Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
I have been dreaming up this recipe for gluten free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for at least 2 years. Every fall, I get requests for my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are awesome and a tradition in my house, but I have a need to tinker with things. The cake-like cookie made me think of a whoopie pie. Then I recently made a chocolate ganache frosting for another recipe. That was when it all came together in my mind. What a fabulous combination of soft pumpkin cookie and rich dark chocolate. Sooo yummy for your tummy.
Fancy Word
My Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are filled with a rich and silky dark chocolate ganache. Although it sounds fancy, it isn’t hard to make. You are welcome to use an expensive chocolate for the ganache, but I have been very happy with using Costco’s semi-sweet baking chips for years. They melt easily and make a silky smooth ganache. The process is simple to make the ganache. Chocolate, cream, sugar and salt all go in a bowl and are heated briefly in the microwave. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and uniform, then add the butter and continue stirring until all of the butter has melted and combines uniformly with the other ingredients.
Transfer the ganache to a gallon ziplock bag. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag as you seal it. If you live in a warm climate, pop it in the fridge to cool and thicken. If you live in a cooler climate and you have extra time, let it cool at room temp. The advantage to letting it cool at room temp is that it will cool more slowly and it is less likely that the chocolate will become grainy.
Making Whoopies
Start by mixing the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and pumpkin, mixing until completely combined. Then gradually add the dry ingredients by hand or on a slow mixer setting until fully incorporated. The batter will be pretty thick. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a round tip or use my gallon zipper bag hack.
Keep them Even
I draw 1-2 inch circles on the back of the parchment sheet as a guide to keep the cookies the same size. If you happen to have one of those fancy non-stick baking mats with markings for macarons, that will work too! Unfortunately I don’t, so my hack takes a little extra time to draw out, but it works like a charm:-) Pipe the cookie batter onto the lined baking sheet and bake. Keeping them rustic works too! Just spoon the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheet and pat them down a bit to shape them. Nothing wrong with baking them that way too! Just make sure to let them cool completely before filling them with the chocolate ganache.
Some Assembly Required
Once the cookies and chocolate ganache have cooled, you are ready to assemble. Simply pipe the chocolate ganache on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie placing the flat sides against the ganache. Store them at room temperature until you are ready to serve them.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes
- Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Oatmeal Browned Butter Cream Pies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Chocolate Filled Macaroons
- Naked Cut Out Cookies
- Almond Cut Out Cookies
- Hamantaschen
- Rugelach
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the whoopies:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (I like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
For the ganache:
- 1 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet )
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Make the ganache first:
- Combine the chocolate, cream, sugar and salt into a microwaveable bowl and heat until the cream just begins to boil, about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly and carefully stir the mixture until the cream fully incorporates into the chocolate mixture. Add butter a little at a time and stir until combined completely.
- Transfer the chocolate ganache into a ziplock bag, squeezing the air out completely as you seal it. Let cool and thicken until it is as thick as peanut butter. It will take several hours at room temp or an hour or two in the fridge. If you live in a warm climate, it may not thicken up enough at room temp.
For the Whoopies:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, blend sugar and butter.
- Add egg, then pumpkin and blend until well combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix by hand until combined.
- Put batter into a gallon sized ziplock bag.
- Cut ½ inch off of one corner. Pipe 1-2 inch circles of batter onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I draw circles on the underside of the parchment as a guide for the batter.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until whoopies are slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.
Assembly:
- Cut ½ inch off the corner of the bag with the ganache in it. Pipe the ganache onto the flat side of one cookie.
- Use another cookie to create the “sandwich” or whoopie pie. Repeat until all whoopie pies are made.
