Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Whoopie for fall! Celebrate the season with a simple Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pie, with rich little chocolate cakes sandwiching a pumpkin spiced buttercream that is perfect for autumn. Learn how to make them easily with a boxed cake mix, or traditionally, with gluten-free options!
This post has been sponsored by Safeway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Celebrate fall with Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies — rich little chocolate cakes sandwiching a pumpkin spiced buttercream that is perfect for autumn.
I love food with a good story, don’t you? I guess this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, since this is what attracted me to the blog platform in the first place — I obviously love sharing my stories with you, and honestly, my favorite part of blogs, as a reader, is learning what makes them so special. To me, that’s the unwritten ingredient that makes a recipe unique.
When I read the history of the whoopie pie, I knew I had made them. Well, that, combined with my daughter’s repeated requests for whoopie pies, and a special delivery from Safeway — whoopie pies were in my destiny, and now they’re in yours.
So here’s the story: whoopie pies hail from the northeast – there is some controversy whether they originate from the Amish in Pennsylvania or in New England states such as Maine, where the first whoopie pies were reportedly sold. But the story I love is how Amish farmwives would make whoopie pies with leftover cake batter and packed them in their husband’s lunch pails. When the farmers found the surprise in their lunches, they would shout, “Whoopie!”
If that isn’t reason enough to make these little cakes filled with creamy centers, then what is?
A traditional whoopie pie is filled with marshmallow filling, but many also now feature a buttercream filling. With autumn here at last, I thought we would celebrate with a pumpkin buttercream!
Whoopie for fall!
I don’t expect presents in autumn, but it sure felt like it when I received a couple of boxes from my friends at Safeway with a plethora of goodies to help me get in the fall spirit! There were lots of my favorite O Organics and Open Nature baking staples, along with fun seasonal items to inspire a ton of fall recipes!
By now you know that I am a huge fan of O Organics® 100% USDA-certified organic products. You can trust in great value in every aisle, and Open Nature® offers minimally processed, high-quality products for everyone in the family, including plant-based, high-protein, and gluten-free options.
I love stocking up on these essentials and their fun, seasonal items when I shop at my local Safeway,
Safeway also offers Grocery Delivery and Drive Up & Go™ for convenient ways to shop – I use this service weekly and it’s such a timesaver to shop online and drive up and go!
Can you make whoopie pies with cake mix?
Yes, you can! When I received my package of goodies from Safeway, I immediately thought of whipping up a batch of whoopie pies with their Open Nature Cake Mix Chocolate Gluten Free, because what else are whoopie pies than miniature cakes? And to fill them, the Open Nature Buttercream Frosting Mix makes it easy to infuse a little pumpkin spice!
If you don’t have a Safeway store near you, I have included both a box mix and a standard recipe below!
How to make Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Whoopie Pies are much like making soft cookies with a cake batter — super easy! Start by mixing your dry ingredients with room temperature buttermilk, butter, and an egg. Having everything at room temperature is the key to making sure the ingredients blend well and become a smooth batter.
Drop the batter onto a baking sheet, leaving room for the batter to spread. You’ll know they’re done when they feel springy to the touch in the center.
While the little cakes bake, whip up your frosting! I like to chill the frosting while the rest of the cakes are baking to make it easier to handle.
Now it’s time to assemble! Simply place a dollop of filling on half of the cookies — a piping bag with a large tip make this easy, or use a cookie scoop — then top with the other half! Give the whoopie pies a quick chill to allow them to set, then enjoy!
More pumpkin dessert recipes
Cinnamon Chip and Walnut Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Buttermilk Bundt Cake
Cassava Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Safeway. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.
Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Little Cakes
- 1 box Open Nature® Cake Mix Chocolate Gluten Free
- 1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened, at room temperature (1/2 stick)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
Frosting
- 1 package Open Nature® Buttercream Frosting Mix
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened, at room temperature (1/2 stick)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven. In a medium bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), slowly mix together the cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter and egg using a handheld electric mixer. As the dry ingredients become incorporated, increase the speed to medium and mix until just combined and the batter is smooth. do not over mix.
- Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop (capacity about 2 tablespoons) to drop the batter onto line cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each little cake to spread.
- Working in batches, bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the little cakes bounce back to the touch.
- Let the cakes cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Mix the frosting mix, softened butter, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl using a handheld mixer or whisk until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until read for use.
- To assemble whoopie pies: drop a dollop of frosting on half of the little cake using a piping bag with a large tip or a cookie scoop/small ice cream scoop. Top with remaining halves. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set. Enjoy!
Notes
- The cakes and frosting can be made in advance, up to two days before. Let the cakes cool completely and store the cakes with parchment paper separating the cakes to prevent from sticking. Store both cakes and frosting in the refrigerator. Give the frosting a good whisk before assembling.
- The whoopie pies can also be assembled in advance and kept chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Use small squares of parchment paper to keep the whoopie pies from sticking to one another.
What if I can’t find the boxed cake mix? Can I Make the Whoopie Pies from Scratch? Absolutely! Here is how to make whoopie pies from scratch:
Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (From Scratch)
INGREDIENTS
For the Little Cakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free flour blend if desired)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
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Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven. In a medium bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Slowly mix in the buttermilk, softened butter, and egg using a handheld electric mixer. As the dry ingredients become incorporated, increase the speed to medium and mix until just combined and the batter is smooth. Do not over mix.
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Use a small cookie scoop to drop the batter onto a lined cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each little cake to spread.
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Working in batches, bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the little cakes bounce back to the touch.
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Let the cakes cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Mix the powdered sugar, softened butter, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl using a handheld mixer or whisk until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until ready for use.
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To assemble whoopie pies: drop a dollop of frosting on half of the little cake using a piping bag with a large tip or a cookie scoop/small ice cream scoop. Top with remaining halves. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes to set. Enjoy!
Nutrition
COOKBOOK
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