’s just kind of the nature of whoopie pies. To prevent sticking entirely, I would eat these day-of!
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The Best Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 240 grams all-purpose flour, sifted (2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 114 grams neutral oil (1/2 cup)
- 210 grams dark brown sugar (1 cup, packed)
- 300 grams canned pumpkin purée, not pie filling – I recommend Libby's (1 1/4 cup)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Masala Chai Buttercream
- 114 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 360 grams powdered sugar, sifted (3 cups)
- 60 milliliters whole milk, plus more as-needed (1/4 cup)
- 2 teaspoons loose-leaf Assam tea (or other strong black tea)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of finely ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the neutral oil, dark brown sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing just until the batter is combined and there are no more streaks of flour.
- Using a piping bag, pipe 2-teaspoon mounds 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. You should have about 72 cookies total. Bake, checking for doneness at 7-8 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the sheet pan. Then, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Masala Chai Buttercream
- While the cookies are baking, heat the milk and loose-leaf tea in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer. Allow it to gently simmer for about 1 minute and then remove the mixture from the heat. Steep for 5 minutes. Then, strain the tea leaves through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the leaves with a wooden spoon to release all of the milk. Let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, beat the butter, 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper until the frosting comes together, about 3 minutes. Add the milk tea to the frosting. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. If the frosting is runny, add the rest of the powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons at at time, until the frosting is stiff.
Assemble the Cookies
- Place half of the cookies bottom-side up on a sheet pan. Using a piping bag, pipe the Masala chai buttercream onto the bottoms of the cookies.
- Place the other half of the cookies on top of the frosted ones, gently sandwiching them together. Enjoy immediately or store the whoopie pies in a single layer in a parchment-lined airtight container for 2-3 days.
Notes
Originally posted on October 20, 2018.
So delicious! The filling isn’t too sweet which I appreciate.