How to make homemade pumpkin puree?

To make homemade puree, cut the pumpkin into cubes and allow it to boil along with 1-2 cups of water in a heavy bottomed saucepan. You can add half a teaspoon of salt to speed this process a little. You want to boil it until it is soft enough to be mashed. Drain out all the water and allow it to cool completely. If you've not removed the outer skin, do it now. It should come out very easily. Transfer the cooled pumpkin to a mixer and mix until you get the consistency of a thick puree. Homemade puree usually has more liquid content than canned puree. Drain out all the liquid by transferring it to a cheesecloth and letting all of it drain for around 30 minutes. Transfer the homemade puree to an airtight container and chill for 1-2 hours before adding to these pies.

How to assemble whoopie pies?

These pies taste the best when filled with a delicious maple cream cheese frosting. This frosting is not too sweet and pairs perfectly with the warm fall spices in these pies. For the best results, chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before frosting the pies. This will prevent it from flowing down them and not make them messy. Trust me, you don't want a soft frosting. You can either pipe a dollop of frosting onto these mini cakes using a round tip or a swirl using a star tip. If not, you can even spoon the the frosting onto these pies. Alternatively, it is totally acceptable to swap out the maple syrup with a good quality bourbon for a boozy version of these pies. Once you've assembled these pies, chill them in the refrigerator for atleast 30-40 minutes to allow the frosting to set.

Can I freeze whoopie pies?

Once you've assembled these whoopie pies, immediately transfer them to the refrigerator and allow to chill for atleast 30-40 minutes before serving. This will help the frosting to set. However, these pies can be sticky in texture. So you want to place a layer of wax paper or parchment in between them if stacking them on top of one another. You can also freeze these pies. Store them in an airtight container and freeze them for about a month. Before serving, make sure to thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Description

These mini pumpkin whoopie pies are packed full of cozy warm fall spices along with a sweet maple cream cheese frosting to make the most delicious bite size dessert. They are full of pumpkin flavour and so easy to make. They are light & pillowy soft sponge cakes that your whole family will love.

Ingredients

Scale

Whoopie Pies

250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon all-spice powder
267g (1⅓ cups) dark brown sugar
160ml (⅔ cup) vegetable or canola oil
283g (10 oz or 1½ cups) canned or homemade pumpkin puree, chilled
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

76g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
60g (¼ cup) block cream cheese, at room temperature
155g (1¼ cup) confectioners’ or powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk, at room temperature
½ pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Whoopie Pies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (if using a macaron template) or a silicone baking macaron mat. Set aside.
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger and all-spice powder
In another bowl, add the oil. To that add in the brown sugar and chilled pumpkin puree and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk together until completely combined.
Sift in the dry ingredients into the wet. Using a silicone spatula, mix and fold it in the wet ingredients. Do not overmix. A few streaks of flour remaining is perfectly okay.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Or alternately, transfer the batter into a large plastic bag and snip off the corner of the bag to pipe the batter.
Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets in around 1-2 inch diameter circles leaving around 1 inch space between the pies.
Bake the whoopie pies for 10-12 minutes. Once fully baked, the pies should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Do not over bake.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the whoopie pies from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the block cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until completely smooth.
Add in the maple syrup, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Mix well.
Sift in powdered sugar and beat until combined and no lumps remain.
Place frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. If frosting becomes too soft and warm, place it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Assembly

To assemble the whoopie pies, place a dollop or swirl of maple cream cheese frosting on the flat side of one pie and then top with the flat side of another whoopie pie. Gently press together to create a sandwich.
Place the assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes to chill, allowing the frosting to set.
Store whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. Place a wax paper in between if stacking them. You can also freeze them (see faqs above).

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Fall dessert, Pumpkin Dessert, Mini Pies
Cuisine: American

Keywords: pumpkin whoopie pies, mini pumpkin pies, fall desserts, thanksgiving dessert recipes, warm fall bakes