To kick off the fall season, I wanted to share these vegan pumpkin whoopie pies with you! These are soft and pillowy cakes filled with rich cream cheese frosting. The warmth of the spices will curb all your fall cravings! These are so delicious, you’ll almost forget that they’re vegan.
If you want to kick start your fall baking, then make sure that these vegan pumpkin whoopie pies are on the top of the list. They are so moist and so soft, that they will just melt in your mouth. Traditionally, whoopie pies are chocolate-flavored, I wanted to make these a little bit different and more appropriate for fall. Not to mention, they are so easy to make a don’t require a ton of special equipment to make. Perfect for a party or even just as a snack!
Key ingredients for vegan pumpkin whoopie pies
Soy milk – Personally, I like to use soy milk because it has the same consistency and protein as regular dairy milk. Also, it gives me the best results compared to other dairy-free milk.
Vinegar – This is the secret to making vegan buttermilk. Simply mix it into your soymilk, and watch it curdle and thicken before your very eyes. Vinegar is also what will activate the baking powder in the batter to give it the rise it needs.
Pumpkin puree – The best brand I’ve used for any pumpkin recipe is Libby’s Pumpkin Puree. However, do not mistake this for pumpkin pie filling, they are not the same. The ingredients should only be pure pumpkin.
Vegan Butter – The best kind of butter to use is the ones that come in stick form. Unfortunately, the butter in the tubs is used for spreads, and not for baking. I also find them to be greasy.
Vegan Cream Cheese –In my opinion, the best brand for making vegan cream cheese frosting is Kite Hill. Their texture and flavor are just so close to their dairy counterparts. I use it in all my baked goods!
How to make vegan pumpkin whoopie pies
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients including the pumpkin spice.
Next, combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar together, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
Once the milk mixture is ready, add it to a mixing bowl, along with other wet ingredients, including the brown sugar, and pumpkin puree. Whisk to combine.
Add about half of the wet ingredients to the bowl of the dry ingredients, and gently whisk until there are no pockets of dry flour left. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and continue to whisk until well incorporated and you get a nice thick batter.
Scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch of space in between.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them sit on the baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Whip the softened butter on high until light and fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and mix to incorporate with the butter.
On the lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar in batches, to evenly combine it with the butter and cream cheese mixture.
Once the sugar has been mixed in properly, add in the vanilla extract and pumpkin spice, and continue to whip on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowls as needed.
Once your cakes have cooled completely, scoop or pipe the frosting a good amount on one cake and sandwich it with the other half. Repeat until all the cakes have been filled. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
Measure your flour properly. I test my recipes, 100% in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. By doing this, you give yourself the best chance of evenly distributing all the dry ingredients in the batter.
Add the dry ingredients in batches. Doing this will result in an evenly mixed and smoother batter.
Do not frost until the cakes have cooled completely. Because the frosting is made of butter, it’ll melt when it comes in contact with heat. Even if you think the outside of the cakes is cool enough, the inside can still be fairly warm. So, make sure you place the cakes on a wire rack so it aerates throughout, and give them the time it needs to completely cool down.
Use room-temperature butter and cream cheese. This goes without saying, but sometimes people forget. It’s obvious you can’t do anything with cold, hard butter or cream cheese. So letting them get to room temperature will allow them to get soft and be able to mix better.
Frequently asked questions
How long will these vegan pumpkin whoopie pies last? These will keep in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Can I freeze these? Yes, but I suggest freezing the frosting and cakes separately and sealed in airtight containers. Let them sit in the fridge for a day to defrost before assembly.
Can I make these gluten-free? I haven’t tried it myself, but if you want to try it, I suggest using a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Why is my frosting melting after I’ve assembled my whoopie pies? This happens because you didn’t let your cakes cool enough, so the residual heat from inside the cakes is melting the frosting.
Is a whoopee pie a cake or cookie? A whoopie pie is a small single-serving cake! They do look like cookies, but the textures are more cake-like.
So, if you tried this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below! You can also share it with me on Instagram, just tag @flouredframe. I would love to see your recreations! Happy baking!
These are soft, pillowy cakes that are filled with rich cream cheese frosting. The warmth of the spices will curb all your fall cravings! And if you’re a pumpkin spice addict, you’ll definitely love this!
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
250g (2 cups) – all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned, and leveled, see notes
1 teaspoon – salt
1 1/2 teaspoon – baking powder
1/4 teaspoon – baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon – pumpkin spice
Wet Ingredients:
150g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) – non-dairy milk, lukewarm, I used soy
2 teaspoon – white or apple cider vinegar
150g (3/4 cup) – brown sugar, lightly packed
240g (1 cup) – pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
45g (1/4 cup) – vegetable oil, or any neutral oil
1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
5 ½ tablespoons – vegan butter, softened at room temperature, I used Country Crock Plant Butter
74g (⅓ cup) – vegan plain cream cheese, softened at room temperature, I used Kite Hill
Small or medium-sized cookie scoop (depending on the size you want to make) https://amzn.to/3FAtFLP
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Wire cooling rack
Instructions
Prep ahead:
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Let your vegan butter and cream cheese sit out at room temperature to soften.
Make the cakes:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice.
Next, combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar together, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
Once the milk mixture is ready, add it to a mixing bowl, along with the brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is fully combined.
Add about half of the wet ingredients to the bowl of the dry ingredients, and gently whisk the ingredients together until there are no pockets of dry flour left. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and continue to whisk until well incorporated and you get a nice thick batter.
Depending on the size you want, you can use a small or medium-sized cookie scoop, and scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet leaving about 1-inch of space in between. If you want a neater process, you can use a piping bag to pipe the batter onto the baking pan.
For medium-sized whoopie pies, bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and lightly golden brown along the edges, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For small-sized whoopie pies, bake for 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the batter into a piping bag and pipe it onto a baking sheet.
Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them sit on the baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Making the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, whip the softened butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Then add the softened vegan cream cheese to the bowl and whip it to combine with the butter.
On the lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar in batches, to evenly combine it with the butter and cream cheese mixture.
Once the sugar has been mixed in properly, add in the vanilla extract and pumpkin spice, and continue to whip on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowls as needed.
Assembly
Once your cakes have cooled completely, scoop or pipe the frosting a good amount on one cake and sandwich it with the other half. Repeat until all the cakes have been filled. Keep in the fridge for the frosting to chill and harden a bit before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Measure your flour properly. My recipes are 100% tested in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, that this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine. By doing this, you give yourself the best chance of evenly distributing all the dry ingredients in the batter.
Add the dry ingredients in batches. This will ensure that the batter is evenly mixed and as a result a smoother texture.
Do not frost until the cakes have cooled completely. Because the frosting is made of butter, it’ll melt when it comes in contact with heat. Even if you think the outside of the cakes is cool enough, the inside can still be fairly warm. So, make sure you place the cakes on a wire rack so it aerates throughout, and give them the time it needs to completely cool down.
Use room-temperature butter and cream cheese. This goes without saying, but sometimes people forget. Allowing the butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature will allow them to get soft and be able to mix better.
Hello! I made these and they are delicious! How can I keep the frosting from melting for about an hour? I need to take these with me in the car for about an hour drive. Would you recommend freezing them?
I’m so glad you liked this recipe! As for travel, yes, I would keep these in the freezer overnight and then use an insulated bag with ice packs to keep them cold during your drive! Hope this helps! 🙂
I accidentally left out all the sugar in the cakes and they were still amazing?? Baked, tasted, and looked perfectly fine. If you like a little less sweet, maybe try it
Hi, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! So, unfortunately, I haven’t shipped whoopie pies before and because of the different elements in the whoopie pies, I’m not exactly sure how long they’ll last while in transit.
Hello! I made these and they are delicious! How can I keep the frosting from melting for about an hour? I need to take these with me in the car for about an hour drive. Would you recommend freezing them?
Please let me know! Thank you.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe! As for travel, yes, I would keep these in the freezer overnight and then use an insulated bag with ice packs to keep them cold during your drive! Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi! Could almond or coconut flour be substituted in this recipe?
Hi, I haven’t tested this recipe in other flour substitutes, but you can try it out! Please let me know how it goes.
I accidentally left out all the sugar in the cakes and they were still amazing?? Baked, tasted, and looked perfectly fine. If you like a little less sweet, maybe try it
★★★★★
Omg, that’s so funny! I’m glad they still turned out delicious!
Can I leave these sit at room temperature?
The frosting is a little too soft for it to be left out at room temperature, it’s best to keep in the fridge!
I made these last night and they are delicious. Can I ship them, and if so, how should they be packaged and sent?
Hi, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! So, unfortunately, I haven’t shipped whoopie pies before and because of the different elements in the whoopie pies, I’m not exactly sure how long they’ll last while in transit.