Gluten Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Hi Bakers,

I didn’t grow up making whoopee pies and only recently heard of them. I’m game for eating anything once, especially if there’s frosting involved. These moist cookies are like tiny pumpkin cakes with rich cream cheese browned butter icing sandwiched in the middle. The perfect Fall flavor that you need to try. Store them in the fridge, and wrap each one in a bit of waxed paper to keep them moist and prevent them from sticking to each other. If you haven’t had one of these, you need to make them! Enjoy ~Carolyn.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Recipe adapted from Sugar Spun Run

Makes 10 sandwich cookies

Dry ingredients

1 2/3 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free flour (original blend)

1 tablespoon oat flour, finely ground

1 teaspoon sweet rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

pinch of cloves

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk

1 cup Libby’s pumpkin puree

1/2 tablespoon unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Icing

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature

4 tablespoons butter, browned

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375F and place the rack in the center position.

În a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.

Melt and cool the butter and add it to the brown sugar. Stir well until mixed. Next, stir in the eggs, pumpkin, molasses, and vanilla. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl to ensure everything is fully combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Scrape the bowl and mix in any dry bits. Scoop the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a 2-tablespoon-sized scoop or spoon. Place at least 2” apart and bake for about 9-12 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched in the middle. Cool completely on a rack.

Start making the icing by browning butter on the stove over medium heat until the butter foams up and browned bits fall to the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently and watch carefully; this will burn quickly! Butter should smell like caramel when it’s done. Let the butter cool until warm but not hot. Add the butter to cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat until mixed. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until very smooth. Chill the frosting while you complete baking and cooling the cookies.

Frost the cookies by adding a dollop of icing on the bottom of one cookie and topping with the bottom of another. Cookies are hefty and burger-shaped. Store the cookies individually wrapped so they don’t stick together, and keep them chilled because the icing contains cream cheese. Cookies keep for a few days in the fridge. Enjoy!