Vegan Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
These vegan pumpkin whoopie pies are the fall treat you absolutely need in your life! Made with two soft pumpkin cakes sandwiched with luscious vegan cream cheese filling, every bite is like an explosion of pumpkin season in your mouth.
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 ounce/425 gram) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup organic granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup organic brown sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (8 ounce/227 gram) package Tofutti vegan cream cheese, (chilled (Note 1))
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 4 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, (plus up to 1 additional cup, if needed)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture, then stir just until combined. Don't overmix — a few lumps are fine. The batter will be very thick and fluffy.
- Drop the batter by 2 tablespoon rounds (a cookie scoop works great here) on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. You can bake the cakes in 2 batches if you don't get through all the batter on the first one.
- Bake the cakes until they've spread out and puffed up, and the tops feel set, about 14 to 16 minutes. Lightly touch the top of one with your finger to test for doneness; it should spring back.
- Place the baking sheets on cooling racks and let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the sheets and transfer them directly to the racks to finish cooling.
- Make the filling while the cakes cool. First, beat the vegan cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt together at high speed with an electric mixer. Begin beating in the powdered sugar at low speed, adding about a cup at a time, until the mixture is thick enough for stuffing the cakes.
- Once the cakes are cool, spread or pipe about 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the flat sides of half the cakes, then close each whoopie pie with a second cake to create a sandwich.
- Serve immediately or chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I love pumpkin treats, and I will never shy away from the combination of pumpkin, spices, and cream cheese. It's a classic for a reason! Hence my vegan pumpkin cake, vegan pumpkin roll, and vegan pumpkin cheesecake. You need to make them all. But first, you'll want to make these pumpkin whoopie pies. The flavors may be similar, but whoopie pies are definitely the most fun.
These are actually easier to make than my traditional vegan whoopie pies. Surprise! The cakes start with a simple batter that's baked up into rounds. The filling is a modified version of my vegan cream cheese frosting, which is super simple. Making the sandwiches is the fun part, so it's not really work. And look what you end up with! I love everything about fall, but these might take the top spot.
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so that's what I recommend using.
- Baking powder.
- Baking soda.
- Spices. You'll just need pumpkin pie spice (also known as pumpkin spice) and cinnamon.
- Salt.
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure you're buying canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which includes a bunch of extra ingredients we don't need.
- Sugar. Using organic sugar will ensure the recipe stays vegan. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Brown sugar. This also needs to be organic.
- Oil. Any neutral oil you like to bake with works, such as canola, melted coconut oil, or corn oil.
- Vanilla extract.
- Vegan cream cheese. Tofutti brand works best for me when making fillings and frostings, so I recommend using it if possible.
- Vegan butter.
- Powdered sugar. Just like with the other sugars, make sure this is organic.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. Start by whisking together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
Step 3: Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Step 4: Mix the batter. Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture, then stir just until a thick batter forms. Avoid overmixing it.
Steps 5 & 6: Drop and bake. Drop rounded mounds of batter, about 2 tablespoons each, on the baking sheets. Bake them until they've spread, puffed up, and set.
Step 7: Cool. Start by letting the cakes cool on the sheets on cooling racks. After 5 minutes, move them directly to the racks to finish cooling.
Step 8: Make the filling. Start by beating cold vegan cream cheese, room temperature vegan butter, vanilla, and salt together. Add powdered sugar, a bit at a time, until the mixture is nice and thick.
Step 9: Stuff the cakes. Stuff each pair of cakes with the filling. You can be fancy and pipe it, but a spoon also works just fine.
Step 10: Serve. Feel free to enjoy your pumpkin whoopie pies right away, but I like them best after they've chilled for a few hours.
Variations
- Filling alternatives. Stuff your pies with my vegan buttercream frosting, vegan chocolate frosting, or your favorite frosting or filling.
- Chocolate chip pies. Add mini vegan chocolate chips to the batter.
- Filling decorations. Roll the edges of your pies in finely chopped nuts, mini vegan chocolate chips, or sprinkles.
Can these be made gluten-free?
I haven't tested a gluten-free version, but if you'd like to try it, I'd recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Can I use fresh pumpkin?
You can, but you'll need to cook and puree it first. You'll need about 1 ¾ cups once prepared.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
Nope! Definitely stick with plain pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices that will throw off the recipe.
How should I store my pumpkin whoopie pies and how long will they keep?
They'll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
